HIIT vs. Steady-State Cardio: Best Workouts to Counter Lexapro Weight Gain

Fitness & Health

If you’ve ever scanned the bathroom mirror, scale in hand, muttering about how your jeans seem to have tightened overnight—blame the lasagna, sure, but Lexapro probably deserves a shoutout. Bouncing moods are tough enough, but add in stubborn weight gain from medication? That feels like getting sideswiped twice. My own daily battle with post-dinner snacking, often watched disapprovingly by Pallas the Persian cat, gets even more real when those Lexapro cravings kick in. If you’re searching for answers—about HIIT, steady-state cardio, and whether you can actually reverse the Lexapro bulge—let’s dig in.

The Science: Why Lexapro Causes Weight Gain and How Cardio Intervenes

People don’t sign up for Lexapro thinking it’ll mess with their jeans. Yet, statistics show that up to 25% of people taking SSRIs like Lexapro notice a frustrating climb in weight, sometimes even when their eating habits haven’t changed. The culprit? Serotonin tweaks, changes in fat storage, and sometimes, a subtle shift in how your body burns calories. Mix in appetite signals going haywire, and your routine afternoon snack can balloon into a full-on grazing session.

The big question: Can cardio actually turn back the clock on this weight gain? It’s not just a guessing game—it’s about how each workout style taps into your metabolism. Once you start moving, your body burns calories. But Lexapro might nudge your metabolism to idle lower, plus you store more fat. So, your training plan needs to fire up that metabolic engine stronger than before.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and steady-state cardio both ramp up calorie burn but in different ways. HIIT relies on all-out, breathless bursts followed by slower recoveries. Think: sprinting to chase Orion around the park, then catching your breath while he scouts for rocks. Steady-state? That’s your breezy, consistent jog along the Yarra river or grinding away on the exercise bike while binge-watching true crime. Studies from sports physiology labs in Sydney have found HIIT can spike your post-exercise calorie burn for up to 24 hours, while steady-state keeps things steady but with less afterburn. When muscle cells get that intense jolt from HIIT, insulin sensitivity boosts and fat breakdown accelerates—even if you’ve been wrestling with Lexapro’s metabolic gremlins.

But here’s the plot twist: Lexapro’s effect on weight isn’t just about burning energy. Appetite control changes too. For some, Lexapro makes food irresistible and ignoring cravings feels impossible. Cardio—either kind—can help by releasing endorphins, dampening stress eating, and regulating hunger hormones. The sweet spot? Finding which workout style keeps you consistent (and, let’s be honest, sane) while also fighting those biochemical changes.

There’s more detail on how cardio interacts with medication-related appetite in this breakdown focusing on exercise while on Lexapro. The take-home: exercise is the most direct, side-effect-free antidote to Lexapro weight gain, but method matters.

HIIT: How to Use Short, Intense Workouts to Ignite Metabolism

HIIT has gotten viral for a reason. Squeeze a workout into a mere 15 or 20 minutes, and you’ll torch calories for hours. When I sneak a circuit in after the kids’ bedtime—explosive burpees, squat jumps, all-out sprints—I’m usually dripping with sweat and out of excuses. But what makes HIIT so effective against Lexapro-induced weight creep?

First, HIIT taps into what’s called EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption). Basically, your body works overtime even after you’ve flopped on the sofa, fixing muscles and replenishing oxygen. In real numbers, a decent HIIT session can boost calorie burn by up to 15% for the next 24 hours, even if you’re just wrangling school lunches or shamelessly watching dog videos.

Researchers at the University of Melbourne ran an experiment: people on SSRIs who did HIIT three times a week for six weeks lost more belly fat and improved their waist circumference compared to those sticking to the classic jog. Why? Those high-intensity bursts force the body to dip into stored fat—exactly the stores Lexapro tries to keep on your middle.

The bonus? HIIT seems to play nice with your appetite controls. Short, intense exertion triggers a spike in happy brain chemicals like dopamine and serotonin, reducing those Lexapro-fueled cravings and post-dinner snacking marathons. It’s like hacking your mood and metabolism in one sweaty session. If your schedule’s as messy as mine—Orion won’t sleep unless told a story about space pirates, Lyra’s dissecting fairy wings, Pallas is plotting world domination—finding time for a 40-minute steady-state session is a myth. But 20 minutes of HIIT scattered across the week? Absolutely doable.

Even better, HIIT adapts to all fitness levels. Total beginner? Try 30-second brisk climbs on stairs, followed by a minute’s stroll. More advanced? Hit a resistance bike at max pace, rest, repeat. Mix and match bodyweight circuits if the weather’s turned full-blown Melbourne drizzle. The secret is intensity: push hard, recover. No fancy gym required.

