Interval Training
We all know that exercise is a critical piece of the weight loss puzzle, but let's face it, not everybody loves to exercise. When I was younger I used to think that if I didn't run at least 5 miles a day, I wasn't getting enough cardio to make it count. As time went on and my knees and hips began to let me know that I was over-doing it, I started looking for alternatives. Even with all of my running, I wasn't achieving my weight loss goals, so I knew that something needed to change. I did a little research and decided to try interval training. I have now been doing interval training for the past year, and I LOVE it. It is great especially when it comes to cardio. Right now my routine is only twenty minutes, as opposed to over an hour, and my weight has begun to melt off. Don't get me wrong, the twenty minutes is intense, but when it comes down to it, sacrificing twenty minutes every other day is totally doable. Here is an article I found on Ezine.com by: Steve Plumridge stating the benefits of interval training: Treadmill interval training benefits anyone who’s goal’s may include fitness, weight loss or training for any specific sporting event. Lets break it down to start with. Treadmill workouts have many advantages over running outdoors a few of these include - Can be done in the gym or your own home. - Is not dependent on the weather or time of day. - Workouts can be very specific, meaning distances, speeds & gradients can be precise. - Less strain on joints as treadmills have a more shock absorbent surface than a hard pavement or road. Grass, may be more spongy but can be uneven with hidden potholes, and sand running can cause excess strain. - On a personal level, you can wear whatever you like. You don’t have to be self conscious about any wobbly bits you are trying to get rid of and no personal security problems. - A water bottle is always handy and does not have to be carried. So one is more likely to stay hydrated. Interval Training also has many benefits including the main one for most people these days - TIME. In 15-20 minutes of treadmill interval training you can achieve more than in an hour of cardio work. These days training has become a fine art, more quality less quantity. Top athletes like ironman triathletes for example, these days train on average only 15 hours a week for a race that takes them a little over 8 hours, non stop, to finish. For the other 99% of athletes, weekend warriors and wanna be’s treadmill interval training benefits include - Quality workouts that can be accomplished in a lunch break. - running at a higher intensity for longer periods resulting in a cardio fitness effect and a metabolism boost for several hours afterwards meaning more calories are burned up, even at rest aiding weight loss. - Treadmill interval training workouts break up the boredom of long steady runs - The body becomes more efficient at dealing with lactic acid build up. - Hundreds of studies have shown that interval training is by far the most effective training method to improve your endurance, speed, and overall aerobic capacity. So if you are a serious runner, beginner or any where in-between looking to just get fitter, faster, lose weight, look/feel good then treadmill interval training is the quickest most efficient way to go.
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