HIIT is safe for people with heart problems and boosts their fitness

Doing high-intensity interval training is safe for people having cardiac rehabilitation and increases their cardiorespiratory fitness faster than currently recommended moderate exercise, according to a clinical trial

By Alice Klein

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is safe for people who have had a heart attack or other cardiac event and may improve their fitness faster than conventional rehabilitation exercise programmes, according to a clinical trial.

In many countries – including the UK, US and Australia – individuals who have had a cardiac event can be referred to cardiac rehabilitation programmes, which are designed to improve heart health via exercise training and lifestyle education.

To avoid putting too much strain on the heart, these …