Over the past few years HIIT training ( High Intensity Interval Training )has taken over the fitness world. In a world, where time is money, why spend an hour burning calories when you could burn the same or more in 20 minutes.

That’s the big sell for workouts involving HIIT, a workout method that involves alternating bouts of vigorous effort with periods of slower-paced recovery.

But the growing trend on fitness-centered social media seems to point to the growing popularity of another attractive option for those who don’t want to go quite so hard, but who don’t want to go home either. LISS.

What Is LISS?

Simply put, LISS involves elevating your heart rate with activity, but not letting it go beyond 50 percent of your maximum heart rate, and then keeping it there for an extended period of time (at least 30 minutes).

To estimate your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. You can also use heartbeats per minute to measure intensity.

Some examples of LISS include going for a slow jog, casual walk, riding a stationary bike, leisurely swimming and some forms of gentle yoga.

When you’re doing LISS, you might break a light sweat, but not much more. Your breathing is fairly steady, and you can easily carry on a conversation with your friend on the neighboring treadmill.

What Are the Benefits of LISS?

Anytime you do something active and get your heart rate up, you’re doing something good for your body, both physically and mentally. Especially for people who work sedentary jobs ( most of my clients ) just getting up and going for a 30-minute walk on your lunch break can do wonders for your heart, lungs and state of mind.

In fact, for beginners, LISS is a better option to gain a solid fitness foundation. Low-intensity exercise results in better exercise adherence — meaning you’re more likely to stick with a low-intensity cardio program , and has a lower risk of injury.

But even exercise enthusiasts and athletes benefit from LISS. You simply can’t “go hard” all the time. If you do, you are setting yourself up for injury. Your body only grows and improves in the recovery time, and it’s unrealistic to ask your body to keep that sort of intensity at every workout.,

In short. There is no right or wrong answer. I always tell my clients to keep moving as much as possible. Wether that be you go for a run , walk or a high intense cardio session. Keep as active as possible as often as possible.