I live in the boondocks and while the winter wonderland makes for beautiful scenery, it’s not so great for running outside. So, the treadmill it is. I know a lot of people think treadmills are boring, and they’re right. But that’s why we have “House of Cards” on Netflix. Claire Underwood is awfully inspiring fitness-wise, if not morality-wise!
Sometimes I hop on the treadmill and run for a few miles, but sometimes I do interval training. I think intervals have become pretty mainstream, but just in case you aren’t familiar with the term, it’s basically an exercise strategy that alternates periods of short, intense anaerobic exercise with less-intense recovery periods. A lot of people love intervals because all that speeding up and slowing down and speeding up again really works your heart, plus the workout revs up your metabolism and doesn’t take long to do.
In fact, if your interval workout lasts longer than 20 minutes you’re probably not doing it right! You should feel like you’re going to die after about 15 minutes.
So here’s my favorite treadmill interval workout. You can modify the speeds to match your fitness level and play around with the timing—for example, you might want to run hard for 30 seconds and recover for 60 seconds.
My Favorite 20-Minute Treadmill Interval Workout
1 minute – start walking at 3.8 mph and 1.5 elevation
1 minute – jog at 5.0 mph
30 seconds – 6.0 mph
30 seconds – 5.0 mph
30 seconds – 7.0 mph
30 seconds – 5.0 mph
30 seconds – 8.0 mph
30 seconds – 5.0 mph
Repeat 4 times (for a total of 5 circuits)
Cool down for a few minutes at 3.5. And that’s it!
Are you a fan of interval training? Do you have a favorite version?
P.S. I just read that Robin Wright, who plays Claire Underwood and is two years older than I am, stays in shape by running, lifting weights, and doing yoga. So there you go!
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