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September 15, 2005
Interval Training
Just because you woke up late or only have 30 minutes on your lunch break to exercise doesn’t mean you don’t have time for a beneficial workout. Interval training is a great way to have a good workout in a short period of time. It uses both your aerobic and anaerobic systems to produce energy. The aerobic system allows you to walk or jog for several minutes by converting carbohydrate from different sources into energy. The anaerobic system uses mainly your carbohydrate stores (glycogen) to complete short bursts of activity like sprinting, jumping or lifting weights. By alternating these two systems, you’re able to push yourself harder than you normally would on your anaerobic bursts because you then give your body a rest at a lower intensity. You can do this type of training in two different ways. In one way, you decide when you “go all out� and when you slow down depending on how you feel. Or maybe you sprint to the next telephone pole and then jog to the end of the park. This can be a nice variation to your normal running route. The other way is a little more scientific. Easier to do on a treadmill because the clock in right in front of you as you alternate speeds based on specific times. For example, you could sprint for 1 minute and rest for 30 seconds. The next time you sprint, increase the speed keeping the rest segment constant. Keep in mind the speed and duration of your work interval and the duration of your rest interval. If you’re just starting out, make the rest intervals longer than the sprinting intervals. So, no more excuses about not having time to workout. Everyone can find 30 minutes in their day (if you sleep 8 hours a night, that’s 1/32 of your day!) for some energizing interval training.
Posted by Lisa at September 15, 2005 09:29 AM
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