Fitness is fun, but it’s not a game, and it’s important that we talk about cardio.
Most people like to go walking with their friends. Whether it’s a quick walk around the neighborhood or taking on an actual trail, it’s easily one of the most fun ways to get a few minutes of cardio activity into your day.
I’m going to give you a little tip on how you can make the most out of your cardio workouts, especially when you’re strapped for time.
Intervals!
Nowadays, there’s a lot of talk about HIIT or high intensity interval training, but my little tip has nothing to do with HIIT. In fact, we don’t even have to go to high intensity in order to maximize the benefits of cardio.
Intervals are effective even without having to push yourself to the limits. The reason intervals work is because they simply challenge the body and, as a result, they make your body stronger.
So, how do you incorporate intervals into your cardio workouts? It’s simple.
When you’re out for a walk at the park, pick out two landmarks. You might choose a tree and a bench. Make sure there’s a reasonable distance between the two – not too close, but not too far either. You might decide to jog from the tree to the bench. Once done, go might go back to brisk walking, then you can pick another two landmarks, but do a sprint from one point to the next.
Not everyone can jog or run a full mile. Their legs might feel like giving in, or maybe they end up short of breath, or maybe their heart can’t handle it. That is exactly the reason why people have to work up and build up their bodies in order to be capable of jogging or running certain distances. It’s a physical capacity that you need to build.
Intervals can be a fun way to effectively train your body to grow stronger and more capable of doing more cardio activity. Furthermore, it helps you to burn more calories.
Now, I suggested jogging and doing sprints, but there are other things you can incorporate into your interval training. For instance, you might decide to do walking lunges from one point to another. I know most people hate walking lunges, but they’re actually such an effective way to really get your thigh muscles involved.
Walking lunges are especially beneficial for people who are looking to lose weight. The leg muscles are the biggest muscles in your body. Whenever the leg muscles are engaged, you’re actually burning more fat than you would by working on a different muscle group. It also promotes faster metabolism.
The key thing to keep in mind when doing interval training is to make sure that you stick to a certain route. If you decide to walk a mile, you might decide to switch things up every 50 yards. Walk at your usual pace, then jog, then walk, then sprint, then brisk walk, then walk at your usual pace again.
You can skip. You can do walking lunges. You can do side moving lunges. You can even walk backwards. There are literally so many different things you can do to keep things fun. As long as you’re willing to try different things, you will never get bored of interval training.
You will see great results once you incorporate interval training into routine. I guarantee it.
I’ll talk to you soon!
