Bye Bye HIIT, Hello LISS!? You heard it here first, LISS Workouts may be the next fitness phenomenon. You might even start to hear the catch phrase “LISS is Bliss” because, party people, we’re about to get a copyright on that, and for good reason! LISS stands for “Low-Intensity Steady State,” and this new way to burn fat and boost cardio has been making the rounds in social media and high-profile gyms all over the country.

At Studio SWEAT onDemand, we love LISS workouts, because they’re low-impact, lower to moderate intensity, and allow for a quicker recovery than other, more intense workouts. They’re also much less likely to cause injury. They’re also perfect for people who are just starting to get fit, that want to work out without getting completely obliterated during the process, or that want a gentler workout in general, or in between their more intense workout days. What’s better than that?

Ready to work on your cardio with some LISS workout ideas? Good; because with LISS, slow and steady always wins the race!

What Is a LISS workout specifically?

A LISS workout routine is typically at least 30-minutes long (often longer) and only gets you to about 60% -75% of your max heart rate. That’s in contrast with HIIT, which happens in intense, short bursts, and starves your body of oxygen getting your heart rate to come close to its max.

Why Is LISS training Important?

Conditioning is the name of the long game. With LISS, you have a fantastic way to burn fat, strengthen your cardio, and reduce stress, all with minimal risk of injury. Some studies have even reported that long-term, low-intensity cardio is better for metabolizing fat, because it leaves more oxygen in the body (oxygen is required to break down fat).

Benefits of LISS

Not everyone’s an adherent of HIIT. The high intensity workout can just be too much for some people, plus it can be incompatible with people’s lifestyles. Not all of us want to work out for 10 minutes and then spend the next 3 days exhausted and unwilling to move! And, that’s a really big hurdle to overcome if you’re someone who needs extra motivation to head to the gym.

But if you’re someone who can’t live without intense workouts—even better. High-impact exercises and strength training can cause microscopic damage to your muscles, and a LISS day or two can help you stay fit and conditioned while you recover. That extra blood flow from the gentle workout is great for healing stiff muscles that need extra nutrients and oxygen.

All in all, we recommend LISS for people who:

• Want great at-home workouts
• Don’t want to use too much equipment
• Are just starting out their fitness journey
• Would like to workout during recovery periods

Drawbacks of LISS

There’s really only one that we can think of, but it does matter… time. LISS workouts are not meant to be quick workouts. As mentioned above, you want to go for at least 30 minutes, and ideally longer if you can. Now, when you factor in the time that you’ll likely spend less time in the Physical Therapist’s office, you might just consider it a wash. So, get them in when you can and know it’s worth it.

Your Beginner LISS Workout Routine

In need of some awesome LISS workout ideas? Here are some fun LISS cardio workouts you can try:

• An hour-long hike
• Swimming laps for 1 mile
• Bike ride to a coffee shop
• Steady rowing
• Online cycling class, at a moderate pace.
  • There are many examples on Studio SWEAT onDemand. Just click here to see a few of them.
• Surfing/Paddleboarding

And here’s an example of a week of workouts that include some LISS trainings:

Monday:

Bootcamp class

Tuesday:

Swimming 1 mile

Wednesday:

HIIT Online Spinning® class

Thursday:

Sculpting/weight training

Friday:

1-hour hike

Saturday:

Low to Moderate Intensity Online Cycling class

Sunday:

Rest

Slow is the way to go—or at least when it comes to bringing LISS workouts to life. Flipping tires and jumping over obstacle courses might look super sexy, but it’s not always the best way to get fit. Some of us just gotta go back to basics and take it easy, and that’s okay!

And if you’re not sure what works for you, sign up for Studio SWEAT onDemand’s 7-Day Free Trial and check out hundreds of different workout classes like Spin, Bootcamp, TRX, Yoga, and more. It’s your chance to find your fitness identity with real classes, real people, and real results. It’s B-LISS!