If you want the heart-healthy benefits of cardio exercise but not interested in spending an hour doing cardio, here are some great tips shared by the Cooper Fitness Center where I teach group classes in Dallas when I visit. . The advantages of cardio-focused HIIT help mix up your workouts and meet your aerobic and strength goals. I presently teach 1-2 HIIT workouts per week and find that boosts my cardio performance for endurance work as well. At age 64, I find a need at least 2-3 days recovery to feel my best.
What are the benefits? HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is a specific training technique alternating short bursts of intense physical activity with intervals of lower-intensity exercise or short rest periods. Cardio-focused HIIT is performing cardio exercises followed by short rest periods in between. You can easily perform these workouts at home, in the gym, outside or even in a hotel room while traveling! Cardio-focused HIIT:
Increases endurance metabolism
Lowers blood pressure
Improves cardiovascular health, insulin sensitivity and cholesterol levels
Aids in weight loss while maintaining muscle mass
HIIT workouts can be modified or made more challenging by increasing the intensity of the work segment or altering the duration of the rest periods. Tracking your progress by tracking your heart rate While performing cardio-focused HIIT workouts it is important to track your heart rate. It can be easy to feel like you are exerting more effort than you actually are. But the numbers don’t lie. To determine your target heart rate ranges for your cardio and rest periods, first you must know your heart rate maximum. We want to make sure your heart rate reaches a certain range for maximum benefit. To determine your maximum heart rate, adjusted for resting heart rate, follow this formula: (220 – age – resting heart rate) x percent of maximum heart rate + resting heart rate For example, say someone is 24 years old, has a resting heart rate of 65 bpm and wants to work out between 80 and 95 percent of maximum heart rate. (220 – 24 – 65) x (.80) + 65 = 170 (220 – 24 – 65) x (.95) + 65 = 190 According to the formula, this individual should maintain a target heart rate between approximately 170 and 190 bpm to reach 80-95% of maximum heart rate while exercising. In cardio HIIT, aim for an intensity that allows you to reach about 80-95% of your heart rate maximum during your work periods then choose a rest period time that only allows your heart rate to drop to about 60-65% of your maximum. Designing your own cardio-focused HIIT workout Putting together your own HIIT workout can seem a bit overwhelming so if you’re unsure on where to start, follow these simple guidelines:
Always start with a two to three minute warm-up.
Select your total workout time based on how many minutes you can commit to for the complete workout. The optimal time to perform these workouts is 25-30 minutes.
Choose the intensity of your work segments. These work segments should last long enough for you to reach and maintain 80-95% of your heart rate maximum.
Choose your favorite cardio exercises to perform during your work segments. These can be equipment-free, such as jump squats or mountain climbers, or include cardio equipment, such as a rowing machine or jump rope. Other non impact optoins include stepping on a step, modified jumping jacks and boxing.
Determine your rest period time. Begin with 30-45 second rest periods and work your way down to 10-12 second rest increments.
Remember, HIIT workouts are more exhaustive than regular endurance workouts so proper recovery time is crucial to reap the full benefits. Again , at age 62, I need at least 2 -3days recovery time where as in my 30's I could needed less. I do yoga, easy walks or pilates during my recovery days. Cooper Fitness suggests starting out with HIIT workouts one to two times per week coupled with your other workouts throughout the week consisting of steady state cardio and strength training exercises.
CLASSES - I will be doing these when I am in the Amarillo area offering a variety of classes such as TREAD & Shred( non impact cardio on treadmills, bikes, elipticals of your choice.. using lights weights. These are held at Amarillo College Another favorite is RESTORE STRETCH - A deep long luxurious stretch for hips, backs, shoulders modified for those who are want 'yoga' without the worry of knowing the poses.. This class ends with a restorative relaxing 3 minutes of breathing to de stress..
Functional Fitness- Using TRX, boxing bags and more! If you would like to be notiified of these, text me at 806-341-8679 or go here ..https://www.live-well-fit.com/classes
Comments