Please help me welcome Wozniacki who is guest posting here on the blog today. This article will give you some fun new ideas for ramping up your cardio and we could all use some new ideas.
Five Ways To Spice Up Your Cardio Training
There’s no question about it, one of the most boring forms of exercise for most people is the dreaded cardio training. While cardio is definitely not necessary for fat loss if you have a good diet in place, it’s important to know about heart health and all the benefits regular cardio can provide. If you aren’t looking after your overall health and well-being, this could come back to get you in the long run so along with achieving your body weight goals, it’s something else that you must take into consideration. Fortunately, if you’re willing to get a bit creative there are many ways that you can spice up your cardio training so you can take your results to the next level. Let’s take a look at what you should consider so you can stay away from those boring cardio routines.
Add Intervals Of Varying Lengths
If you currently aren’t on the interval bandwagon, now is definitely the time to do so. This variety of cardio passes by quickly and will take your fitness to a whole new level. All you have to do is alternate between higher intensity exercise with lower intensity ‘active rest’ periods, forming an effective workout that takes just twenty minutes to complete. Since you are working at such a high intensity during the intervals, you’ll see significant benefits to your fitness as well as your metabolism at the same time. Aim for intervals of varying lengths, anywhere from twenty seconds to one full minute to really spice it up and prevent boredom.
Create A Mini-Triathlon
Another great way to boost your interest in your cardio sessions is to do a mini-triathlon. Choose three varieties of cardio training – swimming, jogging, cycling, using the elliptical, or rowing and then aim to perform 10 minutes on each. At the end of the workout, you’ll have finished 30 full minutes of training but it’ll have gone by much faster than your regular 30 minute session would have. Plus, since you’re getting more variety with the cardio training in there, you can be sure that you’re working every muscle group in the body.
Add An Incline Session
Moving on, another great way to up the intensity of your cardio training if you’re someone who enjoys walking on a regular basis is adding an incline session while hopping on the treadmill. This will really up your overall calorie burn while also stimulating the glutes, hamstrings, and quads to a much larger extent, so will really help to take your overall progress up a notch. Incline walking is almost as good for burning calories as running is, so for those who want intensity, it’s a great way to go.
Add Skipping To The Mix
Skipping is another way to mix up your cardio session while having fun at the same time. While it will take some skill to get good at it, over time this is simply one of the best calorie burning varieties of cardio to perform.
Best of all is that it incorporates both the lower and upper body at once, thus providing a full body workout. If you can work your way up to skipping for ten minutes straight, this is a fast and very effective way to whip your body into shape.
Try A Group Class
Finally, the last method to help spice up your cardio training is to try out one of the group class varieties that are out there. Group classes are great for providing plenty of variety and also the social benefits that most people crave during their workouts. Group classes come in many different varieties, ranging from boot camps to spinning to aerobics, so make sure to think carefully as to what will best meet your goals and preferences. If you haven’t tried a group class before, it’s definitely something worth considered to check out for.
So next time you find yourself bored with the same old workouts, make sure that you consider each of these activities. If you can think of little ways to add the intensity while having fun, the chances that you stick with that cardio training will definitely go way up, thus moving you closer to your ultimate goal.
This is a guest post from Wozniacki. Wozniacki is the co-author of an ebook titled Ripped Cut Buff, which offers tips & workout routines on how to get ripped.
Thank you Wozniacki for a fun guest post.
I like the idea of a mini triathlon (maybe the spin bike, rowing machine and treadmill at the gym). That would be fun! We already know I like group fitness classes so that is a great suggestion for spicing things up. How about everyone else?
Which of the 5 ways do you think might help you spice up your cardio?
*Photo credit photo credit: DJ-Dwayne
Great article! I’ll have to integrate these tips into my cardio routine. Thanks for the info!
These are great ideas. I love the mini-triathlon suggestion. It will really keep things interesting.
I am not sure about skipping. 😉 I have another suggestion. Jumping always gets my heart rate high. Plus it’s great for your legs. Yes, it’s high impact but that’s OK every once in a while.
Thanks! I wasn’t so sure about skipping either, might trip and fall ha ha. Jumping is good to get the HR up but not for me personally with bad knees.