Tips for Stress free life > Expert Zone > Exercise
Exercise Tips by experts
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Tips for Stress free life > Expert Zone > Exercise Exercise Tips by experts |
|
|
|
|
A Great Way To Spice Up Your Workouts -- Interval Training
There's been a lot of buzz recently about Interval Training. So, you may be wondering what it really is and, more importantly, why you should incorporate it in your fitness workouts. Well, if you want a workout that can help propel you to the next fitness level, burn more calories, increase your speed, improve your power and more, then it's time to learn more about this effective technique. A simple definition of Interval Training is: short, high-intensity exercise periods alternated with periods of rest. These higher and lower intensity periods are repeated several times to form a complete workout . Here's a basic example: walk for 5 minutes at 3.5 MPH, walk for 1 minute at 4.2 MPH and then repeat this sequence several times. Most people spend their workout time only performing continuous training exercises. These are exercises where the intensity level is basically constant throughout. An example of this is walking at 3.5 MPH, at 0% incline for 30 minutes. Continuous training is very effective and should not be eliminated from your weekly workouts. However, it's recommended that you include both Interval Training and continuous training sessions as part of your fitness regimen. Why should you include Interval Training? As previously mentioned, there are many benefits to this type of training and execution is relatively simple. Interval Training can help you improve cardiovascular fitness, increase speed, improve overall aerobic power, burn more calories, break-through a plateau, increase workout duration, reach new exercise levels, expand your workout options and increase your workout threshold - just to name a few. Plus, this training method has useful applications for beginners, intermediate exercisers and even conditioned athletes. There are two basic types of Interval Training. For the majority of exercisers (novices and intermediate) Fitness Interval Training methods are recommended. Athletes can choose a more advanced technique known as Performance Interval Training. The Fitness training method utilizes periodic increases in intensity. Typically the higher-intensity levels range from 2-5 minutes in duration and are followed by lower-intensity periods that also range from 2-5 minutes. And, a critical element in Fitness Interval Training is determining the appropriate level for the higher-intensity periods. This level should not exceed the anaerobic threshold (which is usually reached below 85% heart rate reserve). On the flip side, the Performance training technique involves periods of near maximal or even maximal intensity (e.g. >85% heart rate reserve - even reaching 100%). The higher-intensity levels can range from 2-15 minutes in duration and are followed by lower-intensity periods that also can range from 2-15 minutes in duration. Don't let the two types of training and their ranges confuse you. Incorporating Interval Training methods into your exercise routine is actually quite easy. Since the majority of exercisers fall into either the beginner or intermediate category, we'll focus on getting started with those techniques. To begin, choose the type of exercise: walking, jogging, swimming, biking, etc. Next determine your lower-intensity level. This is usually somewhere between 50-65% target heart rate. This will be your baseline, lower-level intensity. Then simply increase the intensity-level up to where you feel like you are working hard to very hard, but avoid reaching a level over 85% target heart rate. If monitoring your heart is not feasible, instead use the RPE scale where 1 is basically at rest and 10 is working extremely hard. For example, if you find that when you are exercising at a comfortable level you rank a 5, then bump up to a 7 for the higher-intensity intervals. You may choose to systematically raise and lower your intensity (e.g. 2 minutes lower intensity followed by 1 minute higher intensity and repeat) or you can alternate more randomly by raising and lowering the level at your discretion. To increase your intensity, you may choose to change the speed, incline, or some other variable. Interval Training can be especially helpful in situations where you are trying a new form of exercise. For example, this can be very beneficial when first learning to jog. If you attempt to jog continuously without building up to it, you will probably fatigue quickly and even give up. However, if you begin with intervals of walking interspersed with jogging periods, the workout will be much more enjoyable and effective. Also, you will be more likely to stick with the program and achieve the end result - continuous jogging. Now that you know the benefits of Interval Training and the basic techniques for it, why not give it a try for yourself. Not only will it provide health benefits and improved fitness levels but it is also a great way to avoid workout boredom. Plus, with Interval Training workouts often are more enjoyable, go by quicker, and improvement results come faster. So why not try spicing up a stale, run-of-the-mill workout with Interval options? You may even find yourself excelling in an activity you were skeptical of even trying. About The Author Lynn Bode offers her personal training services online through her company, WorkoutsForYou.com. Workouts For You provides even the busiest of parents affordable, personalized exercise programs (via the Internet)for losing weight, toning-up, building muscles & increasing stamina. The programs can be done on their schedule and in the comfort of their own home (or gym or on-the-road). Visit www.workoutsforyou.com for a FREE sample workout.
MORE RESOURCES: See the complete list of Articles on Exercise here Have a look at Best Selling Books on Exercise
See also : Other articles on
Depression,
Grief Loss,
Happiness,
Humor,
Inspirational,
Motivation,
Exercise - Google News
Why not be an expert yourself ? If you can write on
any of the above topic, you are welcome to submit your Submit
your article here |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Planning An Exercise Program When designing an aerobic or strength training exercise program, fitness professionals, such as personal trainers and gym instructors, invariably use the F.I. Weight Loss, Bodybuilding, and Exercise Tips - Keeping Your Body-fat Low: Part 2 of 10 My name is Greg Ryan. I am a fitness expert, professional bodybuilder, personal, trainer to movie stars, former employee of Kathy Smith and over 50, 000 hours of paid personal training sessions under my belt. The Truth About Lactate and Exercise For years exercise scientists and physiologists have preached that lactate/lactic acid build-up in the muscle is the direct cause of muscle fatigue and a decrease in performance. It is proposed that lactate builds up in the muscle cells during intense exercise and literally "poisons" them, essentially shutting down activity biochemically by reducing the pH or increasing the acidity level. Exercise & Motivation, Part 2: Overcoming Inertia & Getting Started In the first article in this series (http://tinyurl.com/8ztbo), we gave you an overview of the stages of change in Prochaska's Transtheoretical model. Great Summer Workouts: Just Add Water With warm weather season now in full gear, exercisers want to take their workouts outside and breakout of their indoor fitness ruts. But, when temperatures reach record highs and humidity levels soar, traditional outdoor workouts become less appealing. An Introduction to Tennis Is tennis good for you?Absolutely - tennis is a gentle way of exercising for beginners, and for more advanced players is a very thorough workout. Physical activity increases energy and also helps you to stay healthy, fending off germs and infections. Toning Your Abs - Common Exercising Myths 1. The 'Chew Then Crunch' MythCrunches are good exercises for toning the abs and stomach if done properly and combined with a low fat diet. Lance Armstrong, Exercise, and Will Power- Characteristics that Make a Champion! The Tour De France, arguably may be the hardest sport of all time, and Lance Armstrong probably one of the most conditioned athletes ever. But, how is it possible for a man on the door step of death to be able to overcome cancer, return and win seven races in a row? Only in the end, retire on top as a winner he so right fully deserves. Interval Training Are you in an exercise rut? Do you want to kick your fitness level up a notch and increase your endurance? Would you like to add more intensity to you workout? Interval training is a good way to achieve all of these goals in a safe and systematic manner.Interval training is simply a matter of alternating high intensity exercise and low intensity exercise. Life Walking: Dont Walk Just For Exercise - Change Your Life "Life walking" is more than walking for exercise and fitness objectives. It's the larger ideal of using walking to change your life. Top 10 Reasons To Exercise In The Morning If I had to pick a single factor that I thought was most important in a successful exercise or weight loss program, it would be to exercise first thing in the morning - every morning! Some mornings, you may just be able to fit in a 10 minute walk, but it's important to try to do something every morning. So why mornings?. Stretching for Health Lack of flexibility is now seen to be a major cause of general health problems and sports injury and is being linked to everything from stress. back pain, and even osteoarthritis. Get Fit From Home-Part 2 ---------------------Using The Stairs---------------------Not everybody has stairs in their home, but chances are you know somewhere that you can find a set. Maybe it's a set of bleachers at the high school or a set of steps at a park. How to Find a Gym and Start Exercising There is hardly a week that passes without an article or study touting the benefits of exercise. Exercise to cure cancer, exercise to lose weight, feel better, livelonger, and stop dementia, the list appears endless. Performing Potentially Dangerous Gym Exercises How do you know that the exercises you are performing are safe? Found below are some potentially dangerous exercises with suggestions on how they should be done correctly or avoided completely.Sit-upTraditional abdominal exercises such as the sit-up, incline sit-up and hip-raises are exercises that are used to train the obliques and the upper and lower abdominals. No Time For The Gym? As you have undoubtedly heard, college students around the country are gaining weight at a rapid rate. A recent study by Cornell University found that on average, college freshman gain about 0. An Ab Exercise For Everyone! I don't have much of a problem with belly pouch or bulge, since I've been doing one ab exercise or another for most of my life to make my abs flat.But most of you haven't done any kind of ab exercise recently or ever in your life so you can benefit by my experience with one particular ab exercise especially. Success Versus Failure in the Exercise Department Success is what you are prepared to make of yourself every single day. That one cold morning when you want to roll over but instead get up and go to workout, is a defining moment. Tour of Diet - Cycling for Your Health The last seven years, or so, at the Tour de France has shown a success story that is very uncommon. Winning seven Tour de France championships is a feat that will be extremely hard to duplicate. Do You Want To Be A Bodybuilding Champion - The Power Behind The PEN! IT ALL STARTED ON A TYPICAL NOVEMBER MORNING back in nineteen eighty seven. Life was changing for me quickly; I just didn't realize it at the time.
|
|
You are here |
|
| Exercise Home | Exercise Tips - Complete list | |
|
| Main Home | | Meditation Corner | |
|
|
| Recommend us | |
|
[About
us] [Contact] [Privacy
Policy]
Copyright 2006, Meditation
is Easy.com, All
rights reserved
