Cardio Tip #5 Add Intervals

As I stated in my previous post, without changing much in my eating I lost 5 lbs. I believe it can be attributed to my changing my cardio workouts to include more intensity. That intensity came from adding intervals to my workout. With intervals you work very hard for a short period of time - that means you are uncomfortable - then you slow down for a period of time to recover. By adding intervals I increased my calorie-burning capacity as well as my endurance. There are any number of ways to do intervals but most fall under the following categories--either they have consistent or "measured" intervals or they have inconsistent or "varied" intervals. I tend to like measured intervals but I change those as I improve. For instance, I currently do a interval session on the stairmaster where I do a 5 minute warm-up (levels 5-9), then I do a 2 minute interval at level 10 followed by a 1 minute recovery at level 6 and I do this 3 times. As I improve, I add another interval until I have 5 total rounds, then I go back down to 3 rounds at the next level. Although I like structure, if I start to do my intervals and they are too taxing, I will increase the recovery time so I can continue to push hard. I know for me adding this element to my workouts has contributed to better cardiovascular fitness as well as "leaned" me out. Make sure to listen to your body when adding intervals, keep them short and allow for adequate recovery.