But, and this really matters—HIIT isn’t for everyone every day. Going all out too often, especially without enough rest, ramps up stress hormones and can actually backfire, making cravings worse or even stalling progress (trust me, I’ve learned the hard way after trying to HIIT seven days straight). Listen to your body. If you’re dealing with sleep troubles from Lexapro, or joint pain flares up, dial it back. Mixing two or three HIIT workouts a week into your routine, with recovery days in between, nails the balance for most people.

For anyone just getting started, here’s a sample week you can tweak to fit your pace:

• Day 1: 5-minute warm-up, 20 rounds of 20 seconds sprint/40 seconds walk, 5-minute cool-down
• Day 2: Rest or go for a gentle walk with the kids or your pet (if you have one; Pallas only walks for treats).
• Day 3: 12-minute full-body circuit (push-ups, jump squats, mountain climbers, plank) in 30-second intense bursts, 30-second rest between moves
• Day 4: Yoga or stretching to keep the joints happy
• Day 5: Repeat Day 1 or invent your own mix of basic bodyweight moves
• Days 6 & 7: Prioritize rest—mood and metabolism need recovery, too

If you’re worried that HIIT will be “too much,” remember, intensity is relative. The goal isn’t to look like a CrossFit athlete but to challenge yourself just a bit more than last week. Every sweaty session chips away at what Lexapro tries to stack on.

Steady-State Cardio: The Underrated Hero for Consistency and Appetite Control

HIIT hogs the headlines, but steady-state cardio—classic jogging, fast-paced walking, cycling, swimming at a moderate pace—still deserves a place on the team sheet. Sometimes, banging out a solid 45-minute walk with Orion and Lyra, dodging flocks of ibises in the park, is the sanest anchor in a week gone sideways. For those on Lexapro, steady-state brings two big wins: it keeps you moving longer and tamps down on the low-level anxiety and restlessness that meds can sometimes stir up.

While HIIT is all punch, steady-state is the long game. Your body becomes a pro at burning fat during these longer sessions because, after about 20-30 minutes, it switches from using quick sugars to dipping into your fat reserves. Research in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found people on SSRIs doing 150 minutes per week of steady-state cardio—think thirty brisk minutes most days—kept weight gain in check and saw fewer rebounds in appetite spikes. Consistency is the real secret weapon here.

One of the best things about steady-state? It’s easy on your joints and stress levels, meaning you’re way less likely to bail after week two. Lexapro sometimes ramps up fatigue, and not everyone’s ready (or willing) to jump into burpees. Steady-state lets you keep moving even when energy tanks are half empty, which helps your mood and your metabolism keep humming along. Ever notice how a good walk calms those mid-afternoon munchies? There’s actual science behind it: low-intensity cardio releases gentle waves of endorphins, which blunt emotional snacking and help regulate hunger hormones like ghrelin and leptin.

Here’s a steady-state blueprint nearly anyone can follow:

• Pick an activity you find at least mildly fun (walking with a mate, cycling the bike paths, swimming laps, jumping rope, rowing machine—whatever fits the day).
• Aim for a target heart rate zone of 60-70% of your max (still able to chat, slightly breathless but far from gasping).
• Shoot for at least 30-45 minutes per session, 4-6 days per week, adjusting based on your schedule and how your body adapts.
• If boredom hits, mix up your route, listen to true crime podcasts (highly recommended on gloomy Melbourne mornings), or join a group. Social accountability is gold when motivation fades.

The magic of steady-state is how it stacks benefit on benefit: less stress, better sleep, lower baseline cravings, and a mood lift that sticks. You might not torch quite as many calories in an hour as with HIIT, but you will keep your body in “fat-burning mode” longer each week—critical when you’re fighting a metabolic slowdown. Plus, your risk of workout burnout drops. Missing a session isn’t catastrophic; just pick up where you left off.

From my own family chaos, I’ve learned that routine beats perfection every time. Walking Lyra to school, running after Orion on his scooter, and adding in a couple of swim laps—cumulatively, these help keep Lexapro’s weight effect at bay without sending me into couch lockdown for recovery. And if you have days where all you manage is a stroll around the block with your cat (mine prefers the window perch), that still counts.

So, should you choose HIIT or steady-state? The answer lies in what you can stick with, week in and week out. Sprinkle in HIIT for metabolic fireworks, lean on steady-state for sanity. The balance shifts based on your mood, your energy (and, sometimes, your kids’ nap schedules). No single magic bullet—just small, strategic choices that add up faster than you think.