Use Intervals and a heart rate monitor to get more out of your workout

This month’s Good Housekeeping Magazine features an article titled “Lose 3X the Fat in Half the Time!” The article reviews a study from the University of New South Wales in Australia that compared lean and overweight women who cycled three times per week for 15 weeks. The article says, “Those who switched between sprinting on the bike for eight second and light pedaling for 12 seconds over a 20 minute workout lost three times as much fat as the women who exercised at a moderate pace for 40 minutes.” The key to these results is the change in the demand on your heart. Your heart adjusts to a steady pace and if you’re going at the same pace for months, eventually your heart is going to adapt and your heart rate will be lower doing the same amount of work. The heart is a muscle, and intervals make the heart stronger, so it can pump more blood per heartbeat. Mix it up – it makes a workout more interesting and has more benefit in a shorter amount of time. What more could you ask for!!! A heart rate monitor is a valuable tool to coach you through interval exercise. Observe your heart rate monitor and learn how your heart rate changes as your intensity changes. More on interval training