7 High-Intensity Workouts for Women to Control Appetite
High-intensity workouts are great for not only burning calories but also managing hunger and controlling appetite by regulating appetite-related hormones and boosting endorphin levels. Here are seven high-intensity workouts designed to help you stay energized and keep your appetite in check.
1. HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training)
HIIT involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by brief rest periods. This workout can include anything from sprinting to jump squats, making it versatile and effective for burning fat and controlling appetite. HIIT has been shown to decrease ghrelin (the hunger hormone), helping reduce post-workout cravings.
Sample HIIT Exercise: Try 30 seconds of burpees, followed by a 10-second rest, and repeat for 5 minutes.
2. Kickboxing
Kickboxing combines strength and cardio, which is a potent combo for burning calories and keeping hunger under control. Kickboxing requires focus and intensity, which increases endorphin production, and studies have shown that endorphins help control hunger by boosting mood and reducing stress-related cravings.
Sample Kickboxing Moves: Practice combinations like jab-cross-hook-kick or front kicks with squat intervals for 20-30 minutes.
3. Tabata Training
Tabata is a more specific form of HIIT that involves 20 seconds of high-intensity exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated for 4 minutes. This quick, intense approach is known for improving aerobic and anaerobic fitness while helping with appetite control.
Sample Tabata Circuit: Try 4 minutes of 20-second intervals of mountain climbers followed by 10 seconds of rest, switching to other moves like jump lunges or push-ups after each 4-minute round.
4. Spinning (Indoor Cycling)
Spinning classes or high-intensity indoor cycling can help you reach an endorphin high that curbs appetite. The combination of sprints, climbs, and endurance cycling in a spin class activates your metabolism and keeps your hunger signals in check long after the workout.
Tip: Try alternating between seated and standing sprints, and include “hill climbs” to maximize intensity.
5. Circuit Training
Circuit training combines cardio with strength exercises and keeps your heart rate elevated, which can help reduce appetite-stimulating hormones. By alternating exercises, you work your entire body without much rest, leading to a calorie-torching workout that also promotes muscle tone.
Sample Circuit: Do 1 minute each of kettlebell swings, push-ups, high knees, squat jumps, and mountain climbers, repeating the circuit 3 times.
6. Strength Training with Supersets
Lifting weights in supersets—back-to-back exercises targeting opposing muscle groups—adds intensity and boosts metabolism. It also helps manage appetite by increasing lean muscle mass, which stabilizes blood sugar and reduces cravings.
Sample Superset: Try 12-15 reps of squats followed immediately by lunges. Rest for 30 seconds and repeat with a different set like bicep curls followed by tricep dips.
7. Rowing
Rowing offers a full-body workout that combines cardio and strength, helping to burn calories and control hunger. Rowing requires stamina, builds core strength, and can keep ghrelin levels low, curbing post-workout hunger.
Sample Rowing Workout: Start with a 5-minute warm-up at a moderate pace. Then do intervals of 1-minute rowing at max effort followed by 1 minute of rest, for 20 minutes.
These high-intensity workouts not only burn calories but also help manage hunger by regulating hormones and stabilizing blood sugar levels. Incorporating one or more of these workouts into your weekly routine can be a powerful strategy for appetite control while also enhancing overall fitness.