HIIT workouts at home: from 5 to 45 minutes

The HIIT workout hype is still going strong, and it’s no surprise with a time-reward ratio that’s through the roof.

High intensity interval training (HIIT) is a sure-fire way to burn a bunch of calories in a very short amount of time. Besides that, it’s also extremely easy to do at home – saving the cost and commute of a gym but still achieving great results.

What exactly is a HIIT Workout?

HIIT is a form of interval training, using short bursts of very intense exercise with periods of rest between or cool downs in between. The method is proven to boost metabolism and build strength, while benefiting our cardiovascular fitness as we tests both our aerobic and anaerobic systems throughout.

Regardless of how much free time you have, you can always fit a HIIT workout somewhere in your busy schedule. Whether its 5 or 45 minutes, there’s HIIT workouts in various styles that will work up a sweat and give you a quick calorie burn, without needing any equipment.

If you have 5 minutes:

Let's talk about ‘Tabata training’. Research conducted by Japanese scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata showed that if you push yourself flat out for four minutes, with 20 second bursts and 10 second rests, you’ll improve your fitness much more than doing mediocre workouts for an hour. So, even if you have a day full of meetings or you’re a parent to a newborn, you can always find time to make some fitness gains.

Here's a 5-minute beginner HIIT workout for those times you’re in a rush:

More advanced 5-minute HIIT Circuit workout:

If you have 10 minutes:

By now you must have heard of ‘The Body Coach’… Joe Wicks has been plastered across the fitness world of social media for some time now. And as the man who arguably made HIIT workouts mainstream and certainly helped bring healthy eating to the masses, we couldn’t possibly leave him out.

So, here’s another Tabata style workout for 10 minutes, delivered by Joe Wicks:

If you have 20 minutes:

This 20-minute session should more than HIIT the spot. With separate instructors demonstrating the two difficulty levels of each exercise, this workout is perfect for both beginners and those more experienced.

You'll be exercising for roughly one minute at a time with short rests between, so make sure you’ve got a full bottle of water and keep your eye on what exercise is up next.

If you have 30 minutes:

If you’re just getting started in the gym and you’re not sure where to begin? Women's Health Collective trainer Alice Liveing is here to take you through this beginner’s HIIT workout.

With longer rests between exercises, this 30/20 second split is perfect for newbies. There are only 5 separate movements so it won’t test limits in that sense, but it will certainly push your mind and body.

Looking for a more intense, varied workout? Then try this 30-minute HIIT workout which incorporates 28 different bodyweight exercises. This one will definitely keep you on your toes, even for the most advanced.

If you have 45 minutes:

With 45 minutes you can do a lot more with your workouts. The following examples have much more variation than those that have gone before, with mixtures of pilates, HIIT and dance. But lets start with a more straightforward, calorie-burn:

If you do fancy mixing things up, this session is a combination of dynamic mat Pilates and HIIT to challenge your cardio, strength and improve posture all in one.

If you really want to go all out and try something completely new, then take a look at this Jive-HIIT home workout with Dianne Buswell.