Cardio ideas

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Cardio is SO important! When I hit a plateau, I started doing cardio every day for 20 minutes, and I saw drastic improvement!! Not only did I start noticing definition, my endurance level increased as well as my strength - I also lost 8 pounds in 14 days, only taking one day off from cardio!!

My favorite way to get my cardio in is with sprint interval training (sit), also called burst training. Just like any other exercise, it's the intensity and not the duration of the exercise. Sprint interval training boosts your metabolism, increases your endurance level and will increase your energy level. Another benefit to sprint interval training is you get a variety in your cardio workout, which makes it easier and much more fun to do since you can mix it up and create a different workout each time! With sprint interval training, you do 30 - 60 seconds of high intensity cardio followed by a lower intensity exercise or rest. Mix up your workout to suit your desired goals. Ideally you want to get at least 20 minutes of a good cardio workout, but if you are a beginner start with at least 10 minutes and work your way up to 20 minutes, do not exceed 30 minutes, at least 3 to 5 days a week for best results.

Here's a couple examples of sprint interval training/burst training workouts:

Workout with equipment
~ 2 minute warm up
~ 60 seconds on stationary bike or treadmill (use resistance or incline for maximum capacity)
~ 4 minutes recovery (do dumbbell exercises, stretch, pushups, lunges, etc.)
 Repeat interval 2 to 4 times, or set your timer for 20 to 30 minutes and repeat interval until timer goes off.

Workout anywhere
~ 2 minute warm up
~ 4 minute fast walk
~ 1 minute burst (sprint or run as fast as you can - if you can't run a full minute, walk as fast as you can; if you don't want to run each burst, jump rope)
Repeat interval 2 to 4 times, or set your timer for 20 to 30 minutes and repeat interval until timer goes off.

**Remeber to keep water handy during your workout! Keep moving is the key! Push yourself, just don't hurt yourself! Squeeze your glutes, and maintain good posture! Always do a cool down for at least 2 minutes once your workout is complete, and do some stretching. You can do this!!**