Don't Keep Up the Pace...Why Interval Training is Actually Better for You

Lately, experts have been reminding us about interval training, which gives the busiest among us hope for even better gym pay off. Although fitness advice seems to change all the time, serious athletes and Olympians have been doing interval training for decades, and seeing about twice the results of a regular cardio workout. It’s beginning to come into the spotlight again, with people having less and less time to fit a traditional workout into their day.

An article on NY Times online says experts believe adding interval training just a few days a week will show great improvements in fat burning and endurance as opposed to a long continuous cardio workout. These studies have been done with young adults (in varying degrees of physical fitness) using stationary bikes and treadmills. The results showed that all subjects saw about a 36% increase in fat burned in a short interval training session as opposed to longer moderate cardio session.

Experts believe results like these can be duplicated on various pieces of and outdoor activities. While there isn’t an exact plan to stick to, you could cut your hour or so moderate session to 25 minutes, consisting of 4 minute bursts with 3 minutes of recovery in between. It could also be 1 minute bursts with 3 minutes recovery. What’s important is that you experience intense times of working at about 85% capacity, and then moderate to light exertion to get the heart rate almost back down to normal before starting the cycle again. You can sub your regular cardio days with this, or incorporate it at least 2-3 days a week.

The fat burning and cardiovascular results are shown to be evident in just a few weeks, so even if you are in the final wedding countdown, you could surely benefit from the boost switching to intervals would provide. Remember that it’s important to warm up beforehand, and that while you should feel breathless, you don’t want to work your self to exhaustion. Those of you who work out on your own can consult a doctor or trainer for further advice and recommendations that are personalized to your fitness level, schedule, and goals.