HIIT Vs Running: Which Is Best

Difference | Benefits | Disadvantages | Fat Loss | Heart Health | Strength |How To Decide | Combining

From strengthening the heart to boosting mood, incorporating cardio into your weekly routine is incredibly important for your overall health. The NHS recommends 150 minutes of moderate intensity cardio, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity cardio, each week.

In this blog, we compare two popular forms of cardio, running and HIIT.

While HIIT and running have some similarities, there are many differences between these two types of workouts:

Running is a high impact aerobic exercise that involves moving forward at speed, with a phase where both feet are off the ground.

Running can be an aerobic exercise or an anaerobic exercise, or a combination of both. Moderate, steady state running uses oxygen to produce energy (aerobic), while high intensity running workouts (such as sprints) uses glycogen to produce energy (anaerobic).

While running is a type of exercise, HIIT, or high intensity interval training, is a type of workout that is characterised by its format. HIIT workouts are shorter workouts (under 30 minutes) that alternate short periods of high intensity training (at least 80% of your maximum heart rate, or a perceived 9-10/10 effort) with periods of recovery or rest. This style of training is mainly anaerobic, but the aerobic system is also worked.

HIIT workouts can be made up of different types of exercises, including running. Cardio exercises are common in HIIT, but they can also be done with weights such as HIIT dumbbell workouts.

Learn more about HIIT here.

HIIT and running both have some great benefits, including improved cardiovascular fitness, boosted mood, better memory, and reduced risk of chronic diseases. However, they do have some unique benefits which differ slightly between the two.

• Time efficient. HIIT workouts are high intensity and should be kept under 30 minutes, but its possible to have an effective HIIT workout in as little as 5 minutes. It's a great option for those who are time poor.

• Can be done anywhere. HIIT workouts can be done at home with zero kit just as easily as they can be done in a gym with lots of equipment.

• Variety. Because HIIT workouts can include any exercise as long as it is performed at high intensity, it's easy to vary your workouts. This is great for people who get bored easily.

• High calorie burn. HIIT workouts burn a lot of calories in a short space of time, and continue to burn calories hours after the workout is finished.

• Improved overall fitness. Depending on the type of exercises you choose, HIIT can help to build muscle and strength as well as cardiovascular fitness.

• Suitable for all fitness levels. Running can easily be tailored to any fitness level, from jogging for beginners to training for an ultramarathon.

• Increased bone density. Running can help to build and maintain good bone density levels in the lower body which can help prevent against injuries as you get older.

• Minimal kit needed. All you need to get started is a good pair of running shoes and the great outdoors.

• Good calorie burn. Running can be a great way to burn calories, especially if running at high speeds or uphill.

• Improved endurance. Running is a great way to build up your cardiovascular endurance.

• Easy to measure progress. Tracking your running progress is simple to do, and can be very motivating for people to keep up with it.

While HIIT and running have got:

• Risk of injury. HIIT workouts put a lot of stress on the muscles and joints, and form can be neglected when performing exercises at high speed or intensity.

• Stresses the body. HIIT workouts trigger the release of the stress hormone cortisol. With insufficient rest, this can lead to excess cortisol and negative symptoms of stress. It's recommended to only do HIIT 2-3 times a week.

• Uncomfortable. Some people find the high intensity nature of HIIT training off-putting, making it difficult to stick to.

• Risk of injury. While running can be lower impact that HIIT, it still comes with risk of injury. However, these are more likely to happen if you have poor form or if you increase your mileage too quickly and can be avoided by taking necessary precautions.

• It's weather dependent. While you can technically run in most weathers, running in bad weather can be off putting and hard to stick to.

• It can be repetitive. Some people find the repetitive nature of running boring.

A common reason behind doing HIIT and running is to help with weight loss. Both workouts burn calories, but is HIIT training better than running?

The short answer is yes. Minute for minute, HIIT workouts are better for burning calories than running at a moderate pace, so you can burn the same number of calories in a short HIIT workout as a longer running workout. You can also burn more calories in the 24-48 hours after HIIT than running, increasing the total calories burned.

Consistency is key when it comes to weight loss, so we'd recommend choosing workouts you are more likely to stick to and creating a calorie deficit through your diet rather than choosing an exercise based solely on its weight loss potential.

When it comes to improving your cardiovascular health, both HIIT and running do a great job at improving cardiovascular risk factors... But HIIT has been found to have the same effect in a shorter period of time. HIIT may have a better impact on V02 max than steady state cardio like running, which means the lungs and heart can deliver oxygen more effectively.

However, one long term study found no difference in mortality between HIIT and moderate cardio, and also found people were less likely to keep up with HIIT. So, while HIIT can be great for quickly improving heart health, in the long run, running is likely just as effective.

This depends on the exercises performed in a HIIT workout. When doing solely cardio exercises, HIIT workouts do not build strength, but if choosing resistance training exercises, HIIT workouts can help to build strength. Running can strengthen the lower body but is not considered a form of strength training. We'd recommend sticking to strength training such as weightlifting if strength is a goal, with HIIT or running as a cardio exercise.

When it comes to improving your health and fitness in a time efficient manner or burning calories, HIIT is better than running. But that doesn’t mean it’s better for you. Both forms of exercise significantly improve your cardiovascular fitness and can help with weight loss, so it ultimately comes down to which you prefer and are more likely to stick with.

The main factor to consider when choosing which cardio to do is which you enjoy. If both are equal, consider these factors:

• You enjoy pushing yourself to your limits

• You have less than 30 minutes to complete a full workout

• You want to work out at home

• You enjoy doing a variety of exercises

• You prefer working out at a moderate intensity

• You are motivated by tracking your progress

• You enjoy exercising outdoors

Love running but want the added benefits of HIIT? Combining running with the format of HIIT is one of the most effective ways to boost your fitness and burn calories. Sprint intervals and hill intervals are a great way to practice running in a HIIT workout and have the added benefit of improving your running speed.

You can also perform HIIT workouts 1-2 times a week, and steady state running 1-2 times a week, to get the benefits of both.

Get more running tips here and HIIT advice here. Ready to boost your fitness? Find your nearest gym here.