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FITNESS | EXERCISE | WEIGHT LOSS
Cardiovascular exercise: Go further for longer
Do you want to burn fat, sweat out toxins, increase post-workout calorie expenditure (for up to as long as two days) as well as give a personal boost through elevated levels of endorphins being released into the body resulting in a natural high?
What is the secret to achieving all of the above? Cardiovascular exercise.
Add to this the fact that you will probably be carrying some spare muscle and have a greater aerobic capacity to draw on and you can see that it is all pluses.
Cardio workout
Typical cardio-based workouts include rock climbing, swimming, biking, kayaking, cross-country skiing, trail running - almost any form of outdoor sporting activity. Each of these applications target the same muscle groups that indoor activities within a gym scene can, but the added bonus is the practical outdoor application of the activity. Through exercising in this practical manner, you will gain additional benefits, including aerobic endurance. Ultimately this allows you to go further for longer.
Add to this the social experience of sharing a sporting activity - they can be done with a friend, or give opportunities to meet new people with similar or the same goals - and the gains can be many fold. In addition, by sharing common goals, on many occasions they become much easier to achieve.
Benefits of change
There are obviously different methods of applying changes or re-directing your approach to your exercise program. In many cases people wish to target a specific body area or muscle group, possibly to complement a sporting activity, or vice-versa. A typical example would be someone who wishes to gain strength in the legs. A complementary exercise program would be a dedicated cycling program. A typical upper body complementary workout program would be kayaking (or any form of rowing), rock climbing or a similar form of exercise that works the shoulders, back and arms.
Be wary of over-training. Typical examples of over training can easily apply to runners or climbers. The runner should not duplicate leg exercises in an indoor environment (such as doing long periods of leg presses). Typically for rock climbers, they should not concentrate on exercise activities that work the shoulders or upper body whilst training in the gym.
Mind and body
Working out in a gym environment on equipment such as fixed cycles is commonly referred to by some as mindless activities. You can sit and exercise without particularly thinking about anything specific. But by getting into outdoor activities you ultimately stimulate the both the mind as well as the body. A greater sense of satisfaction is therefore achieved due to both the mind and the body being involved in the activities you are participating in.
It may be a good idea to see what others are doing with similar goals. Some people prefer to concentrate on one particular sport, say, for endurance - others may prefer to cross-train with a variety of sports. If you have a specific goal to meet (may be a marathon to run) then utilizing a variety of sports activities may not be the most beneficial way of achieving the performance improvements you are looking for. Whereas if you are out to improve general overall fitness levels, a mixture of activities for variety and experience of many different sports may be a better way to go. In addition, variation can also help to avoid the boredom of repeating a single activity over and over again.
Being properly equipped
Try and plan your activities for some variety. Do not do the same thing over and over again if this can be avoided. If you decide to do a session of running that includes a lot of hill climbing one day, on the next run try to do a series of flat runs - mainly to add variety but also to prevent overdoing the same thing. Next, try to improve your timing over the same course. The change may seem not to be too much of a difference at first but it will give a point of concentration that can relieve boredom or prevent repetitive absenteeism from setting in.
It is important to make these intermediate goals realistic and achievable - as well as measurable. Do not set goals that are hard to define or measure. This will make your transition from one level to the next difficult to define and even harder to judge if you have actually achieved it. Also, avoid setting the target so high that you expose yourself to the risk of injury through trying too hard to make it to that next level in the time you have set yourself.
The interval experience
No matter what activities you choose for interval training, the same basic principles apply. Start by warming up for at least five minutes (up to fifteen minutes may be required depending on your level of fitness). Ensure that there is an increased level of blood flow to all the large muscle groups, particularly in the legs and core of the body.
If it is your first attempt at this type of training, start on day one with something fairly easy. Typical examples are walking carrying additional weights or jogging up a hill for short periods of time (start with around a minute or so if you find this challenging). The aim is to try and elevate your heart rate to a slightly higher level (10 to 20 beats per minute) than you would normally experience for a typical training session.
You should then return to the starting point, meaning that you continue to exercise at a lower level of exertion until your heart rate returns to a normal workout level - then repeat the same exercise once again. Try this for a series of five to six times. As you feel yourself getting stronger you can extend the period of elevated heart rate activity, possibly for up to as long as five minutes at a time.
It is important to ensure that you cool down as well as stretch out after your workout at these elevated levels. On your next workout session, instead of just repeating the same thing over again, add some mental challenge by putting some weight on your body (carry a backpack with weights in it for example) and do the same activities once again. The next time, try and complete the workout in less time.
SHARON CHRISTINE RILEY Bangkok Post
