Most people when they run are running at one steady pace for a period of time without taking breaks or changing their speed. This is called steady state cardio running.
Steady state cardio running is beneficial to your health, but it may come to a point where you need more of a challenge in your workout to become even healthier. Your workout at some point will not be challenging enough and you could become bored without increasing your level of effort and this may cause you to quit.
At this point, this is where you should incorporate interval training into your workout. Interval training introduces you to a new level of difficulty and greater rewards.
Interval Training Defined
Interval training involves a higher intense workout for a period of time with intervals of rest to recuperate. Before starting the next interval, you need to regain your breath and composure.
Interval training is beneficial because it tests your lactate threshold. This means you are going fast enough where your body cannot keep up with the recycling lacate. It is also known as your anaerobic threshold which pushes your body faster than the aerobic system can keep up with.
You benefit with interval training by training your body to be able to improve your ability to produce fast energy in a more efficient manner. You will also lose weight with interval training by burning a lot more of your blood sugar. After you have burned all of your sugar, your body will start burning more fat to maintain the workout with the same fuel level. You will burn more calories as the day progresses following intervals.
How Do You Start Interval Training?
You should start slowly this intensive training method on a weekly basis starting for about 20 minutes a day and increase your workouts and frequency as you progress.
In the beginning, sprint for 30 seconds and rest for 2 minutes until your 20 minutes are up. Your heart rate will increase as your explosive power and energy levels are tested.
As you progress and become more confident, increase these sessions to a few more times each week. It is popular and recommended to use these sessions as a finisher after other workouts.
