High intensity workouts may make for a more effective workout, but should not replace running altogether.

Steady outdoor running has long been my go-to exercise of choice. It’s straightforward, therapeutic, mindless cardio that helps me maintain my weight and keep my energy levels high and my body lean and healthy. Or so I thought. When it comes to steady-state cardio, such as running, there are convincing arguments as to why you should reduce how often or how long you hit the ground, well, running.

Before I go into why steady-state cardio – running in particular – has been proven to not to burn as much fat or improve health to the extent popularly believed, I want to focus on why running may no longer be right for you.

Running can be like a drug to some people. The “runner’s high” is a real thing, but if you begin to run too much and start to wear down your adrenals, becoming sore and tired, then running will no longer be the joy it once was. Instead, it will drain your energy and become an exercise that you loathe. I’m not talking about the lazy kind of loathing that is solved with mere self-will – I’m talking about the dread that results from a genuinely tired, exhausted body that starts to affect your happiness. If you get to this place, somewhere I’ve surely been, then it’s time to take a break and reevaluate why you run and if it’s worth it.

As you’ll learn, running is not the best workout, so if your reasons are for weight loss or building muscle, then you are misguided – there’s a better way! Also, if you ever begin to dread running, it doesn’t mean you have to quit it cold turkey, or at all. Instead, try reducing your running distance and frequency and complement it with other exercises. Not only will you enjoy working out again but will also see more impressive results in your body.

Running should complement your life, not own it. Now, emotional attachments to running aside, here’s the proof as to why you are better off with less of it.

Running Is Not the Cure All

Steady-state cardio, like running, is not the panacea to all your health and physical woes. Mentally, it is a gratifying feeling to have finished a few-mile run, but the satisfaction may stop in the brain. Steady-state cardio does not burn fat and improve health as well or as definitively as you imagined. In fact, there are more effective ways to work out.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been emerging as a popular exercise over the past few years, touted as the more effective replacement of traditional steady cardio, such as long-distance running. This form of high intensity workouts involves intense cardiovascular movement for 20-40 (or so) seconds followed by a period of rest. This intermittent intensity repeats several times. The result is a shorter, more varied workout that challenges the heart and different muscle groups. When compared to low to moderate intensity exercises, a HIIT program has proven to burn fat more efficiently. With regular aerobic exercise often having a negligible affect on body fat, HIIT has shown to increase both aerobic and anaerobic fitness, raise VO2 max (the maximum amount of oxygen your body can process), lower insulin resistance and reduce abdominal body fat more so than any other type of exercise.

Beyond a low baseline level, steady-state running won’t help you build optimal power, strength and muscle. And, contrary to popular belief, running won’t help you burn an increased amount of fat. Once you begin a running routine for the first time, you will most certainly see results, but the results wane in significance over time. In a 2009 study conducted by researchers at Queensland University of Technology in Australia, exercisers engaged in steady-state cardio five times a week for 12 weeks and lost only 7 pounds on average —nearly half of them lost less than 2 pounds. Steady-state cardio is repetitive and can be as groundbreaking to some people as it is boring to others.

Meanwhile, if you run on the treadmill or always on the same outdoor trek at a steady pace, you are essentially utilizing the same muscles day after day. Engaging in a variety of high intensity workouts manages to target all muscle groups and help you rediscover muscles you never knew existed.

However, this is not to say that HIIT is better than running. With all this buzz surrounding HIIT, it’s hard to see where its blind spots are. HIIT may be a more effective and efficient exercise, but it is also quite challenging and can lead to injury. In the long run, it also may be difficult to maintain regularly. Furthermore, HIIT depends on a strong aerobic system to work properly. Steady-state cardio is an aerobic activity that strengthens the foundation upon which an effective HIIT workout depends. If you don’t engage in any steady-state cardio, a HIIT workout will burn you out quicker, regardless of how fast and strong you are. Aerobic fitness builds endurance and is a necessary component to any workout regimen.

So, in the end, steady-state running is not where you should focus all your attention – don’t let the amount of time you run or the amount you sweat be the judge. HIIT is proven to burn more fat and reap greater health results in a shorter amount of time. However, HIIT should not be the prime focus either, as it is supported by steady-state cardio, like running. Pair the two together, and you’ll have the recipe for a kick-ass body with less fat and more muscle.

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Bored with your workout? Your body may be too. Here’s what’s hot in fitness trends for 2015.

If you are no longer seeing the same results from your workout, you’ve most likely plateaued. Performing the same exercise over and over means your body gets used to it and has to expend less energy. Muscles stop responding like they used to and you just aren’t feeling that same burn. Time to switch things up.

Variety is said to be the spice of life and that works with fitness too. Not only will revving up your routine be better for your bod, but doing something new is, let’s face it, a lot more fun.

So what’s it going to be? Following are the 7 Top Fitness Trends for 2015.

#1 // Bodyweight Training. Not just one of the top fitness trends, but forecast as the workout for 2015 by American College of Sports Medicine (the folks who accurately predicted Zumba would be the it workout of 2012). It’s no secret this type of exercise is good for you. Getting back to basics offers hot results with little to no equipment. You already have what you need…your body. Added bonus, you can do this stuff anywhere. We are talking the exercises you learned in gym class: squats, planks, pushups, crunches.

#2 // HIIT. Clocking in at number two is HIIT workouts, or high intensity interval training. This one isn’t for sissies but is definitely the most efficient. You have your cardio and strength training all wrapped into one workout. Scared? Me too. The good news, these workouts are so effective they can be done in mini sessions and still get results. Start with these 10 minutes workouts to burn calories and tone up.

#3 // Treadmill. If this is the machine you’ve been avoiding for years, take a new look. Fitness trends for the year include dusting off the good ol’ treadmill. And it’s getting social. Look for treadmill studios in your area. Like spinning for runners, these classes offer that running group feel but done in the comfort of a gym. And set to music. Actually sounds fun.

#4 // Cardio bars. Speaking of fun, you may be able to take your cardio to a different sort of group setting. Like, the bar. While the thought of cardio at the bar conjures a certain type of sweating, these locales are seriously healthy. Think juice-fueled dance parties, complete with DJ. Burn calories while shaking it with your friends.

#5 // Barre. This one has been creeping up on us for a while. Why hot now? Barre has become more mainstream. No longer the super exclusive, members only setting, Barre workouts are popping up in gyms everywhere. The benefits? Branded the “everywoman’s workout”, its ballet-inspired sculpting moves rival the best yoga practice.

#6 // Tech. Oh yes, workouts have gone digital too. There are tons of cool fitness apps that do everything from help you count calories or steps, to reminders to get moving. Like having a personal trainer in your pocket. Looking for a class but don’t have time to get to the gym? Search workouts online.

#7 // Recovery. Muscles need down time too. Recovery efforts are making a big splash in lots of gym workouts. Training hard is good, just be sure you aren’t setting yourself up for injury. Add in some stretching, massage, yoga, even complete days off from working out. It’s important to give days off to let your body recover, or take a down day when you are feeling under the weather or just worn out. The experts insist.

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