High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a popular cardio choice for many fitness enthusiasts.
But if you’re a beginner and feel apprehensive about the words high intensity, I’ve found just the workout for you.
Fitness influencer Anna Engelschall has a HIIT workout on YouTube that offers an easy-to-follow introduction to this workout style.
While there are a few intermediate-level moves, most are accessible making this 25-minute routine a great starting point.
The best part? There are no repeated exercises, so you’ll only have to do your least favorite moves once!
I'm a personal trainer but pregnancy has meant scaling back my usual HIIT sessions, so I was excited to give Engelschall’s workout a go.
All you’ll need to try it for yourself is an exercise mat for comfort.
How to do the 25-minute beginner HIIT workout
Engelschall kicks things off with a quick warm-up featuring mobility drills for 30 seconds each.
The main workout consists of 18 exercises—including deadbug, pop squat and butt kicks—performed for 50 seconds each and just 10 seconds of rest in between.
She wraps things up with a brief three-minute cool down, stretching the quads, hamstrings and lower back.
Remember, you can always give yourself more rest time if needed. That's what the pause button is for!
What I thought of the workout
There were long intervals and short rests
Typically, HIIT workouts feature exercise intervals of around 30 or 40 seconds.
Performing each exercise for almost a minute in Engelschall’s workout became daunting at times, especially with only 10 seconds of rest.
That said, having no repeated moves made a big difference to my motivation. Knowing I only had to push through each exercise once meant I finished each interval strong.
A few times I needed a bit longer than 10 seconds to catch my breath, but I simply paused the video.
The pace was manageable
While the exercise periods were long, Engelschall kept a moderate pace making the workout more approachable.
Going slower than many HIIT instructors helped sustain my energy and helped me maintain good form, even when I felt fatigued.
This slower tempo makes this workout live up to its 'beginner-friendly' name.
It’s also helpful to allow beginners time to focus on learning the movements properly, which makes the session accessible to a wider range of fitness levels.
It was easy on the joints
Another beginner-friendly aspect of this workout was the mix of lower-impact exercises.
While there were a few classic jumping moves like skaters, jumping jacks and (of course) burpees, most of the workout was relatively easy on the joints. Plus, the higher-impact moves were easy to modify if needed.
Since I’m pregnant, I had to tweak some of the core exercises and adjust a few due to a stiff neck and lower back issues.
If you experience similar discomfort, placing one hand behind your head for extra neck support can help.
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