HIIT vs. Running: Why This Trainer Wants You To Do A High-Intensity Interval Training Workout

Although there are tons of you out there who actually love the idea of lacing up your running shoes and going for a run, there are also plenty of those among us—myself included—who would rather do anything than go for a long, slow run.

The good news is that there are other ways to work out that will also help you get fit and healthy. One example is high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts.

While running will definitely help get your heart rate up and boost your conditioning, HIIT workouts are a better option if you’re looking to actually get stronger.

Steady-state runs do burn a lot of calories during the run, but the moment you’re finished with your run, that calorie burn goes back to normal.

Contrast that with HIIT training, where there’s actually an afterburn effect1 up to 24 to 48 hours post–HIIT workout.

Because of how efficient HIIT training is, you can pack a lot of moves into a really short amount of time to work your entire body in a single quick session.

While steady-paced running will get your heart rate up and help boost your endurance to a certain degree, adding a HIIT workout a few times a week will skyrocket your fitness level2.

This will ensure you can engage in your favorite sport—whether it’s a team sport like soccer or basketball, an individual sport like boxing or martial arts, or even parkour or adult gymnastics—without getting overly tired.

While you may feel good and break a sweat after a 15- or 20-minute run, spending the same amount of time doing a HIIT workout will test your limits in a much different way.