Cardiovascular exercise, exercise that increases your heart rate and causes you to break a sweat, is a necessary component for successful weight loss. In addition, exercise can improve your mood, help prevent chronic diseases and boost your energy level by allowing your heart and lungs work more efficiently, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Interval Training
Interval training is an effective cardiovascular workout because it allows you to exercise at a higher intensity. This training alternates periods of high-intensity exercise with rest or recovery periods. The duration of each period depends on your fitness level and workout goal.
For example, run or jog at a pace that is difficult but achievable for one to five minutes followed by a recovery walk for the same amount of time. As your fitness level improves, increase your running time and decrease your recovery periods.
Circuit Training
Circuit training involves combining multiple exercise stations, generally four to 10 exercises, with a brief rest period in between stations. One set is performed at each exercise. The benefits of circuit training are that cardiovascular and strength training exercises can be easily combined into one workout and the short rest periods keep your heart rate up throughout, maximizing your calories burned.
For added intensity, add more stations, decrease your rest time or go through your circuit twice. One key to circuit training success is avoiding excessive workloads at each station, according to the American Council on Exercise.
Continuous Training
Continuous training entails maintaining an exercise intensity, usually between 50 percent and 85 percent of your maximum capacity, for a period of time. This type of training is generally sustained for 20 to 60 minutes. Body-fat reduction, cardiorespiratory fitness improvement and cardiovascular risk factor management are all responsive to continuous training, according to ACE.
As you feel your fitness level improving or your current exercise intensity getting easier, be sure to increase your intensity to avoid hitting a plateau.
Cross Training
Cross training combines several different exercises into one workout. Cross training provides variety to stave off boredom and the different exercises keep the intensity up by not allowing your muscles to adapt to one exercise.
For example, if your goal is a 30-minute workout, go for a 10-minute jog, followed by 10 minutes on a bike and 10 minutes on an elliptical machine.
Considerations
Before you begin or drastically change your current exercise routine, talk to your doctor or a health fitness professional. Even though higher-intensity workouts burn more calories, it is still just as important to give your body time to rest and recover. You should incorporate different types of training throughout the week to help prevent boredom and over-training injuries.
Increase your exercise duration and intensities gradually to avoid injuries or over-training. Include strength training, core strength, balance and flexibility training into your exercise and weight-loss plan for a comprehensive exercise program.
References
- American Council on Exercise Personal Trainer Manual; Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D. and Daniel J. Green, Editors; 2003
- Mayo Clinic: Fitness
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