Interval Training

Today I read a blog entry in the New York Times "Well" blog about interval training. The post discussed a study that concluded that brief, high-intensity exercise has the same cardiovascular benefits as longer periods of moderate intensity exercise.

I went to the gym after work, and decided to test this out by giving intervals a try. I climbed on one of the exercise machines (I still need to learn what all the machines are called, I'll have to write more about that in a future post). I started slowly, during which time I found a good album to listen to on my ipod. After a number of minutes, I switched to a heavier resistance and I worked as hard as I possibly could. I kept that pace for about 30 seconds, and then went back to a moderate pace. I continued, switching between short periods of intense work and a more moderate pace. It was hard work, but it was much more fun to do than maintaining one steady pace my entire time exercising. The worst side effect was the amount of sweat I generated. I guess my body was tired, because my walk home was much slower than usual...

Today's activity log:

• 2o Minutes Cardio with High Intensity Intervals
• 10+ Minutes of Stretching