Mixing Short Walks with HIIT May Be Good for Your Heart
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Introduction
Many people today sit for long hours—at work, at home, or during travel. This kind of sedentary lifestyle is known to affect heart health. While regular exercise is good for the heart, researchers have recently asked: can breaking up sitting time with short walks, or combining this with structured exercise, give even better health results?
What the Study Looked At
A recent study from Australia tested three approaches to see how they affected heart and metabolic health in healthy adults:
- HIIT: High-Intensity Interval Training on alternate days
- ISIT: Interrupting sitting with short light-intensity activity every hour
- HIIT + ISIT: A combination of both approaches
Each method was followed for two weeks by the same group of people. Health markers like blood sugar, cholesterol, fitness, and blood vessel function were tracked before and after each phase.
What They Found
1) HIIT + ISIT Showed the Best Heart Health Gains
The biggest improvement in blood vessel health came when people combined both exercise and movement breaks (HIIT + ISIT). Their blood vessels widened more easily, a sign of healthier arteries.
2) HIIT Helped Build Fitness
People who did HIIT (alone or with ISIT) improved their cardiorespiratory fitness—how well their heart and lungs work together. Just walking every hour (ISIT alone) did not make this change.
3) No Big Changes in Blood Sugar or Cholesterol
Surprisingly, there were no major differences between the groups in terms of blood sugar control or cholesterol levels, possibly because all participants were already healthy.
4) Body Weight and Fat Didn’t Change
None of the groups showed major changes in weight or body fat over the short two-week period.
What Participants Thought
Most people found the HIIT + ISIT combo to be the most enjoyable and said it gave them more energy during the day. Still, many thought HIIT alone was easier to fit into their regular schedule. The hourly walking breaks (ISIT) were seen as the hardest to stick with, especially at work or during busy days.
Why This Matters
For people who sit for long periods, adding short, regular movement breaks may help improve blood flow. When combined with structured exercise like HIIT, the benefits seem even stronger. This study also shows that you don’t need to work out every day to see results—every other day, combined with light movement throughout the day, may be enough.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a practical way to protect your heart and boost fitness, try combining short activity breaks with intense exercise a few times a week. Take short walks every hour, and add a few HIIT sessions into your week. This combination may help counter the negative effects of sitting too much and give your heart the movement it needs to stay healthy.