• Originally published February 6, 2012 at 3:57 a.m., updated February 6, 2012 at 3:57 a.m.

MELISSA BAGNALL, FITNESS FOR LIFE :: The question I am asked most frequently is how to get rid of that spare tire around the middle. Most people know they need to do cardio to reduce body fat. So they go to the gym and try to do a little more cardio each day, but there is a limit to how much time any of us can devote to doing endless cardio. The answer is to make your workout more efficient, not longer and longer. I have one word for you; intervals. You will burn more calories in less time and move closer to your goals to lose weight and keep it off. Let's look at an example of an interval workout that you can do as you walk through the neighborhood.

First we have to discuss the Rate of Perceived Exertion. This is a subjective scale from 1 to 10 that describes how you feel as you workout. At the bottom of the scale, or a 1 you are at complete rest. A 3 is a leisurely rate of movement. At a level 5 you are moving steadily at a pace you can maintain and carry on a conversation with a friend. When you move to a level 7 you are starting to breathe hard. At a level 8 or 9 you can no longer carry on a conversation and can only continue for a short time before you have to slow down.

Start with a warm-up of 5-10 minutes at a level 3, slowly moving to a level 5. For your first interval speed up to a level 7-9 for 30 seconds up to one minute. At this point, you can slow down to a 5 to recover for one to three minutes. Repeat this cycle for 3-5 intervals total and then move to a cool down.

This method can be used for a variety of cardio modalities. If you are on an elliptical, raise the ramp or increase the resistance for each interval. If you are on a treadmill or a bike, increase your speed for the intervals. If you are out walking in your neighborhood you can use landmarks to mark your intervals. I like to use telephone poles to mark my intervals. I speed up for the distance to the next pole and then slow down for three poles. Work up to being able to do a total workout of 30-40 minutes.

Incorporating intervals into your workout routine not only increases your calorie use during exercise but also raises your calorie burn for several hours after your workout is done. This is the reason intervals are so effective at burning fat.

This is typically the time of year when I see so many people falling away from their new healthy habits. Training with intervals will give you results that you have not achieved doing just steady state cardio, and results are the best way I know to keep you coming back to the gym.

Melissa Bagnall is a certified personal trainer with a Bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University in physical education and the owner of Fitness Solutions. You can email her at: fitnesolutions@gmail.com

• Print
• •
• Share
  • Share this item

    Send this to a friend

    Share on FaceBook

  • Grab the link

    Copy and paste the link:

  • Blog about it

    Blog about this page.

  • Close
• •
• 1 Comment
• •
• Favorite
• •
• Report error
  • Thank you for your submission.
    Error report or correction

    Contact name (optional) Contact phone/e-mail (optional)  

    
  • Close
• •