Forget your office happy hours - HIIT workouts are the new hit

  
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Office happy hours are doomed - on the doorstep of 2026, the fitness, wellness, and health culture has now definitely invaded your office environment and workplace.

Gradually, high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, has become a smashhit and buzzword not only among employees but also among companies that see a clear interest in increasing the health and well-being of their employees. 

The American fitness chain Barry's, which also has studios in Europe and the Middle East, has seen an increase in the number of companies booking private workout classes for their employees.

Companies are also reserving places for employees in open public classes or hiring professional instructors for their conferences and other events.

Fitness revolution

"Companies' HR departments have recognised that not all office workers are as keen on eating and drinking so often with their colleagues," Barry's brand and communications manager, Vicky Land, says.

"Employees are far less likely to cancel a workout session than they are to text you saying they can't make it to the Friday happy hour at the office."

It has been 10 years since HIIT revolutionised physical fitness, proving that short periods of maximum effort followed by brief recovery breaks can provide just as good, and even better results than traditional cardio training.                                                                                                               Photos: StockCake

It has been 10 years since HIIT revolutionised physical fitness, documenting that short periods of maximum effort followed by brief recovery breaks can provide just as good, and even better results than traditional cardio training.

High-intensity interval training entered and excited the international fitness world, and was named the leading global fitness trend by the American College of Sports Medicine, among other things.

Increases oxygen uptake

From a niche athletic method, HIIT quickly became a global fitness smashhit and mainstream training style thanks to viral programs, media exposure, and scientific validation.

Intensive workouts typically elevate the heart rate to 80–95% of an individual's maximum, delivering significant cardiovascular benefits. These sessions can be adapted and progressed by varying the equipment used, accommodating participant experience, adjusting for available time, and tailoring the difficulty to meet specific fitness goals.

15-20 minutes of HIIT workout can provide just as much or greater improvements in oxygen uptake compared to 45-60 minutes of traditional cardio training.

"HIIT workouts significantly increase the body's oxygen-based capacity (VO₂ max), often as effectively or even more effectively than traditional moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT), despite the shorter training sessions.

HIIT is also suitable for improving endothelial function (blood vessel flexibility), lowering blood pressure, and optimising cardiac efficiency," fitness experts say.

Several studies have shown that just 15-20 minutes of HIIT workout can provide just as much or greater improvements in oxygen uptake compared to 45-60 minutes of traditional cardio training.  ● 

Read more:
Gq.com: The best HIIT workout to kickstart your new year
Forbes.com: Cognitive HIIT - interval training for your brain amid AI
YouTube.com: 25 min full body HIIT for beginners with no equipment
Businessinsider.com: Forget happy hour - the new team-bonding activity is a HIIT workout