Ask the
Want to run further, lift heavier or nail a pull-up? Each month, we put your questions to the Women’s Health Collective panel – eight of the finest fitness brains here to help you make good on your goals
Q HIIT is my favourite type of exercise, but I often get injured. How can I injury-proof my workouts?
Amanda Ngonyama says: I’m not surprised you’re a fan. Most of us are time-poor and the short bursts of intense exercise within HIIT (high-intensity interval training) are an incredibly efficient form of training. But it’s among the most taxing types of movement for your body.
Research published in the Journal Of Sports Medicine And Physical Fitness found that while HIIT is effective in promoting cardiovascular fitness, lean muscle mass and fat loss, the intensity and impact also increases injury risk. The most common injuries identified in the study involved strains and sprains to the knees, ankles and shoulders, with the authors recommending neuromuscular training – a combination of mobility and strength workouts – for that reason. And I’m right there with them. By practising mobility – and reaching your full range of motion – your joints will become more flexible and strong enough to perform the more impactful exercises. But given your muscles are effectively the cushioning for your joints – which HIIT exercises can be tough on – building strong muscles via strength training is every bit as important.
As for what that looks like, aim to do two full-body strength training sessions within your weekly routine and practise mobility before every HIIT session – ensuring the moves mirror the exercises you’ll be performing. If you’re planning on doing some jump squats, for example, you can encourage hip mobility by doing some dynamic lizard lunges (rocking forwards and backwards).
Besides training, you can protect yourself against injury by understanding the limits of your body. Because when it comes to HIIT, there’s a sweet spot. True HIIT should be performed at 90%-plus of your max heart rate, with research by the American College of Sports Medicine finding that this cannot be maintained if you’re exceeding 30 to 40 minutes per week. If you attempt to do any more than this, you’ll raise your risk of injury and diminish your returns. Scheduling two 20-minute H
