Lets talk exercise!
We have all heard that exercise is important, I specifically am motivated to exercise because it reduces stress, helps my body maintain balance and really leaves me feeling great. With that in mind, I’m excited to take some time over the next few weeks to share with you my favorite types of exercises! I promise they are do-able and maybe you’ll even find a new routine you love!
First let’s talk about interval training, I love this form of exercise because you get an amazing workout in a little over 20 minutes. I am not one of those gals who just lives and loves to work out, its honestly not my favorite thing to do, so I totally opt for this form of working out because the shorter the amount of time spent doing it, the better. I also like it because you can do it at a gym, at home or on vacation. Interval training works by activating both your aerobic and anaerobic muscle systems. Aerobic exercise, for example a long jog, allows and uses oxygen to provide energy for your body to sustain that movement. When you push yourself to the maximum in a short amount of time, for example doing sprints, your body needs energy faster than you can take in additional oxygen and so it uses stored carbs for that energy. Interval training allows you to switch from aerobic to anaerobic mode and that is why it effectively and efficiently burns calories.
Peak 8- This is a common name for this type of exercise schedule because you do the cycle 8 times. This exercise is a form of interval sprints but can be performed on a stationary bike, elliptical machine, treadmill, bicycle, running, swimming or with any other exercise you prefer. You can always type interval training or Peak 8 online and get more great ideas.
I love using the app Seconds to create an interval training timer. It lets you put in warm-up, cool down and the amount of time for your intervals.
Recommended– 2-3 times a week. This exercise should not be done every day so please give yourself one day between workouts and more if needed. Focus on increasing the intensity instead of frequency if you need more of a challenge.
Warm up for 3 minutes (examples…walking, rower machine, elliptical machine or stretching)
Exercise as hard and fast as you can for 30 seconds. You should feel like you couldn’t possibly go on another second (examples…sprinting, jumping jacks, high knees, burpees and high resistance setting on your elliptical)
Recover for 90 seconds. This is not a rest time, the exercises done should be at a slower pace so as to recover your breath. (examples…walking, bicep curls, donkey kicks, lunges or squats, all done at a slower pace)
Repeat the high intensity exercise and recovery 7 more times
Cool off 3 minutes (examples…walking, elliptical machine, rower or stretching)
TOTAL TIME: 22 minutes with warm up and cool down
If this is first time getting back into exercising, you may need to start with a lower impact exercise like walking. When you do the 30 second bursts, you should be moving as fast as possible so that you can get your heart rate up and feel as though you are doing strenuous activity. It is okay to start here and work your way up to more. This is about lifestyle change and forming a habit, not just exercising.
You want to exercise vigorously enough so that you reach your anaerobic threshold. When you reach this threshold you are at the place where you are burning a significant amount of calories. Anaerobic threshold is also where the beneficial growth hormone release is triggered. The way you can check if you have reached your threshold is by using this heart rate calculation (100% heart rate = 220 – your age). For example, if I am 30 years old I would take 220-30=190, I would then want my heart rate around 190 so that I am in my anaerobic threshold. The best way to check this is a heart rate monitor like a fit bit. Whatever activity you choose, by the end of your 2nd or 3rd 30 second sprint you should experience difficulty breathing, sweating, increased muscle burn and elevated heart rate.
Benefits of Interval Training:
- Lowering of body fat
- Dramatically improves muscle tone
- Improves athletic speed and performance
- Allows you to achieve your fitness goals much faster
- Floods the body with growth hormone which can:
- Reduce wrinkles
- Firm skin
- Helps facilitate the body’s natural muscle growth and metabolism
Drop by the blog in the coming weeks to learn more about my favorite and most beneficial types of exercises. Let’s move!