23 Feb Women’s fitness week: Interval training

This is the second in a four-part series on women’s fitness tips. For today’s article, I have spoken with trainers and female athletes to come up with a list of interval training tips.

Who wouldn’t like to spend less time on something and get better results?
That could apply to women who add interval training to their workout routines.
Novices or experienced females alike should consider adding interval training. The basic premise is that you vary your pace instead of working out at the same steady clip, which takes more time and often isn’t very strenuous.
Instead, exercise near peak exertion level for a minute or two, then back down to a slow pace and repeat the process.
This can help you lose weight while gaining strength and endurance at the same time.

Here are four interval training examples to consider:
1. Treadmill – After stretching, start with a light five-minute jog.
Then run hard for 30-60 seconds at near peak speed, then follow with 60 seconds of light recovery at a very slow jog or brisk walk.
Repeat the process 5-6 times
Close with a five minute cool down jog. You can increase the full-go running time or amount of interval rounds after several weeks if desired.

2. Speed Walking – Try the same concept as No. 1, only change the pace of your walking to fit the above time schedule.

3. Aerobic squats – Do squats without weights for 25 seconds at a brisk pace, while also making sure to keep proper squat form.
At 25 seconds, hold the bottom position steady for 10 seconds.
Repeat these intervals for 5-6 go-rounds. Once you can handle that, think about, increasing the time and rounds.

4. Lunges – Try the above squat interval pattern for lunges and feel a great burn as well.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com