Fat is very important for normal body health; however, too much fat causes obesity. Losing weight is a slow process that needs a tremendous amount of patience and discipline. In this regard, interval training comes to play
General Overview Of Interval Training
Perhaps you may have tried going to the gym and it felt like your body just could not lift the heavyweights. There is still hope for you to live a healthy normal life by engaging in interval training exercises to lose weight.
Two ways through which you can lose weight with the benefits of interval training are: high intensity and low impact exercises.
High-intensity exercises include those exercises that will work out your heart rate at 75% while low impact exercises will keep your heart rate at 60%. High impact exercises may alternate between periods of high and low-intensity training. For example, this can be done by taking a quick sprint for about 5 minutes and then slowing down or walking. Low impact exercises are meant to elevate your heart rate with less contact to the ground. Examples include swimming, yoga, cycling, spinning and many more.
The main advantage of high-intensity exercises is that you do not need any equipment for yourself in order to exercise. Low impact exercises are usually meant to prepare you for high-intensity exercises. Below are some of the benefits you should receive from interval training.
Improved Cardiovascular Health
Both high and low-intensity exercises are good for your heart. These exercises increase your heart rate causing blood to flow and deliver nutrients to all parts of the body. Continuous high and low-intensity exercises will not only burn off excess fat, but also lower the blood cholesterol level and blood pressure.
Weight Loss
Interval training through extreme or low intense exercises enables you to lose weight. However, unlike low impact exercises where few fats are burned, lots of calories are burned during high-intensity training. This means that it will take you more time to lose weight through low impact training when compared to high-intensity training.
Reduced Body Strain
It can be a big challenge to exercise using weights especially if you have arthritis, osteoporosis, or any other bone or joint problem. However, if you are overweight and suffer from conditions that might make it a challenge to exercise by high intense training, you can still exercise and lose weight by doing less intense aerobics such as walking. Continue with this until when you feel your body is comfortable to choose more intense exercises.
Builds Lean Muscle And Increased Flexibility
Interval training exercises build up muscles and make you more flexible. Muscles will build up faster if you engage in more intense aerobics. Although it is hard to note changes in muscles in an individual practicing less intense exercises, they are still likely to gain benefits from improved strength and flexibility.
Point To Note
Depending on the approach that you take to lose weight, it is important to ensure that you do not suffer from any serious conditions that could be of a health concern. It is therefore advisable to consult a qualified physician before you engage in interval training. Low impact training is encouraged for beginners who can later choose high intense training when they feel their body is ready to take on a more challenging task.
Guidelines To Help You Make Wise Decisions
It can be very confusing to decide which are the best interval training exercises for yourself; however, your goals should serve as a guideline to help you make a wise decision. If you want to lose weight fast, it is advisable to exercise with more intensity. It is also important to note that low impact activity is only sufficient to elevate your heart rate to a certain level and that it will take a long time for you to note any drastic change.
Conclusion
Many weight-loss experts will tell you that going to the gym and exercising with intensity is a much quicker solution to weight loss. However, these exercises will not work if you have health conditions that may limit you from using heavyweights.
Unfortunately, if you are unable to exercise at the top intensity levels, you may have to eliminate most or all interval training exercises as workout alternatives. Although it might take you longer to note any changes, it is important to always be patient and keep your spirits high because interval training exercises have proven to yield very positive results.
