Lets face it. For most people, cardio is a chore.
Who really wants to walk on a treadmill, spin circles on an elliptical, or stare at a wall in a dark room on a bike that goes nowhere?
But that's ok. There's a better way to get your cardio in.
You may have heard the trendy term "interval training."
Don't let it scare you...
That's just a fancy name for changing your intensity level throughout your workout.
Research shows that you can burn more calories in a shorter period of time by varying your heart rate rather than just staying at a steady pace.
Plus, with interval training you burn more calories AFTER you finish your workout compared to steady state cardio. So even after you've finished your workout, you have fired up your metabolism and you are STILL burning calories.
The best part?
You don't have to do interval training on a machine.
Here are 5 of my favorite ways of sneaking cardio into a workout:
1. Jump Rope
You can do it anywhere, and you can grab a rope for about $5. Try 30 seconds of jumping, 30 seconds of rest. Aim for as many rounds as you can. If you're able to last more than 10 uninterrupted minutes, I bow down to you.
2. Hill Repeats/Hiking/Snow Shoeing
I put these three in one category because depending on where you are and what the weather is, it will dictate what you can do. The process is the same though. Sprint a little, recover at a slower pace, sprint a little more. For example, in snow shoeing, go at a good clip for one minute, and then walk at a leisurely rate for one minute. Alternate that throughout the duration.
3. Every Minute on the Minute
Pick an exercise (or two) and a number of reps for that exercise. Do that at the top of the minute, rest the remainder of the minute. Repeat. Set a goal for how many cycles you want to complete; challenge yourself to get one more than that number!
For example:
10 Pushups and 10 Squats: When the second hand hits 12, bust out 10 push ups and 10 squats. Rest the remainder of the minute. Go at it again when the second hand comes back around to 12. See how long you can do it for!
4. Circuits
The benefits of strength training are endless. Who doesn't want to be strong? Build lean muscle, prevent injury, and not have to ask for help carrying in the groceries. But strength training doesn't have to be the "typical" boring strength training you think of where you do some reps, stand there, sip some water, look around, and then do the same exercise again.
Instead, pick a handful of exercises and put them in a circuit. You'll do a few reps of one exercise and then go right to the next one, to the next, etc. Once you complete all exercises you can rest for a few minutes, and do another round. Again, set a goal for how many rounds you plan to complete - get your goal and try for just one more round!
The nice thing about circuits is it gives you the benefits of strength training while also fitting in cardio because of the limited rest and "hustle" needed to move to the next exercise. It's like fitness multi-tasking!
5. Something you love
And the fifth form of cardio is "anything"...anything that you love.. If you like to dance, make yourself a playlist of six of your favorite songs, blast them in your living room or basement and dance, rest, dance, rest. You'll have done 35 minutes of cardio before you know it. Play keep away with your dog or your kids. Jump on a swing and pump your legs (way harder than it was when we were kids). A friend told me about putting on her exercise band and doing band walks while unloading the dishwasher and putting her laundry away. Well maybe no one loves either of those tasks but it's a sneaky way to bump up your heart rate.
At the end of the day exercise should not always feel like a chore. People get caught up in the mindset that it's something they HAVE to do, have to fit into their day, not something they GET to do.
If you don't like something, you may be able to "grind" through it for awhile, but eventually you'll give up. You have to find something you love, or at least find a balance between the work and the play.
Whether it's biking, running, swimming, jumping rope, swinging kettlebells, or doing circuits, or better yet, a combo of all of the above, find things you LOVE doing. It will be much easier to make exercise a part of your life, not just a chore on your to-do list. If you love it, you'll do it and see results in no time!
Dedicated to Your Success,
Doug Spurling
PS: Are you a busy adult who just feels overwhelmed and doesn't even know where to start? I'm here to tell you..that's ok. Let us help you. Schedule a free 60 minute Success Session & Orientation and we'll sit down and figure out a plan to finally get you looking better and feeling better, and then let you try us free for 14 days