LISS or Low Intensity Steady State
In our last newsletter we discussed HIIT training to boost fat loss, while HIIT torches calories it can take a toll on your body and require more recovery time which is why we only recommend you do it 2-3 days a week depending on how often you work out. That’s where LISS or Low Intensity Steady State training comes in. Working at a manageable pace can actually help you to repair your muscles. To figure out what moderate intensity means to you, you can do a CPET here at Heal n Cure to determine precisely what range your heart rate should be in to be working at a moderate intensity level. Or you can also use the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale, which places different intensity levels on a scale from one to 10, with one representing no exertion and 10 being an intensity you could not sustain for more than one minute. Moderate level is around a six on the RPE scale.
LISS training can be done more frequently than it’s cardio counter-part HIIT because it doesn’t require the same kind of muscle repair.
There are many options when you’re doing LISS training. You could:
- Walk fast and try some hills — your pace may slow on the incline, but your effort should remain steady.
- Walk at a quick pace but keep the treadmill on an incline. (go at a pace and incline where you don’t need to use your hands to hold on.
- Run at a moderate pace.
- Dance! Take a Zumba class, try some cardio hip-hop, or experiment with belly dancing.
- Bike outside or use a stationary bike at a manageable pace.
- Test out the elliptical, and work your upper and lower body at the same time. Go both forward and backward.
- Try to use the rowing machine, it’s a good full body workout that will strengthen your muscles while increasing your cardio vascular endurance.
- Run at a moderate pace.
- Dance! Take a Zumba class, try some cardio hip-hop, or experiment with belly dancing.
- Bike outside or use a stationary bike at a manageable pace.
- Test out the elliptical, and work your upper and lower body at the same time. Go both forward and backward.
- Try to use the rowing machine, it’s a good full body workout that will strengthen your muscles while increasing your cardio vascular endurance.
Recommended: 3-5 days a week. 30-45 mins/session. You should be using this as your main source of cardio with HIIT as no more that 1/3 of your weekly cardio routine so you’re giving your body ample time to rest and recover.
