As we are getting familiar with high-intensity exercise like body combat for the past few years, 2018 would be the time to take it slow—all we need is just the right blow.

For people who pursue weight-loss in exercise, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) that claims to burn up to 700 calories in one session becomes a prima donna. Despite its unbelievable speed in cutting fat right in the sweet spot, HIIT is not that kind of exercise everybody can try. For example, you are going to need a personal trainer to start with.  That’s because the risk for muscular and joint injury in HIIT is no joke. When you have a history of certain illness, you may not be recommended to try HIIT in general.

So, is there any kind of exercise for us, the non-athletics, to lose weight as effectively as HIIT? Of course, there is. Ironically, the alternative to HIIT is exactly counterintuitive from its aim to lose weight and enhance performance: Low-Intensity Interval Training (LIIT). Unlike HIIT that requires you to work as much as 85% of your maximum heart-rate capacity, LIIT works optimally at 40-60% rate.

LIIT may not sound challenging for adrenaline rushers, but that does not necessarily dispute LIIT’s advantages. LIIT is a way to go for beginners, endurance-seekers, and those who haven’t worked out for a while since it puts your body in lower risk of injury. It also means that you can do 3-5 sessions in a week because you would not need longer recovery time from each session. A study from University of Bath also showed that both LIIT is just as effective as HIIT in cutting fat after three-weeks of trial.

LIIT can be a hack for those who find it hard to start exercising alone (bonus: the healthy shame we get for not performing well in a group). Likewise, you can perform in various speeds and try sundry kind of movements. Exercising in various speed and moves is the Achilles’ heel of fat spots, since body acceleration actually contributes a lot in your calorie-burning process. You might want to complain for taking longer session for lower-intensity, but LIIT is typically a good alternative for those who need both physical and social benefits from working out.

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This article will be availabe on our next issue with "Fresh Start" theme, out January 2018 in your nearest bookstores.