8 HIIT Exercises You Can Do Anywhere, Anytime

Photo by The Lazy Artist Gallery

If you’re like many people, you don’t have a spare hour each day to hit the gym. However, you can perform certain HIIT exercises anywhere and anytime to improve your overall health.

What slick moves do you need to master? Add the following eight to your repertoire.

What Is HIIT?

HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training. Its flexibility lies in its short bursts of tough movements with alternating, lower-intensity recovery periods.

However, no rule says you must perform these movements in the gym. You can squeeze in a set while running errands or during commercial breaks. While you should ideally alternate several sets, recent studies suggest any amount of exercise helps. Furthermore, vigorous, intermittent bursts may result in the greatest health gains.

Benefits of HIIT

HIIT has multiple health benefits, including the following.

1. Improves Your Heart Health

Heart disease remains the number one killer worldwide, but doing a few HIIT exercises anytime, anywhere, may reduce your risk. While earlier research on exercise suggested long-term vigorous activities such as running marathons can have adverse effects, short bouts appear safer.

Several studies have suggested HIIT is superior to moderate continuous cardiovascular activity in patients with heart failure and metabolic syndrome. That’s good news, as relatively few modern Americans have an extra 45 minutes per day to devote to the elliptical.

2. Burns Major Calories 

Over 30% of U.S. adults are obese, and increasing the number of calories you burn matters as much as cutting them from your diet for overall weight control. Many HIIT moves like burpees burn up to 15 calories per minute — that’s enough to burn off over four cups of air-popped popcorn in just 10 minutes.

3. Uses Simple, Easy-to-Learn Movements 

Many folks shy away from certain activities because they feel they’re not coordinated enough, but you’ll have no such problems with HIIT. This style of exercise relies on basic moves like squats, jumping jacks and pushups to produce the burn. It’s more like bootcamp than cardio kickboxing or dance.

4. Requires No Equipment 

Can you use hand weights or resistance bands as part of HIIT training? Yes! Are they required? Nope. You don’t need anything other than your body weight, making this form of exercise affordable for everyone.

5. Saves Time 

HIIT combines cardio and strength training into one workout, even if you don’t use weights. That means you get twice the workout in half the time. That’s good news for anyone who has ever said, “I don’t have time to exercise.” Yes, you do — and here’s how.

8 HIIT Exercises You Can Do Anywhere

Maybe you feel a bit awkward doing a burpee in aisle six of the supermarket or performing tuck jumps in your dress suit. However, where there’s a will, there’s a way to squeeze in your daily exercise by doing HIIT exercises nearly anywhere.

For instance, many malls have quiet, unoccupied corridors leading to restrooms or emergency exits. Patios, parks and green belts are perfect places for an impromptu workout — you may pass one on break or while walking your kids to school. Train your brain to identify spots where you feel safe moving, and perform these eight HIIT moves throughout your day.

1. Burpees 

Burpees tone your entire body while revving up your heart as much as a fast sprint. There are also scores of variations you can perform, weighted or unweighted.

The basic move begins from a standing position. Bend forward as if to touch your toes, then plant your hands and hop or step backward into a plank. Hop or step back up to your hands and return to standing.

Variations include adding a pushup at the bottom of the move while in plank position or adding a hop at the top when returning to standing. Go harder on the cardio by making it a tuck jump or add extra toning with light hand weights. For example, hop back into plank, do a dumbbell row, return to standing holding the weights and add a military press at the top.

2. Squats

Squats are the ultimate lower-body HIIT exercise. Ramp up the cardio by increasing speed or adding a hop at the top. Test your endurance — how many can you complete in two minutes?

Doing so can pay off big time, at least in some countries. Romania encourages doing HIIT exercises anywhere by letting you earn a free bus pass by performing 20 squats in the allotted time. Getting your exercise groove on in unusual places can bring unexpected perks beyond the health benefits.

You can also perform multiple squat variations. Take a wide stance and pivot your toes outward to 45 degrees for a plie version. Add weights or try a single-legged squat, perhaps holding a wall or your office chair for balance.

3. Pushups 

When it’s time to work your upper body, pushups are the go-to. You don’t necessarily need to get down on a questionable floor. Try a wall version — the further away you stand from the vertical surface, the tougher the move becomes.

Pushups can be oodles of fun with the right partner. Try a patty cake version where you reach your arm forward and slap your buddy’s hand to increase intensity. If it’s too much work on your upper body or wrists, try placing your knees on the ground to make it easier. Narrowing your grip moves the work more to your triceps, whereas a wider hand position focuses more on your chest.

4. Tuck Jumps 

If there’s any move that cranks the cardio more than burpees, it’s tuck jumps. To perform this move, squat low, then leap into the air, bringing your knees toward your chest. Some trainers have you hold your hands at mid-chest level, attempting to reach them with your knees at each spring. It doesn’t take many repetitions to get your heart pumping — set a timer on your phone for 30 seconds, gradually working your way up to two minutes.

5. Jumping Jacks 

Jumping jacks are an easy HIIT move many folks learned in childhood. Try bending your knees more deeply and keeping your arms and shoulders strong with each repetition to increase intensity. Performing a minute or two of these at your desk is a great way to get some blood flowing to your brain after working on your computer for too long.

6. Triceps Dips 

Getting on the floor is the easiest way to perform triceps dips. However, if you have a desk or bench handy, you can use it for added leverage to increase the intensity of this move. Keeping your knees bent makes it easier to lift your body while extending them challenges you.

7. Split Lunges 

Tuck jumps, burpees and split lunges may hold a three-way tie for cardiovascular intensity, depending on how many you do. Begin by taking a stationary lunge position, with both knees bent at roughly 45-degree angles. Switch the forward and backward leg by hopping into the air and landing with the opposite foot forward.

Leaping into the air to switch leg position gets your ticker pounding, although you can also perform a stationary version by stepping forward or backward into each lunge. Better yet, perform 30 seconds of airborne work followed by a minute of low-impact, repeating until you feel tired or the commercial break ends.

8. Planks and Side Planks 

Planks and side planks shred your core and are perfect finishing moves before a stretch. To do a basic plank, hold the top of a pushup position. You can also perform this move on your elbows, creating a singular straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. Alternatively, move from your elbows to your palms and back again to keep your heart pumping.

To shift into a side plank, rotate your body so one hip faces upward while your top arm reaches for the sky. Placing your bottom knee on the floor decreases the burn. Stacking your feet or taking a starfish position with your top leg raised increases the challenge.

If you have sore wrists from carpal tunnel syndrome, try doing side planks on your elbow. You can still adjust your leg position to achieve the desired difficulty level.

Do These HIIT Exercises Anytime 

If your excuse for not working out is a lack of time, perhaps what you need is a more creative approach. HIIT exercises are simple, accessible and effective, and you can perform them nearly anytime and anywhere — without equipment.

Use these HIIT moves to stay fit in your hotel room when traveling or simply squeeze more movement into each day. Little bursts add up, and you can meet your fitness goals without spending an hour in the gym each day.