The beauty of HIIT is that you need little more than your body and a great attitude to get an incredible workout. However, there are a few things I suggest for optimal performance and comfort during the routines.

Footwear

During your workout, it’s important to consider the placement of your feet on the floor. You need to keep the pad of your big toe, the pad of your little toe, and your heel on the floor. If the pad of your big toe lifts, you have a tendency to roll your weight to the outside (oversupination). If the pad of your little toe lifts, you roll inward (overpronation). Both of these positions will lead to an unstable base of support and could cause injury.

To make you more aware of your foot position, I advocate using a minimalist shoe when training. Two styles I recommend are the Nike Free 1.0 Cross Bionic, specifically designed for HIIT with a lower profile, and INOV-8’s F-Lite range of shoes. If you’re new to minimalist footwear, it’s best to alternate between your old shoes and the minimalist shoes for about two weeks, allowing your body to adjust to the decrease in cushioning and support.

Yoga mat

You may wish to use a yoga mat for floor exercises. This will provide traction and may be more comfortable for exercises done on the back. I use The Mat by Lululemon (lululemon.com) in the studio with my clients, because I like its reversible surface.

Watch or timer

A watch or timer is essential for keeping track of the work and rest intervals during HIIT routines. Use whatever is comfortable and easy to operate, whether it’s a sport watch, heart rate monitor, or a smartphone app. The app I prefer to use in studio is the Interval Timer Pro, which allows you to program routines and save them for future use.

Towel

It’s always good to keep a towel on hand during HIIT routines. I expect you to be sweaty, and you will want to dry not only your hands and brow but also the surface on which you are performing the routines to avoid slip and fall injuries.

Foam roller

An inexpensive tool that you will learn to love, foam rollers provide myofascial release in much the same way as static stretching and massage. Use of a foam roller can prevent injury and speed recovery post-workout.

Optional extras

HIIT is about using as many muscle groups as possible in unison during fast explosive exercises. Adding weights or performing isolation exercises, such as bicep curls, can be prohibitive. However, for some core exercises, it’s okay to challenge yourself by incorporating added weight. You can add resistance to exercises like Russian twists, V-ups, and sprinter sit-ups with a dumbbell, kettlebell, or medicine ball.

I also highly recommend a product called SandBells from Hyperwear (hyperwear.com). These weights contain sand, which shifts with your movements, challenging your balance and making your workout more effective. Hyperwear also makes a product called Hyper-Vest Pro. This weighted vest adds 10 pounds of evenly distributed weight to the torso and is a safe and effective way to add resistance to every exercise in this guide.