5 HIIT Exercises to Add to Your Morning Routine

Mornings are a great time to add HIIT exercises to your day. You will get an extra boost of energy and metabolism-boosting benefits, and it's easy on your joints.

These exercises are simple but effective, as no weights or equipment are required.

Best HIIT Exercises

Here's a look at five such exercises:

#1 Rope Jumping

Rope jumping is a fabuloud way to get your heart pumping and build strength in your arms, legs, and core. It's easy to do in the morning or during the day. You wioo need a jump rope that's at least five feet long.

Here's how it's done:

Stand with both feet together facing the rope, holding it with both hands at waist level.
Squat slightly so that your knees are bent at 90 degrees or less.
Swing the rope by bending at the knees and bringing them forward as if you were running forward but staying in place instead of moving ahead physically. That takes practice, though.
Do 8-10 reps per minute for up to five minutes at a time before switching sides — if necessary — you may need more reps if you're just starting out or fewer if this exercise has become easier for you over time.

#2 Burpee

Burpees are an excellent HIIT exercise. They're simple and effective, and they can really burn some calories.

You may have seen them being done in a gym or on social media; you might have even tried doing them yourself before. However, if you're wondering what exactly a burpee is and how to do one, we're here to help.

To do a burpee:

Start standing up straight with your feet close together.
Bend down into a squat position with your hands on the floor in front of you (or slightly wider than shoulder-width apart).
Jump your feet back behind your body so that you land on the floor. Do a push-up, and jump back to the starting position.

The best part about burpees is that they burn more calories than other exercises because your heart rate increases so quickly. Do ten burpees in 30 seconds, and it will burn.

#3 Mountain Climber

Mountain climbers are a great way to warm up, build endurance, and strengthen the core.

This exercise is a full body move that involves both the upper and lower body at once. The motion in mountain climbers can also increase your heart rate, so the exercise is also great for cardio.

To do it:

Start in a plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Tighten your abs, and squeeze your glutes to stabilize the core.
Maintaining straight arms, lift one leg off the floor by bending at the hip joint.
When raising the leg forward from the hips, ensure that your knees are bent; keep the foot flexed towards the shin and toes pointed towards the floor throughout the movement.
Bring your knee towards your chest till your thigh is parallel with the floor.
Return your foot back down onto floor under control before repeating the movement on the opposite side for the desired reps or duration.

#4 Squat Jump

Squat jumps are similar to squats, as they both focus on the lower body, but instead of going through the full range of motion, squat jumps focus on jumping out of a low squat position. This exercise is great for building strength and power in the legs, butt, and core.

To do a squat jump:

Stand with feet hip-width apart, and hold onto something for balance, if you need it (like a railing or countertop).
Bend down into a low squat position with your hands by your sides.
Jump straight up as high as possible (you can also try jumping forward), landing back in the same squat position with your hands by your sides.

Expand Tweet

#5 Plank Jack

Plank jacks are a great exercise to do in the morning. They’re a full body workout that works the core, arms, and legs, so you can get a good sweat going before you even hit the gym.

Moreover, they wake up the body by moving it through different planes of motion, making it easy for you to transition into other activities.

To do a plank jack:

Start with a plank position on all fours (hands directly under shoulders and knees directly under hips).
Jump both feet out wide till they stretch out; land with both feet on the floor again before repeating.
Keep alternating between push-up/jack positions till the time is up.
Aim for 30 seconds and up to a minute of continuous plank jacks for a challenging workout.

Expand Tweet

Takeaway

There are so many amazing HIIT workouts to try out, but the aforementioned ones can be a great place for anyone to start. The best part about these exercises is that you don’t have to do them all at once.

Start with one or two, and work your way up till they become easy enough for you to do consistently every day. If you prefer more variety, pick a different exercise each time till they all become routine.