When Haja Tunkara decided to open the HIIT Factor, she knew it would benefit other people due to her own life-changing experiences with exercise and health. A daytime IT consultant, she wanted to get into shape mentally and physically, so she began a journey toward understanding holistic health.
Tunkara obtained a certification in Applied Positive Psychology (mental, emotional, and spiritual health), which led to the opening of the HIIT Factor, located on Larchmere in Cleveland.
“I wanted to create something that the people of Cleveland could use to find their inner strength as well,” Tunkara said. “When you go south, you can see fit people all over, but here in Cleveland we need to be more mindful about our physical fitness.”
HIIT is an acronym for High Intensity Interval Training. The training is designed to increase the body’s metabolism, which allows us to burn more energy and fat, and that helps us lose weight and stay fit over a longer period of time. It also allows us to lose weight more quickly because our metabolism stays high, even when we’re not working out.
A HIIT workout consists of short bouts of intense work lasting anywhere from 10 to 60 seconds, followed immediately by a period of active recovery of the same length of time or longer. This cycle of concentrated work and recovery is repeated anywhere from 3 to 10 times, depending on the workout.
Tunkara’s HIIT Factor specializes in these workouts designed to simulate the body and mind.
“It’s incredible to see the difference in people once they have a chance to observe the results of their hard work,” Tunkara said. “We have people from all walks of life see their lives changed right away because they have more energy, they lose weight, and they sleep better as a result of the work out.”
The HIIT Factor offers several types of workout classes for anyone looking for a different experience. For those who are looking for pole exercises or yoga, they can find it at the HIIT Factor.
“We try to offer different types of exercise opportunities for anyone who needs a fresh start at getting into shape,” Tunkara explained. “If you need some help with getting going, our staff does an incredible job with providing the starting point that people can build upon to get themselves going.”
For Black people, HIIT offers the chance to reduce the symptoms of a host of physical issues that plague the Black community. Hypertension, diabetes, and high blood pressure are all but eliminated when using HIIT as a method of exercise.
With COVID in the rearview mirror, this might be the perfect time to begin something new and give HIIT a try. ●
To learn more visit: https://www.thehiitfactor.com/
