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Quickie Cardio

When you think of cardiovascular exercise do you think of endless hours on the elliptical in a smelly gym next to other sweaty people? No wonder you are not motivated to get it done, nobody enjoys running that endless “dread mill” to nowhere.

Variety is the spice of life and your workouts should reflect that. One of the most harmful myths floating around the fitness community is that there is only one right way to do it. There are as many effective programming options as there are plates on the weight floor, you just have to find which one has the right feel for you.

Steady state cardio is certainly the staple but there are many other ways to get your heart rate up and burn some calories. Most professionals recommend 45-60 minutes of cardiovascular training daily depending on what your fitness goals are. The numbers of calories you burn during cardio sessions are strictly based on your intensity level and duration. Although, longer more intense periods of exercise are better for what we like to call metabolic after burn, three 10-minute heart rate elevating sessions can get us through those busy days. 

Here are a few quick examples;

Medicine Ball Monday (get your stop watch)

Squat jump

Crunch

Stiff leg Deadlift

Push up

Lunges

Time Intervals-40 sec Active exercise, 20 sec to change

4 rounds (approx. 20 minutes)

 Anytime/ Anywhere (Just need a patch of grass)

Push-ups             10

Spider Walk        15 meters

Body weight Squat          10

Burpees               10

Side plank           30 seconds each

8 rounds in 10 minutes

Remember…..to take time for yourself; change comes by the ounce not by the pound.

The Health and Fitness Academy staff is always available to you, do not hesitate to throw any questions you might have our way.

ghouston@mvhospital.net