JGP Strength & Fitness Training

 
   You don't have to be a professional athlete to reap the benefits of interval training, where you alternate between bursts of intensive effort and slower recovery periods. In fact, by doing interval walking for a mere 20 minutes every other day, you can boost your metabolism into high gear so that you burn more calories and fat in less time than if you were working out at a steady pace.
And there's a bonus: With interval training, the higher the intensity of the exercise, the longer the afterburn; that is, you will continue to burn more fat and calories even while at rest! Below are eight tips to help you get the most out of your interval training session:
1. Wear shoes that will give you proper support: walking shoes, cross-training shoes, or running shoes. And choose synthetic athletic socks over cotton ones because they wick away moisture and keep your feet dry and blister-free.
2. Begin each session with a short walk at a slow or moderate pace. This allows your muscles to warm up before you start doing your intervals.
3. Be mindful of maintaining good posture while you're walking. Hold your abdominal muscles in tight. Keep your chest lifted and your chin parallel to the ground (leading with your chin while walking can result in neck and back pain).
4. With each step, strike the ground from heel to toe and feel your buttocks (glutes) contract. This will help strengthen your buttocks and the backs of your legs as you walk.
5. Wear a watch or carry a stopwatch to keep track of time so that you can complete the designated number of intervals per session in about 20 minutes.
6. Remember that doing a little is better than nothing. Do what you can at first, and then gradually increase your periods of intensity and total distance.
7. Once you've mastered interval training and enjoyed the results, you may be tempted to push yourself to do even more. Don't do so, as your body needs to rest and recover on alternate days of the week.
8. On the days that you're not doing higher intensity interval training, be sure to do a 15- to 20-minute recreational walk when you have the time.

Question: Why is it important to warm up and stretch?

Expert Answer:
A low impact exercise, such as biking, walking, an elliptical machine, a rowing machine, etc. is the best way to warm up. There are many reasons why you should warm up and stretch before working out - the main one is injury prevention. A warm up and stretch help increase the elasticity of your muscles and connective tissues prior to putting them under stress. Increased elasticity simply means muscle and tissues are more relaxed and flexible. Running is just one example of an exercise that puts an enormous amount of stress on your body.

Working out without a warm up and raising your heart rate rapidly can cause problems also. A proper warm up improves heart function and prepares it for the stress of exercise. The heart receives greater blood flow and oxygen with a gradual warm up.

Your muscles will actually perform better with a proper warm up and stretch as well - there is a tendency for lactic acid to build up in your muscles quicker without a warm up. Lactic acid is what you feel when you are doing an intense exercise and you feel a "burn." Warming up and stretching dissipates this lactic acid. So you can actually get more out of your workout with a proper warm up and stretch.