HIIT at Home
The number of ways to do HIIT at home are endless. There have already been some good suggestions, such as burpees (start with the basics if you are intimidated by adding the push, jump, or chin up to them), sprints, stair running, etc.
You can also try jump roping, hill repeats, swim sprints, shuttle sprints, bodyweight cardio, metabolic resistance training, kettlebell swings / snatches /clean and presses, jumps, etc. Phew!
The real issue is the duration of the active and recovery intervals you choose. A lot of trainers use 30, 45, 60, and even 90 second intervals, and I have been no different in the past.
However, I came across a study where the researchers compared different HIIT protocols with different durations. They found that 8 seconds activity followed by 12 seconds recovery for 20 minutes actually resulted in the greatest amount of fat loss.
The best part is that when the participants performed the intervals in this manner they actually lost fat specifically in their stomachs. What a shock considering we have all been saying for so long now that "there is no such thing as spot reduction"!
So whatever you do, just make sure you are working hard, about a 7 or 8/10 on a difficulty scale and then stop or slow down during your recovery interval.
Just be careful, HIIT is no joke and if you are just beginning you should start slowly and increase your intensity and duration over time.
Good luck,
Susan Campbell, MS, CSCS
WorkoutsForHome.com