We’ve created a really effective standing HIIT workout that can be performed at home in just 10 minutes. Anyone can follow this basic cardio HIIT session at home, but you can easily book a one to one consultation if you would prefer a more personalised NKPT workout plan.
One of the most important parts of the HIIT workout is the warmup. This is the part where you want to limber up and get the blood flowing a little bit. Before you really get starting with the high intensity exercises, spend a minute standing up right. Concentrate on your form and just raise your arms as you breathe in. Lower them as you exhale. This very simple movement can open up your shoulders and rib cage, as well as elongate your spine. You may also want to bend your knees slightly for this movement and keep your upper body upright with your core muscles engaged.
Jumping jacks are a classic calisthenic exercise that involves jumping with the legs while simultaneously raising both arms overhead. Start by standing up straight with your arms by your sides. Then in one fluid motion, jump and spread your feet out to the sides while simultaneously raising your arms above your head. Your position should look a bit like a starfish, but if you are a bit more flexible than your arms could be pointing straight up. From this stance you need to jump and bring your legs back in. Try to concentrate on engaging your glutes when you’re jumping and be sure that you’re not going beyond a comfortable range of motion. With jumping Jacks, you just have to repeat this movement for 30 seconds.
Note: avoid locking your knees, and make sure to land softly on the balls of your feet to reduce the impact on your joints. Try to keep your shoulders relaxed, avoid hunching and keep your movements nice and fluid..
High knees is a cardio exercise that involves running or jogging in place while lifting your knees up towards your chest. Running on the spot needs little explanation, but the idea of high knees is to bring the legs up as high as they can go to increase the intensity of the exercise. Many people like to pump their arms as if they were sprinting, which can push the intensity to the next level.
Butt kickers are pretty similar to high knees, but they engage different muscle groups in your legs, glutes and lower back. It’s also a relatively basic jogging on the spot movement, but you are kicking your heels back towards your glutes from the knee, as opposed to bringing your knees up to your chest from the hip. As you kick each heel back, bring your opposite arm forward to help maintain your balance and momentum. For this movement you should be springy, light on your feet and maintain a steady rhythm for the full 30 seconds. Try to use the balls of your feet to reduce the impact on your joints, and make sure to kick your heels back as close to your glutes as possible. Additionally, keep your shoulders relaxed and avoid hunching them up towards your ears.
Squat jumps are a plyometric exercise that involves squatting down and then exploding upwards into a jump. If you are not able to spring off the ground then you can still perform the squat movement and engage the same muscles. Start off by standing with your feet hip-width apart and your toes pointing slightly outwards. Bend at the knees while keeping your upper body nice and upright and your core engaged. Obviously you want to maintain balance, but try to keep the weight over your heels. Once you have lowered yourself into the bottom of the squat movement, drive your body upwards using your legs, while extending your arms above your head. Once gravity kicks in you need to be ready to land and go straight back down into the squat position.
Although you are driving through your heels on the squat, it’s good to try and land softly on the balls of your feet to cushion the movement and reduce the impact on your knee joints. Make sure you avoid locking your knees at the top of the jump, while thrusting through the movement to engage your glutes and hamstrings throughout.
Note: If you are not able to spring off the ground then you can perform this exercise as squats using the same movement.
Reverse lunges are a lower body exercise that target your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. Get in position with your feet hip-width apart and your hands by your sides. Take a step back with your left foot, bending the right knee so that your back leg lands on the balls of your foot with your heel off the ground. Keep your knees aligned throughout this movement. Your front knee should be above the ankle, similar to the position a person may take when performing a marriage proposal. Once your back knee is hovering just above the ground, pause for a moment and then push through your front foot to return to a standing position.
Note: avoid letting your front knee collapse inward, and make sure to keep your weight in your front heel as you push through to standing. Additionally, avoid letting your back knee touch the ground, as this can put unnecessary strain on your knee joint.
This is something that is worth making time for in a HIIT workout. The key is in the name “high intensity interval training”. This part of the workout is not intense. Spend 30 seconds just marching on the spot, raising your ams like a soldier on parade.
Once you have done the simple cool down exercise we recommend stretching your legs out. Standing quad and hamstring stretches are great for opening the muscles on the legs and glutes, and they also help you build your balance and core stability at the same time.
When it comes to high intensity training at home, there is always going to be a level of discomfort when you’re exerting yourself. However, if you are performing an exercise that is causing you pain then it is best to stop to avoid potential injury.
Before getting started with the exercises, there are a couple of things that you should do to make sure your workout is as safe as possible. Make sure you have clear space to perform the exercises without anything getting in the way. That means making sure children or pets are out of the room, furniture is pushed to the side of the room, and that there are no trip hazards around you.
It may seem a bit over the top, but make sure you are wearing suitable clothing. Some people like to wear training shoes when doing HIIT workouts, others can do exercises barefoot - it is entirely up to you.
