If you want to get the most out of your treadmill and lose weight fast, you should consider HIIT, which stands for High Intensity Interval Training. Many people are doing HIIT because it takes less workout time and they lose weight faster. People stick to HIIT because it is a fun way to workout and routines can be varied from workout to workout.

The news of HIIT started circulating among treadmill owners over a decade ago after a study came out reporting how much weight, or fat, could be lost doing HIIT. Once treadmill owners saw the results themselves, HIIT began spreading like wildfire. The study was done over a five month period of time involving two groups of people. The first group did normal steady cardio for 45 minutes. This group began their study exercising at 60% of their maximum heart rate and worked up to 85% before the study was concluded.

The second group did HIIT for 30 minutes. Their workouts consisted of bringing their heart rates up to 70% of their maximum heart rates. Then for ten seconds they would back down on their workout intensity so their heart rates would fall. The group then did a 90 second period of working out that brought their heart rates back up again. Afterwards, they went back down into a lower intense workout so their heart rates would slow down, again. This was repeated throughout their 30 minute workout.

The study found that the second group who had done the HIIT worked out for less time overall, expended less energy and shed three times more fat than the first group. They also noted that the fat group two lost was mainly the fat beneath the skin, or subcutaneous fat.

HIIT is so effective because it makes your body need more oxygen. This is referred to as EPOC, or Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption. After a HIIT workout your body needs more oxygen to get back to a resting state. This means your body will still be burning calories hours and hours after your workout is over. One study that was completed in 2002 reported that the resting metabolic rate of the individuals they monitored was still increased two days later. HIIT lets you say goodbye to slow metabolism and hello to weight loss!

HIIT on a treadmill is fast and easy, but it is intense. Workouts should last anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes. Once you have warmed up, get your heart rate up to its maximum heart rate range. Follow this by intervals of exercise that will lower your heart rate and then raise it back up again. Change up the length of the intervals, or the number of intervals you do, depending on your personal preferences.

Experts recommend that HIIT be done two or three days a week. They don't recommend doing it back to back because it is so intense. To relieve the stress on your body, put a day or two in between your HIIT routines. Don't feel guilty on the days you aren't doing HIIT, relax and know you are still burning calories and losing weight!