I want to ask yourself a couple of questions.
Do you beat yourself when you can’t commit to a cardiovascular program?
Or…do you feel like pain in your (insert body part here) doesn’t allow you to run/bike/eliptical for any length of time because your body just can’t handle it?
One of the limiting factors of people sticking to an effective exercise program and healthy lifestyle (and hence seeing results) is the time commitment.
What many don’t realize is that you can make a dramatic difference by choosing quality of how you get your cardio over quantity.
We know that a body responds to the stresses placed on it.
This is how we build muscle, bone, and improve our cardiovascular system.
Recent research tells us that while low/moderate jogging, brisk walking, stair master/eliptical machine, etc for 30 -60 minutes 3-4 days/week are beneficial for cardiovascular health and improving metabolism, it is not nearly as efficient (and even as effective) as doing High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), otherwise known as Sprint Interval Training in just a fraction of the time.
In fact, to get the same effects, one study in a review of the literature showed that actual exercise time was 42x less for the HIIT group than the low/moderate exercise group.
Now, the next fear that people have is that when they attempt to run out and sprint and they’ll pull a hamstring or get injured.
This could be true, if you decided to run in a full on sprint if you’re completely de-conditioned.
HOWEVER, the beauty in HIIT is that these fast “sprint” bouts can be on a stationary bike or on something like my favorite piece of equipment which is called the Xiser.
The Xiser, at first glance, looks like one of those cheap mini-steppers that you might buy at your local discount store, but don’t be fooled.
It is actually a smooth, quiet, hardcore piece of equipment that is actually found in training rooms of several professional sports teams.
What the Xiser does is essentially give the user the convenience and equivalent of sprinting up stadium steps for a minute.
Without breaking a sweat, you maximize your workload, you breathe harder than you ever would after a brisk walk or jog, and you move in a way that doesn’t pound the joints and is consistent with the principles of alignment, balance, and control we emphasize in Pilates.
We can challenge an elite athlete on the Xiser in the same way we can challenge a beginner since the resistance is increased as the force and speed is increased.
Just like lifting weights where the body has been taken to its point of fatigue, it’s just as important to make sure there is a minimum of 1 day of rest in between.
So…4 minutes/day, 3 days a week without breaking a sweat and without pounding with better benefit sounds like a much easier pill to swallow than 35-45 minutes 3-4 days/week.
Which would you choose?
As a note, if you’re interested in ordering an Xiser, click on any of the Xiser links in this article for a small discount from my affiliate link.