Interval Change for Health
By Nicole Irlbeck, Restoration Fitness, LLC
Spring is quickly approaching, and with it, I am reminded of the cyclical nature of our changing seasons and schedules. Just as there is an ebb and flow to the weather and sunlight, so are there intervals of time in which we thrive on productivity and others in which we do best to hibernate. It is a well-known fact that it is in the periods of rest between our workouts that our bodies do the most work to metabolize our fat, re-build and strengthen our muscle tissue, and repair our cells.
Exercise is often more about the quality of the workout, not the quantity. When you are able to push yourself a little harder at regular intervals both within a workout and on specific days, then you can back off on your time commitment and still see wonderful results.
- Begin by taking a realistic look at your calendar and scheduling in at least 4 days to exercise. Shoot for one hour of activity on each day
- Think back to the type of activity you enjoy most. Is it with a partner? Are you in a group? Are you dancing, jogging, stretching, biking, climbing? Commit at least one of your exercise sessions to this activity per week. You may have to join a class or find a DVD, but make this a priority. Love what you do and you will inevitably do it on a consistent basis. Eliminate the word “should” as it concerns this day. Do what makes your body feel alive
- Keep intensity up. If you are going to condense your workout days, you have to get the most out of them as possible. This means you should spend at least half your workout breathing very hard. These intervals of 85-90% effort will leave you feeling like you can barely say more than three or four words out loud without having to catch your breath
- Ideally you will get some focus around cardiovascular, resistance, and flexibility training. You can mix all these components by doing circuit training. An example might be to repeat the following exercises in order for a total of 3 circuits:
- Jumping Jacks: 30
- Standing lunge: 15ea leg
- Push-ups: 15
- Down dog yoga stretch
- On the days you are not scheduled to do a higher intensity workout, give your body a break. Take a stroll in the park. Take a bath. Read a book for leisure. Call a friend. Take a yoga class. Do something to lift your spirits and reward yourself for a job well done.
Likewise, our mental and immune systems receive most of their repair and rejuvenation during REM sleep. Sleep loss impairs memory, vigilance, mental processing of complex information, and decision making skills. It also impairs our body’s natural healing and blood sugar regulation processes. Sleep helps you to think, move, create, process and retain information, lose weight, and live longer. Now, where is that pillow….
Remember, to produce healthy change in your life, you must follow these two rules;
- “Whatever task that you undertake, do it with all your heart and soul”- Bernard M. Baruch
- “Rest is the sweet sauce of labor”- Plutarch
