Interval Training Workouts

Cardio exercise is widely accepted to be the best way to burn calories and lose those extra pounds. But what if there was a way to speed up the process, shortening your cardio workout, while making those calories burn quicker all day long. Thanks to interval training, there is. 

What is interval training? 

Unlike cardio exercise, which is sometimes referred to as “long slow distance” and is best performed with a steady pace over a long period of time, interval-training workouts add bursts of high-intensity exercise between periods of slower, steadier exercise. The pattern of slow-to-fast is repeated several times, increasing heart rate and pushing you to your limits while giving you time to recover in between. 

What are the benefits of interval training? 

The benefits of interval training are many. For those who have a limited amount of time at the gym, it can be a great way to minimise the time spent working out and maximising the number of calories left behind when you walk out the door. Interval training workouts are generally between 10 and 20 minutes, as compared to traditional cardio workouts that are designed for long lengths — up to 60 minutes at a time. Interval training allows you to burn the same number of calories — or more — in far less time. 

Additionally, interval training has been shown to elevate the body’s metabolism far more than traditional cardio exercise. And it keeps your metabolism at highly elevated levels for the rest of the day, allowing you to lose more weight over the same period of time as compared to those practising traditional cardio exercise methods. 

If you’re looking for endurance and stamina, interval training should be your preferred cardiovascular exercise option. Participants have shown dramatically increased cardio endurance in relatively short periods of time. 

What should I do? 

Alternate your time on the treadmill between a brisk walk and an all-out sprint. Sprint for between 60 and 90 seconds, and walk for up to three minutes in between sprints. Repeat this cycle for 10 minutes at first, gradually increasing as your endurance increases, and watch the pounds melt away quicker than before