Incorporate Interval Training To Vary Your Cardio Routine

Interval training is a popular strategy for improving cardiovascular fitness as well as reducing body fat. It’s great for those who don’t have a lot of time to work out or to spend on a single piece of cardio equipment.

Many traditional exercise programs focus on steady state exercise for a long period of time. This can be difficult to perform if you don't have a lot of free time.

I generally see the same people doing the same monotonous cardiovascular workout all the time. Change it up by adding intervals. 

Research has shown that interval training offers several advantages. Among them include greater improvements in VO2max, weight loss, increase in the bodies potential to use lipids to generate energy, and an increase in growth hormone.

You should be cautious prior to participating if you have any cardiovascular disorders or have poor cardiovascular fitness.

Here is a sample interval program:

Warm-up for 3 minutes

20 seconds at a high intensity, level, or speed followed by 40 seconds at a low to moderate pace.

Complete 6-8 repetitions

Cool down 3 minutes

The complete workout should take between 12-14 minutes.

Schoenfeld, B.& Dawes, J. High Intensity Interval Training: Applications for General Fitness. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2009.31(6), 44-46.