If you're getting bored with your morning jog and want to try something new with your exercise routine, interval training is a great way to implement an effective car-diovascular and strengthening workout. In 30 minutes you'll not only get your heart rate up, you'll see far more benefits than if you spent a half hour on a brisk walk through your neighbourhood.
Interval training can improve fitness, health, speed and stamina-even for beginners. Best of all, it burns more fat than straight cardiovascular exercise, and really works to improve your metabolism.
Interval training is a form of exercise that alternates between periods of very high, intense activity or "sprint intervals," and periods of low activity, or "rest intervals." However, you don't actually get to rest during the low-intensity periods - that's when you work on your strengthening exercises.
During the sprint intervals, you can spend 30 seconds skipping, stepping up and down into a bench or chairs, or jogging on the spot. When jogging on the spot, you can try bringing your knees up to your chest, bringing your feet to your butt, or alternating between the two.
To get the most out of this workout, you want to push yourself so your heart rate is at 60 to 80 percent of its maximum, so make sure to adjust the intensity of your sprint intervals accordingly.
Be sure to use a comfortable but challenging weight to get the most out of the strengthening exercises, and contact your doctor before starting an exercise program.
Begin your workout with a five-minute warmup, then start your first strengthening exercise.
Some exercises to include:
? Stationary lunges
? Dumbbell hamstring deadlifts
? One-arm dumbbell rows
? Dumbbell presses with a stability ball
? Bent-over dumbbell raises
? Alternating crunches with kickouts
For full descriptions of all these exercises, see www. royalcityrecord.com and look under the Life tab. Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer. Call 604-420-7800 or go to www.karpfitness.com.
