Fitness Friday: Changing it Up
Friday, November 25, 2011 at 8:08AM | Alicia Curtis 
Lately I've been changing up my running routine to stretch me a bit. I've really gotten used to running consistently for 30 minutes when I run, so I thought I needed to get the heart pumping a little harder. By the way, check out my cool new running shoes!!
For the last couple of weeks, I've been throwing in a couple of sessions of HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training or as the Sink, Float or Swim book calls it Energy System Development. So the sequence I've been following is to work out your three zones of training. Zone 1 is 65 - 75% of your maximum heart rate. Zone 2 is 75 - 85% and Zone 3 is 90 - 92%. Then as I'm fairly fit and needed a challenged, I followed the Stage Three training system of a 5 minute warm up (Zone 1), then 1 minute in Zone 2 followed up 30 minutes in Zone 3, then 2 minutes back in Zone 1. Then repeat 3 - 5 times.
I found it pretty hard to get my heart rate up to the Zone 3 level within the 30 seconds, so I ended up doing 1 minute of Zone 2, then 30 seconds of high Zone 2 to try and get my heart rate up to Zone 3 for another 30 seconds, then 2 minutes of Zone 1. So altogether it was four minute rounds.
I think it's definitely good to change things up. I must say, it definitely got the heart pumping a lot harder than my usual nice little run! I think in the end it will definitely help improve my running too.
What do you do to change things up in your fitness routine?
Reader Comments (2)
Hi Alicia,
This workout style is definitely effective. I always used to find it hard to hit it as it was tough to get up there! I am definitely a Pilates fan so aside from Cardio and Strength training this is a must for me as it tones and strenghens you to levels you just wouldn't have expected!
Also like your blog post is showing, if you don't mix it up your body just gets used to it and it can be harder to shift the weight/ build on your fitness hence why you need to keep the body guessing and shock it! At the moment instead of the standard cardio I'm used to I use P90X (http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/p90x.do). It has a cardio workout that you wouldn't expect to work (I didn't...) but because your body is constantly doing different movements it really aids your weight loss/ general fitness.
How are you going with your flexibility? You must update us soon :)
Hi Jenny, thanks for your comment. I agree a good balance between flexibility, strength training and cardio is a great goal - one that I'm striving for myself. Thanks for the link to the P90X, I have heard of it before and it's good to know that you find it useful. I always like a new challenge!
Flexibility is going well (yet slowly!). I feel I'm getting better, but you have to keep at it consistently. I will keep working at it and give you an update soon :)
Hope you are well and enjoying life!
Alicia xx