Is Your Fitness Program Sustainable?
Sustainability and attainability aren’t buzzwords in the fitness world, but they’ll get you better long-term results than HIIT.
High intensity workouts aren’t sustainable over time and can lead to burnout. Building a strong foundation using basic principles that are sustainable will help you build strength for longevity - something HIIT classes and fitspo trainers often overlook.
HIIT workouts often lead to injury and can actually hinder your progress. Here’s why:
Jumping around at a high intensity for 30-60 minutes is not specific to your body’s needs. Specificity is an often overlooked, yet vital, principle in the fitness world.
There is zero focus on quality of movement. Sacrificing form for intensity is a recipe for injury and frustration.
Principles of control are thrown out the window. If you can’t control a movement at a low intensity, you shouldn’t be doing it at a high intensity.
In order to truly progress your fitness, you need to vary your intensity, overload and recovery to avoid overuse injuries, muscle failure and burnout.
HIIT classes are “one size fits all” and there is no prerequisite. No one assesses whether or not you’re ready for these workouts and assumes everyone in the room has the same abilities. You need a baseline in core control, joint stability and general mobility & strength to properly train this way. (Unfortunately, most people don’t).
HIIT does not address muscle imbalances.
Stabilizing muscles, like your rotator cuff and accessory hip rotators, are not part of the equation in HIIT classes. This leads to compensation and injury.
Want to know why your hip hurts 15 minutes into class? Or why your shoulder feels pinchy with overhead movements? It’s because your training is not addressing what your body actually needs.
I’ve changed the way I workout because I was focused on the wrong things for so long. Years ago, I was choosing aesthetics and chasing six pack abs instead of honing in on a training regimen that made me feel strong without the eventual injury and burnout. As I unpacked more of the origins of my body dysmorphia, I switched gears and poured my focus into building long-term functional strength for everyday life.
I can pick up my 65-pound dog to lift her in and out of the car. I can hike steep trails without hip and knee pain. I can do yard work without killing my back. I can play ball with my nephew without tweaking my shoulder.
Bone crushing workouts that leave you dripping in puddles of sweat isn’t inherently bad, but it also isn’t the answer for longevity and building a resilient body for life.
image shot at Ara Ha