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Smart Workout: Interval Training
Reviewed By:
Andrew Seibert,
SOURCES: Dori Ricci, Personal Training Manager, Athletic Club Northeast; American Council on Exercise web site: "Interval Training." WebMD Feature: "Interval Exercise Boosts Fitness." Pritikin Longevity Center web site: "Cardiac Rehabilitation and High-Intensity Interval Exercise."
© 2006 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.
Dori Ricci, Personal Training Manager:
I think generally the biggest mistake that people make is that when they initially start an exercise program they usually either do too little or too much.
Narrator:
Too much and you're stiff and sore and can't do more. Too little and you don't get results.
The answer could be Interval training: short, quick bursts of high intensity energy activities - like sprints, jumping, or running up stairs - with slower, less intense exercises.
It's a great workout for nearly all ages and levels of fitness.
Dori Ricci, Personal Training Manager:
When you do interval training you're pushing yourself to your maximum and then bringing yourself to a baseline.
Brunilda Nazario, MD WebMD Senior Medical Editor:
What that's doing is really challenging the body so that your aerobic capacity becomes higher.
So what you're trying to do is really trying to get the most bang for your buck per heart rate.
Narrator:
Research suggests the more frequent recovery periods that interval training allows are better for enhancing heart function. Not to mention.
Dori Ricci, Personal Training Manager:
It's more fun. You're doing a lot of different things; you're not doing the same thing for the entire hour.
Narrator:
Another benefit: there's less risk of injury when you're not working the same groups of muscles over and over.
And the mix of short, intense exercises with longer aerobic activities can burn more calories than traditional routines.
Dori Ricci, Personal Training Manager:
If you do the same type of exercise all the time then your body gets used to that and it doesn't change as much,
but when you do interval training it's really hard for your body to get used to that, especially if the instructor changes the exercises all the time.
Narrator:
If you're thinking about using interval training, be sure to give yourself adequate rest between sessions. And, as always, check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.
For WebMD, I'm Damon Meharg.
