High-intensity workouts are a great way to improve your overall fitness and boost your metabolism. But if you’re new to exercise, there’s no need to start with a super challenging HIIT session that involves lots of jumping.

This fast-paced workout from NASM-certified personal trainer Fernanda Shaw offers both high and low-impact options. The low-impact options are ideal if you want to protect your joints or if you don’t want to upset your downstairs neighbours with explosive movements.

You don’t need any equipment for this routine, just 12 minutes of spare time. Watch Shaw’s video below to memorize the exercises and learn how to perform them correctly. 

How to do Fernanda Shaw’s low-impact HIIT workout

Complete each exercise in the video for 30 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of rest. Go through the routine three times, taking one minute of rest between each circuit. 

Try to complete as many repetitions as possible during the 30 seconds, but make sure you’re not compromising your form for the sake of speed. 

Think about bracing your core throughout the workout by squeezing your abdominal muscles and your glutes, as well as tucking your ribcage in. This will support your lower-back and also increase overall muscle engagement.

Benefits of HIIT

HIIT workouts are time-efficient training sessions, which can help you reap the benefits of a normal cardio workout in a short space of time. Do it regularly, and you could reduce your resting heart rate, lower your blood pressure and even improve your oxygen consumption.

You’ll burn a lot of calories during HIIT, but some studies have shown that your metabolic rate will also be elevated after you’ve finished your workout. This means that your calorie burn will be higher than usual even if you collapse on the couch after exercising. 

If you’re hooked on HIIT after trying Shaw’s session, try this HIIT workout for beginners or have a look at this HIIT workout for fat loss.