Interval workout, HIIT–Run #2

Interval workout, HIIT–Run #2

Looking for a short, sharp intense workout you can do at home, without any equipment? Then this is the one for you!

Short HIIT (high intensity interval training) and SIT (sprint interval training) workouts are great for women over 50, going through menopause or who are post-menopausal.

Dr Stacy Sims, a leading expert on women’s health, explains in her books Roar and Next Level how and why interval training should be an important part of your exercise routine.

Along with modifying your exercise routine, if you’re over 50 and/or post-menopausal, and struggling with weight loss, you’ll probably also want to address your nutrition and other lifestyle factors.

I explain my take on healthy living for post-menopausal women in this post: The New Rules For Weight Loss After Menopause.

And you might also like to explore the free Breakfast Reframe guide. It shows you how to work in tune with your body, starting with the first meal of the day.

The best things about this interval workout are its flexibility and its simplicity. You alternate running or walking a short distance with stair climbing or any other exercise that gets your heart rate up quickly, like jump squats or split squats.

Then you repeat for 2-3 rounds – pretty simple right?

And while it’s a simple workout, it’s definitely not easy!

This workout isn’t just for runners – you can walk instead to bring your heart rate down in between the stair climbing intervals.

You can also add or subtract rounds. If you’re not used to doing HIIT workouts, start with one and build up over time.

If you’re very fit, start with 3 rounds and add on from there.

The basic workout is on the pin image below, so you can save it to have handy whenever you need it.

No equipment necessary

You don’t need any equipment for this quick interval workout. You’ll be climbing stairs, or doing step-ups, squat jumps or split squats for 20-30 seconds and then running slowly or walking around the block to bring your heart rate down in between.

That’s it, 3 times.

3 rounds usually takes me about 30 minutes, not including a warm-up and cool-down. And as I said above, you can add or subtract rounds to suit your fitness level or goals.

Please make sure you always warm-up, especially when you’re preparing for a high-intensity workout.

Some good exercises to include before running are: rolling out your thighs; glute bridges; leg swings forward & back and sideways, bodyweight squats and/or lunges; calf stretches.

Let’s do this interval workout

1. After spending 5-10 minutes on a thorough warm-up, (see above) head outside for a gentle run or walk around the block. Aim for a distance that will take you 2-3 minutes to complete.

2. Climb the stairs in your house or building as fast as you can, for 20-30 seconds.

If you don’t have any stairs you can climb, no worries! Go with step-ups, squat jumps, or split squats for time instead. Do as many as you can in 20-30 seconds.

3. Repeat for 2 more rounds, alternating the runs/walks with stair climbing.

Please make sure you give your legs a good stretch at the end of session, especially your calf muscles. After all of those steps/stairs, you’ll likely have some degree of soreness over the next 48 hours.

Watch this video for 3 simple, must-do leg stretches:

Don’t forget to pin it for later!