HIIT Training for Bad Knees

The health and fitness benefits of HIIT (aka high-intensity interval training) are well documented: In addition to improving your overall fitness, torching belly fat, and building muscle mass, research suggests it also helps you maintain healthy blood pressure and insulin sensitivity.

But if you’ve suffered an injury, incorporating HIIT into your fitness regimen can be a challenge. With the help of several fitness experts, we’ve assembled a high-octane workout that will increase your heart rate, burn some serious calories, and tone you up all over — all while being safe for your knees!

How to Do This Workout

The goal of any HIIT workout is to exercise at almost maximum effort, American Council on Exercise-certified group fitness trainer Stephanie Thielen says. To start, perform each of the exercises in order. First, establish the movement for 15 seconds, then give it maximum speed and effort (but with precision and control) for 45 seconds, and finally, recover for 90 seconds.

“Be careful to move into the exercises slowly to start to be sure you’re able to complete them correctly and safely as you proceed,” says chiropractor Jeffrey Ptak, owner of Ptak Family Chiropractic in Santa Monica, California. “And do things at your own pace. There is no exercise routine that fits all.”

Follow along below with Heather Dorak, owner of Pilates Platinum in Los Angeles, but be sure to make adjustments as needed for your own fitness level. Stop if you notice pain or other issues within the first 15 seconds.