Go With The Slow

Burned-out HIIT devotees are switching to LISS – low-intensity steady state. And, as Marisa Meltzer discovers, that doesn’t mean reading a book on the slow stationary bike

YOU KNOW THE SAYING “NO PAIN, NO GAIN”? I’ve always considered that my exercise rule of thumb. I live in New York, where my normal workouts involve being shouted at by a trainer while doing burpees, my heart rate outpacing the BPM of most dance music and copious amounts of sweat dripping off my body. I was a card-carrying member of the HIIT movement, going to spin-class boot camp twice a week for cardio, then strength training with a personal trainer. This regimen, which meant I slept better at night and could fit into my skinniest jeans, had plenty of intensity. But instead of it feeling cathartic, I would leave each class feeling depleted.

Recently, my HIIT training came to an end after I pulled a thigh muscle during a Pilates-hybrid class that involved a foreboding machine called the Megaformer (like a Pilates reformer on steroids, on which you’re expected to crawl, plank and do pushups). I was advised by my physio to dial back the intensity of my workouts while my body healed. A wave of anxiety crashed over me. Punishing workouts were how I dealt with stress, and I was worried I would gain weight or at least lose the muscle definition I’d worked so hard to attain.

This is the kind of city where “no phones” signs are visible at cult spin class SoulCycle. To go 45 minutes without being connected to our jobs, our lives and the world at large is difficult for many – including me. I’ve been known to check my email between reps with my trainer. But now the slow exercise movement is taking off.