Addressing the Trends: HIIT Zones
What and Why?
If you’re involved in the fitness industry, there’s a high likelihood that you have heard of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). HIIT is essentially a training method that involves pushing the body to its workout limits for a short period of time (ex. 30 seconds), followed by a brief period of rest, then repeated over another short period of time (ex. 15 mins). These workouts are a huge trend in the fitness industry among fitness experts, gym members, and gym owners, because they’re awesome--and here’s why:
Time-Saver
The allure of a 15-minute workout as opposed to a half hour to an hour work out doesn’t take much explaining. We live busy lives, but we want to prioritize our health and fitness. HIIT allows for the best of both worlds.
Space-Saver
Workout spaces that are more open are ideal for HIIT because they do not require equipment that waste space, and you need room to move around at high-intensity. If space is an issue in your fitness center, HIIT helps with that!
It Brings Real Results!
Note what was revealed in this research study about the effectiveness of HIIT.
“The major goals of most endurance exercise programs are to improve cardiovascular, metabolic, and skeletal muscle function in the body. For years continuous aerobic exercise has been the chosen method to achieve these goals. However, research shows that HIIT leads to similar and in some cases better improvements in shorter periods of time with some physiological markers.”
-Micah Zuhl, Ph.D. and Len Kravitz, Ph.D.
Increased Attraction and Retention
Keeping your gym space new, attractive, and engaging is essential for retaining guests, members, etc. The ingenuity of HIIT workouts is a magnet for attracting and keeping hold of a larger demographic.
How?
Because of the success of this form of training, businesses will benefit from including designated spaces for HIIT, or “HIIT Zones,” in their fitness centers. Now here’s the important question for managers: How can I incorporate zones for HIIT workouts in my fitness center successfully?
Open Space
It’s important that you provide ample space for HIIT in your fitness center, thus “HIIT zones.” Have your HIIT Zones be free of clutter and have HIIT-specific equipment, described in the next subheading.
HIIT Equipment
To make your HIIT Zone a real “hit,” you should include equipment designed for HIIT workouts. The AirBike Assault and AirRunner are fabulous examples of large HIIT equipment. Going even bigger (yet still space-efficient), the Queenax functional trainer is another great option for HIIT. Queenax units allow for open space and functional storage. The many accessories you can couple with the Queenax are ideal for HIIT workouts.
To learn more about Queenax, check out this article.
Finally, and most importantly:
Consult with CFE!
We know how fully utilize a space and make it exactly what you want. Please see the form at the bottom of this page to request a consultation with us. We can talk about your vision and goals for a fitness center and how we will make it happen. We’re excited to work with you!