A HIIT workout on Edge Rewards is worth 1 point for every minute you log, so a 20-minute session earns 20 points and a 45-minute session earns 45. Edge Pro members earn double, with no daily cap. Below you will find a simple points table, a complete 20-minute beginner HIIT session you can do at home, and an honest answer on how often you should actually do HIIT, because more points should never mean more sessions than your body can recover from.

How do Edge Rewards points work for HIIT?

Edge Rewards is a free rewards programme that opens to everyone on Sunday 8 November 2026. You earn points for moving, then spend them in the in-app marketplace on real products from partner brands, such as coffee, snacks, protein or gear. The rules are the same for every type of training, so HIIT is treated exactly like a run, a walk or a gym session:

• Workouts: 1 point per minute of any logged workout, up to 50 points a day.
• Steps: 2.5 points per 1,000 steps, up to 25 points a day.
• Daily cap: free members can earn 50 points a day in total. Unused points do not roll over to the next day.
• Edge Pro: double points and no daily cap.
• Monthly reset: points go back to zero at the end of each calendar month, so spend them before the month ends.

Any logged workout counts, whether you add it manually in the app or it syncs from Strava, Apple Health, Garmin or Coros. That matters for HIIT, because a lot of it happens in a living room or a gym corner rather than on a GPS route. If you want more detail on how home sessions are recorded, our guide to whether indoor workouts count on reward apps covers it.

How many points are 20, 30 and 45 minute HIIT sessions worth?

Here is the maths for the three most common session lengths. The last column shows the most a free member could earn that day once steps are added, because the 50-point daily cap applies to workouts and steps combined.

A few things stand out. First, a 20-minute session plus a normal day of walking gets a free member most of the way to the cap. Ten thousand steps would add the full 25 points, taking the day to 45. Second, going from 30 to 45 minutes barely changes a free member's total once steps are counted, because the cap does the limiting. Longer is not automatically better, for points or for fitness.

We have counted steps cautiously here. Any steps you take during the workout itself (jogging on the spot, for example) are not added on top of that workout's minutes in these examples, so treat the step figures as steps from the rest of your day.

For Edge Pro members the picture changes, because there is no cap. A 30-minute HIIT session earns 60 points, and your step points come on top. You can read the full breakdown in our explainer on Edge Pro double points.

What is a good 20-minute HIIT workout for beginners?

This session uses no equipment beyond a sturdy chair, bench or wall. It is low impact by default, with no jumping, so it is kind to joints and to neighbours. It earns 20 points when logged.

How hard should it feel? HIIT means short bursts of hard effort followed by rest. On a scale of 1 to 10, aim for about 7 or 8 in the work intervals: breathing hard, but still able to say a few words. You should never feel dizzy, sick or in pain. If you do, stop and walk it off.

Warm-up (5 minutes)

• 1 minute marching on the spot, swinging your arms.
• 1 minute of arm circles, forwards then backwards.
• 1 minute of slow bodyweight squats, going only as deep as feels comfortable.
• 1 minute of alternating reverse lunges, holding a chair for balance if needed.
• 1 minute of brisk marching with high knees, building the pace.

Main set (12 minutes): do each exercise for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds. One round of all four takes 4 minutes. Complete 3 rounds.

• Bodyweight squats: feet shoulder-width apart, sit back as if onto a chair, stand tall. Use a real chair to tap down onto if you are new.
• Incline press-ups: hands on a wall, kitchen worktop or bench. The higher your hands, the easier it is.
• Alternating reverse lunges: step back, lower gently, push back up. Keep your front knee in line with your toes.
• Fast marching or skaters: march quickly with high knees, or step side to side in a wide skater shuffle. Add a small hop only once this feels easy.

Cool-down (3 minutes)

• 1 minute of slow walking or marching to bring your breathing down.
• 30 seconds per side of a standing calf stretch against the wall.
• 30 seconds per side of a standing thigh stretch, holding a chair for balance.

Once three rounds feel manageable, progress slowly. Add a fourth round (taking the session to 24 minutes), or move to 40 seconds of work and 20 seconds of rest. Change one thing at a time. If you want more ideas, our best 20-minute HIIT workout at home guide has a slightly tougher option for when you are ready.

How do you log a HIIT workout so it counts?

There are two easy ways to make sure your session earns points:

• Use your watch or phone. Start a HIIT, interval or workout activity on your Apple Watch, Garmin or Coros, or record it in Strava, and make sure that account is connected to Edge. The session syncs across with its duration.
• Log it manually. No watch? Add the workout in the Edge app with its type and length. Manual entries count too.

Points are based on minutes logged, so include your warm-up and cool-down. They are part of the session, and they are the part that keeps you injury free.

How often should you do HIIT each week?

For most beginners, two or three HIIT sessions a week is a sensible ceiling, with at least one easier day between them. That is a common recommendation from coaches and exercise professionals rather than a strict rule, and it reflects how hard HIIT is on your muscles, joints and nervous system. If you are brand new to exercise, one or two sessions a week for the first month is a perfectly good start. We go deeper on this in our guide to how often you should do HIIT.

For context, the UK Chief Medical Officers' guidelines suggest adults aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or a mix of the two, plus muscle-strengthening work on at least two days. Two 20-minute HIIT sessions and a few brisk walks get you a long way towards that.

Here is the honest part: points should never push you into an extra hard session. Rest days are part of training. They are when your body adapts and gets fitter, and skipping them raises your risk of niggles and burnout. The good news is that you still earn on rest days, because steps count. A gentle 8,000-step walk on a rest day earns 20 points with no intensity at all.

What does a sensible HIIT week look like in points?

Here is an example week for a free member: two 20-minute HIIT sessions, one 30-minute strength or brisk walk session, and about 7,000 steps a day from everyday life. That works out at roughly 17 or 18 points a day from steps alone, with HIIT days landing around 37 points and the strength day around 47. Across the week, that adds up to roughly 190 points, without a single back-to-back hard day. About a week of training is roughly enough for a free coffee, so a balanced routine like this earns something tangible well before the monthly reset.

If you want a plan that slots HIIT, running, strength and mobility into one balanced week for you, Edge Pro builds a fully personalised plan, ready within 24 hours, with a real coach to message anytime. Edge Pro is £22.99 a month, £84.99 every six months or £129.99 a year, after a 7-day free trial that needs a card. And for advice on recovery between sessions, our beginner's guide to rest days is worth a read.

This article is general guidance, not medical advice. If you are new to exercise, returning from injury, or managing a health condition, speak to your GP before starting, and see a physio for any niggle that does not settle.