Unity Challenge: HIIT

Dr S-Kalinoglou

Senior Lecturer in Sports and Exercise Physiology with an interest in the links between exercise and inflammation both in healthy and in patient populations, Dr Stavropoulos-Kalinoglou graduated from the School of Physical Education and Sports Science in Trikala, Greece, and was awarded an MSc in Applied Exercise Physiology and a PhD in Clinical Exercise Physiology from the University of Wolverhampton.

Unity Challenge: HIIT

Try the new daily HIIT protocol that could get you fitter in seconds

Unity Challenge: HIIT

No time for exercise? No problem. Based on the latest scientific research from Carnegie School of Sport, this week's Unity Challenge could improve your fitness in seconds...

Dr S-Kalinoglou

Actions

EXERCISE SNACKING

Senior lecturer in sports and exercise physiology at Carnegie School of Sport at Leeds Beckett University, Dr Antonis Stavropoulos-Kalinoglou is doing ground-breaking research on how long you need to exercise to still get the benefits.

The good news? His team’s research found 30-second bursts of intense exercise can be just as beneficial as longer sessions. It’s called ‘exercise snacking’ and this week’s challenge is to give it a go with moves that can easily be done throughout your day.

THE MOVES

Dr Stavropoulos-Kalinoglou recommends aiming for five sets each day, which (including a 30-second warm-up) will take you a grand total of… [checks notes]... five minutes!

Simply start with a 30-second pulse-raiser such as running on the spot or star-jumps, and then choose ONE of the exercises in each category and do it flat-out for 30 seconds. Leave an hour between each set.

UPPER-BODY

Push-ups

Bicep curls

Kickboxing punches

Sidewalk planks

LOWER-BODY

Squats

Lunges

Side squats

Donkey kicks

CORE STRENGTH

Ab crunches

Plank

Reverse crunch

Seated ab crunches

Use #UnityChallenge to let us know how you get on!

Challenge completed?

This week's expert content

Exercise snacking: Can you really get fit in seconds?