7 Benefits of Interval Training 

Interval training is an adaptable and effective workout training method that has many benefits. 

First, you might be asking, “What is interval training?” 

Basically, it is a framework for fitness training that is characterized by alternating between intense periods of exercise and lower intensity, relaxed recovery periods. And if you’re wondering who can benefit from interval training, because it is such an adaptable form of training, most people can. No matter your fitness goals, you can most likely achieve an efficient interval workout by adopting this structure. 

Today we’re diving into seven benefits of interval training. 

1| Keeps You Engaged 

Did you know that the human mind has an attention span of, on average, only eight seconds? This may or may not surprise you, but this is why we often are easily distracted and feel pulled in multiple directions. That’s why it’s easy to get bored or lose attention when we spend a prolonged amount of time on one thing. This can lead to unenjoyment, dissatisfaction, and injury in the gym. We can burn out and lose passion and sight of our goals. 

A benefit of interval training is that it caters to a shorter attention span. When you’re alternating between various exercises that only last a few seconds or minutes, you can keep your eye on the prize, put in the hard work, and prevent burnout. 

2 | Prevents Injury 

When we aren’t paying attention, we aren’t keeping safety and proper form in mind. Maintaining proper form often requires a lot of focus, which is why intervals are useful. We can more easily give 100% of our attention to an exercise for a shorter amount of time, allowing us to keep our form in mind and prevent injury. 

3 | Improves Anaerobic Ability 

Pushing ourselves in short spurts at a high exercise intensity requires anaerobic exercise (or close to anaerobic exercise). When we push our body out of its resting state, we need to deliver more oxygen throughout the body. In order to supply more oxygen, we must inhale more air and our hearts must pump blood at a faster rate. Anaerobic literally translates to “without air,” and the short spurts of high-intensity continuous exercise that interval training incorporates results in anaerobic exercise. Anaerobic exercise has many benefits, including boosting your metabolism, fighting depression, increasing your bone strength, and more. 

4 | Increases Efficiency

Interval training allows you to burn a lot of energy in a short amount of time. Speeding up your heart rate requires much more energy than, lets say, walking at a comfortable pace. Additionally, the short periods of rest between intervals allows your heart rate to slow down again and rest for a short moment. Once you jump into your next interval, your body is required to work extra hard to bring your heart back up to an anaerobic state. So, rather than maintaining an anaerobic state, your heart goes from resting speed to high speed numerous times. When you expend energy, you burn calories, which is great if weight loss is one of your fitness goals. At the end of the day, you can achieve a hard interval session in a shorter amount of time because intense intervals require more energy. 

5 | Requires Little-To-No Equipment 

Since interval training can be baked into most exercises, you can build out a plan that is low-equipment or even equipment-free. While you can always throw an exercise machine into the mix, bodyweight is still going to work as a form of resistance to get your body moving. 

6 | Open To All Levels And Abilities. 

Interval training is an extremely inclusive workout structure; open to all skill and experience levels, interval training can adapt to your needs. Even if you’re pushing yourself at a 5% RPE, as long as you’re doing an exercise that slightly pushes your comfort for a short period of time, followed by a resting period, and then picked up again, you’re incorporating interval training into your workout! However, because interval training typically increases your heart rate, consult your doctor or a fitness professional for guidance if you are unsure if interval training is right for you. You can also set up your own RPE calculator, here’s our step by step process in how to create one.

7 | Can Be Done Anywhere.

Interval training can be done from any space. From weighted arm lifts holding a wine bottle at your kitchen table to doing bench presses at a gym, we beg to ask the question: where can’t you do muscle building and calorie-burning interval training? 

If you’re looking for a comfortable, clean, and safe space devoted to fitness, then we recommend coming into your nearest Chuze Fitness. Our space has professional fitness machinery that can help you safely and efficiently accomplish your goals.