Fitness: Pressed for Time? Interval Training is Your Answer

     Many of us make the excuse that we don't workout because we simply do not have enough time.  Well, if that's your reasoning, intervals are your answer.  In just twenty short minutes, you can get a great and effective workout equivalent to that of a 45-minute sweat session.  The idea of interval training is to shock your body and vary your heart rate --keep your body and heart rate guessing, so to speak, rather than keeping it steady for a longer period of time.  Intervals consist of short bursts of all-out, maximum effort and physical exertion, with resting periods in between.  Ideally, one should work almost to the point of exhaustion or 'failure' for a short duration of time, followed by a brief resting period at a comfortable pace.  Wait until your heart rate returns to almost normal, and then begin another interval.  One interval entails one exertion period and one resting period.  For example, do a five-minute warm-up, followed by ten minutes of interval cycles, and wrap up with a five-minute cool-down.  In this short time, you will find that you exert as much effort, if not more, than you do during forty minutes of cardio at a steady pace.  You will probably find that you sweat more and are more fatigued, as well.  There are many different methods and combinations of possible interval workouts -- they can be conducted on a treadmill, the Elliptical, the StairMaster, outside on a track or even on a trail; your options are endless.  Interval training torches more calories and burns more fat in just a short period of time, because of your varying heart rate.  Think about it like this: When you cruise in your car at a steady, moderate,  and maintained speed, you use much less gas (or in this case, calories) than when you quickly step on the gas and accelerate at rapid bursts of speed.  Here is a quick example of one of my go-to treadmill interval workouts:

• Begin with a five-minute warm-up on the treadmill (i.e. walking at a moderate  pace)
• Sprint at an all-out effort for 15-45 seconds (depending on your personal level of fitness -- for me, this is at about a speed '9' on a typical treadmill, but this varies significantly from person to person)
• Follow with two minutes of slow jogging, or fast walking -- this is the 'resting' period -- until your heart rate returns to almost normal.
• Begin another interval -- repeat steps 2 & 3 anywhere from 4-8 times, varying exertion times and speeds according to your ability.
• End with a five-minute cool-down (i.e. walking at a moderate pace)

     Again, there are an endless number of interval workouts you can do.  This one is only about twenty minutes, but it is a great and effective workout if you are pressed for time.  Of course, interval workouts needn't be only twenty minutes -- feel free to make them longer or shorter according to your needs and goals.