HIIT it hard and fast...

It's December. And for me and mine that means less time with more to do. It seems as though every hour of every day is filled to the brim with things to do, people to see and places to be. And it also means less time to get that much-needed workout in.
But you know you've got to get it in. You know you will feel better, be more alert and focused and life will go significantly more smoothly. But when to get that workout in? Maybe you have less time to devote to it and more times than not, end up foregoing the workout altogether.
Well, don't wait for January to make time! There's ways around this problem.
It's called HIIT. High Intensity Interval Training. And it can be very effective. As a matter of fact, a friend complained to me several months ago about reaching a "plateau" in her weight loss. I suggested she try some HIIT training and she complied. Last weekend she told me she had finally got her pre-pregnancy skinny jeans on after a few weeks of HIIT. She told me she cut her workouts by half the time and still managed to drop fat; she was sold for life.
HIIT sounds complicated, but it really isn't. You just have to have the mind set you're going to do it. It consists of really working your tush off for a brief interval of time and then slowing down to let your heart rate come down. You can preform HIIT on a bike, on an elliptical, or sidewalk, but my favorite is on the treadmill. Now HIIT will be different for each individual, as each person has his or her own current level of fitness.
Start off by stretching and at least 5-8 minutes of warming up, say on a treadmill. After warming up, increase the speed significantly, so that you are really working hard for a period of 20-30 seconds. (The first few times, 15 seconds might be a bit more realistic, but the point is to make it challenging.) You can also use the incline on the treadmill to make your high intensity intervals harder, it's really a matter of preference. After 20-30 seconds, bring that speed (and or incline) down to a point where you can catch your breath. Stay there for 30-40 seconds.
It's easiest for me to break down the intervals into one minute increments. So, I work my patootie off for 20 seconds, then bring it down to a quick walk for 40 seconds...then repeat. I repeat this 15-20 times, followed by a period of cool-down and I'm done with my cardio. That's it. Instead of drudging along for 45-50 minutes at a jog, I have decreased my actual cardio time down to 15-20 minutes....less than half the time.
The key is to really work hard for that 20-30 seconds...really hard. For example, I sprint at a 10.0 at a 3% incline for 20-30 seconds. When that 20 seconds hits, I'm super tired and my heart is beating very fast...around 190 beats per minute. (Everyone will be different.)
HIIT works both the aerobic and anaerobic systems. I won't go into how the anaerobic system uses energy in the muscles to fuel the effort, oxygen debt and lactic acid mumbo-jumbo. But I will tell you it can be very effective...especially if you have little time to devote to a workout.
So give it a try. You'll probably be surprised at how good you will feel afterwards. Your lungs will feel sooooo good and conditioned. And it will take you half the time of a normal cardio workout...squeeze it in to your schedule and you won't have to wait for January.