Interval training is a fun way to spice up your workouts and burn more calories in the process! Interval training is basically exercising at a slightly higher intensity than your normal exercise state, followed by a brief recovery period. You can increase intensity by going faster or adding more resistance. For example, walking as fast as you can for 1 minute, recovering at your normal or slightly slower than normal walking pace for 1-2 minutes.
Interval training can be done with virtually any form of cardiovascular exercise:Â walking, running, biking, rollerblading, swimming, elliptical training, etc.
Tips for interval training:
-If exercising outside:Â choose landmarks to indicate your intensity change point (1 block fast, 1-2 blocks slow)
-If you are exercising to music, every time the chorus plays, bring your intensity up! Recover during the non-chorus part of the song.
-If you watch TV while you workout, bump up the intensity during the commercials, recover during your show.
-Use a your sport watch:Â most sport watches can be programed for interval training. You can set it to beep after x number of minutes, and beep again for your recovery.
You should shoot for at least 8-10 intervals and/or 30-60 minutes of activity. Don’t forget to warm-up for 5 minutes before you start your intervals, and cool-down after. Have fun!
