Because high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can take just 15 to 20 minutes for a full session, it tends to be an efficient addition to a workout routine, especially if you usually do steady-state cardio exercise like running or cycling.
But what if you need even more efficiency or you find regular HIIT workouts too demanding or exhausting? That’s when REHIT can provide the training benefits you need, without skimping on progress or results.
What Is REHIT and How Does It Differ From HIIT?
By now you’re probably wondering, what does REHIT stand for exactly? Short for reduced-exertion, high-intensity interval training, REHIT is a form of exercise that combines the principles of HIIT but involves less work, according to Sabrena Jo, CPT, personal trainer and senior director of science and research at the American Council on Exercise (ACE).
“While HIIT typically involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by brief recovery periods, which challenges the cardiorespiratory system and promotes metabolic adaptations, REHIT aims to achieve similar benefits through both shorter intervals and a shorter workout duration overall,” Jo says.
REHIT exercise also tends to include longer recovery periods, she adds. For example, an HIIT workout might have a 30-second rest between intervals, or even a shorter rest time — like a Tabata workout, which has 10 seconds of rest — but REHIT might have up to three minutes of recovery time between exercises.
Because of shorter workout duration, you’ll likely be doing fewer exercises as well, in order to focus on just a few that can be done at high intensity. For comparison:
HIIT: Between 4 and 10 exercises in a set, 30-second rest intervals between sets, about 20 minutes total workout time
REHIT: Between two and three exercises, 20-second high-intensity interval per exercise, three-minute rest between sets, about 10 minutes total workout time
“The main focus of REHIT is to provide a time-efficient and effective workout for people who may not be able to engage in prolonged high-intensity exercise,” Jo says.
Who Should Consider REHIT?
In addition to providing a faster workout in general, REHIT can be helpful for several types of exercisers, including those who are just getting started with working out and those who have physical limitations or other health concerns, Jo says.
“REHIT may be particularly useful for older adults, individuals with chronic conditions, or those undergoing rehabilitation,” she says. (Because these are supposed to be all-out sprints, people with heart conditions should not do this without talking to their cardiologist first.)
If you’re new to exercise, these brief sessions may be particularly valuable for helping you ramp up gradually to a longer HIIT round, and can give you an idea of what HIIT entails without depleting your energy completely.
