Total Time (30-45 minutes)
Cardiovascular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your body and overall fitness. It helps with building muscle, losing fat, strengthening your heart and lungs, and flushed your lymphatic system. There is no absolute “right” way to do cardio. However, it’s helpful to use a mix up types of cardio during the week—aerobic and anaerobic.
Aerobic conditioning takes place when your body is working with oxygen. This type of training makes up the bulk of your cardiovascular work. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30 minutes of aerobic conditioning on most days, meaning 5 or more days per week. Aerobic conditioning improves your body’s ability to transport oxygen and to clear carbon dioxide, and it improves endurance.
Anaerobic conditioning takes place when your body is working without oxygen, because of the intensity of your exertion. Anaerobic conditioning builds muscular power, strength and speed. Anaerobic conditioning is an important, part of your routine. You might include anaerobic conditioning to your workouts 1-2 times per week, for general conditioning, and to up to 2-3 times per week, for high performance athletes.
This anaerobic interval workout will give you a lot of bang for your time. To begin, find a hill, a set of steps or bleachers for this simple, yet effective heart-pumping, calorie burning workout. If you don’t have hills, you can use the local track or pedestrian path.
You’ll be using the Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale (RPE). If you are not familiar with it click here.
Warm up with a walk followed by joint rotations (5-10 min.), then go for the HIIT!
Cardio/RPE 6-7 (30-60 sec.)
• Recover – (30-60 sec.)
Cardio/RPE 7-8 (30-60 sec.)
• Recover – (30-60 sec.)
Cardio/RPE 8 (30-60 sec.)
• Recover – (30-60 sec.)
Cardio/RPE 8-9 (30-60 sec.)
• Recover – (30-60 sec.)
Cardio/RPE 8-9 (30-60 sec.)
• Recover – (30-60 sec.)
Cardio/RPE 8-9 (30-60 sec.)
• Recover – (30-60 sec.)
Cardio/RPE 8-9 (30-60 sec.)
• Recover – (30-60 sec.)
Cardio/RPE 7-8 (30-60 sec.)
• Recover – (30-60 sec.)
Cardio/RPE 6-7 (30-60 sec.)
• Recover – (30-60 sec.)
Cool down (5-10 min.)
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