Steady State Cardio vs. HIIT Cardio

We have all heard the debates before as to what type of cardio people deem to be more beneficial and what they believe to be best. But, instead of comparing them let’s take a look at what each of them mean and what the benefits to both are.

WHAT IS STEADY STATE CARDIO?

It’s a continuous, steady effort, as opposed to a start/stop interval or mixed pace effort. It varies in time depending on your fitness levels and goals but can be anything from 10-30 mins for beginners to 60-90 mins for more advanced.

Steady state can be anything from a brisk walk, jogging, bike, swim, rower, elliptical or even a stepper but is typically low impact on the body.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF STEADY STATE CARDIO?

• Good for the mind

• Low impact

• Good for beginners, elderly or even injured athletes.

• Improves heart health

• Boosts recovery

• Improves blood flow

• It aids in burning calories

• Can be used as time to “switch off” and relax.

HOW CAN YOU USE STEADY STATE CARDIO TO YOUR ADVANTAGE?

Steady state as I pointed out in the last bullet point is a great way to “switch off” and almost use it as a time to reflect. Steady state is often used by people who like to go for a long walk, slow jog and listen to a podcast. It really can be anything as long as your moving. When programming for a client and adding in steady state cardio I use it for two main reasons. Firstly as an active recovery and to increase calories burned outside of weight training. Secondly to improve mental state and use it as an active relaxation.

WHAT IS HIIT CARDIO?

HIIT stands for ‘High Intensity Interval Training’. Using short and intense work periods immediately followed by low intensity recovery or complete rest.

There are many examples of HIIT training, you can use the very popular one of sprints, bike, battle ropes, kettle bells, body weight and many more methods. You can even couple up exercises and make a tough challenging workout that won’t take up loads of time.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HIIT?

• Save time, if you don’t have long in the gym it’s a very effective way of training when needed

• Increase physical strength and endurance

• Good for those on a tight schedule

• Improves heart health

• Improves blood flow and therefore nutrient delivery

• It burns calories not only during exercise but also after.

HOW CAN YOU USE HIIT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE?

As suggested in the bullet points above, HIIT training is perfect for those on a tight time schedule but still want a really challenging session. One thing to bear in mind is that HIIT can be very taxing on your body and therefore you should allow sufficient recovery between sessions.

The choice really is up to you as to what type of cardio you choose. Personally I would opt for a mixture of the two as they both hold a really important part of a training programme. HIIT should be used on the days you feel full of energy and have the capacity and intensity to give it your all, Steady state cardio is ideal for active recovery days and in-between sessions for keeping up your N.E.A.T (More to come on this in a following blog).

If you need any help with the above or have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact me through my email or any social media platforms.

Stay Healthy, Stay Happy 