Why Taking It Easy at the Gym May Be the Best New Fat-Burning Strategy
By Lilah Ramzi. Photo: Courtesy.
With many of today’s popular workouts availing themselves of the punishing HIIT (high-intensity interval training) school of thought, it’s easy to experience a bit of fatigue, both mental and physical, from a routine of thumping Spin sessions and drill-sergeant-led boot-camp classes. But those daunted by a New Year’s resolution to get back in shape might have less of a reason to cower than they think. Consider a kinder alternative with a workout following the principles of LISS—a counterintuitive cardio-based exercise approach where less is more, and whose effects rival those of more brutal approaches.
LISS (low-intensity steady state) is a low-intensity cardio workout that calls for typically 30 to 60 minutes spent at the fat-burning sweet spot of roughly 60 percent of maximal heart-rate effort. Proponents say keeping that steady pace for an extended period of time can kick-start weight loss, increase blood flow, and promote oxygen delivery within cells. It’s also safer, with less strain placed on the joints and knees and a lower chance for injury. (What does your target rate look like? Calculate your fat zone here.)
Though it might seem too good to be true, it makes sense: If high-intensity interval training is a calorie scorcher, consider LISS a slow simmer, where energy is still burned even if you don’t emerge from your workout coated in sweat. Perhaps the biggest advantage of the physically forgiving LISS workout is that it’s easy to employ, with countless adaptations. For the out-of-doors exercisers, workouts enabling you to reach a state of LISS include the cardio mainstays of power walking, jogging, cycling, and swimming. (A heart-rate monitor would be a useful accessory here to help maintain a steady pace.) Those at the gym should head to the treadmill, rowing, elliptical, or stair-stepping machines—each most often equipped with a built-in monitor.
And those who engage in lower-intensity exercise are perhaps more likely to stick to their plan than those who attempt to accomplish the same goals in half the time with HIIT. A 2015 study published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine found its subjects simply liked lower-intensity workouts more than the alternative, finding that HIIT, “particularly very high intensity variants”—was “less enjoyable than steady state or mild interval training.”
Most rewarding, though, is the long-term potential of the less-intimidating LISS regimen for those looking to lose weight. A 2013 study published in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases tested high- and low-intensity exercises on subjects with body types ranging from overweight to obese and concluded that “prescribing a higher-intensity exercise decreases adherence and results in the completion of less exercise.” In other words, taking a gentler approach to fitness is more likely to result in a sustained routine that will take you further in your goals.
Another benefit: LISS training promotes social exercise. A telltale sign you’ve surpassed the threshold of low intensity into moderate or high is the inability to keep up a conversation, making LISS ideal for workout plans that adhere to the buddy system. It’s an ideal way for you to check off that other resolution to spend more quality time with friends—and all without breaking much of a sweat.
This story originally appeared on Vogue.
More from Vogue:
