People who say they don’t have time to exercise may need to find another excuse. Exercise and Nutrition Scientist Kathleen Alleaume explains how to use interval training to cut your workout time in half (or more!).
While traditional cardio involves working for a sustained period of time without a rest, interval training (I.T.) is a form of cardio exercise that alternates periods of higher intensity work with periods of recovery (complete rest and/or lower-intensity work). While both types of cardio improve fitness, I.T. has a more powerful effect when it comes to increasing your overall strength and endurance. As an added bonus, it burns more kilojoules in less time, so you can shorten your work-outs!
One of the great things about interval training is that there are no hard-and-fast rules about how hard or how long the intervals have to be. If you are new to I.T., start out slowly and gradually increase the intensity and length of the intervals as your fitness improves.
Start with a 20-minute walk 2–3 times a week, then gradually build up to 45 minutes 2–3 times a week.
As your fitness improves, build up to a 1 minute ‘on’/ 1 minute ‘off’ routine.
Start with a 20-minute jog twice a week, then gradually build up to a 30-minute jog twice a week.
As your fitness improves, build up to a routine where you jog for 5 minutes, followed by a 1-minute sprint.
Either on a stationary or outdoor bike.
Start with a 20-minute cycle 2–3 times a week, then gradually build up to a 30- or 40-minute cycle 2–3 times a week.
Start with a 20-minute swim 2–3 times a week, then gradually build up to a 30-minute swim 2–3 times a week.
To use your muscles in different ways, use a mix of backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly, or use fins or a kickboard to give your lower body an extra conditioning advantage.
As your fitness improves, you can alternate your rest periods at the shallow end of the pool with jogging on the spot for 30 seconds.
A simple way to determine which intensity is best for your level of fitness is to conduct a ‘talk test’.
During exercise you should experience an increased breathing rate, but you shouldn’t feel exhausted. If you’re unable to speak during exercise, your level of exertion may be too high – and you may not be getting enough oxygen to your muscles.
Over time, as your fitness improves, work towards alternating bursts of speed with a moderate (instead of relaxed) pace to get the most benefits.