Integrate interval training into your workout. Interval training is a regimen that uses both low-intensity and high-intensity movements. The key is to vary intensity levels throughout the workout -- performing intense spurts mixed with periods of rest. Interval training improves cardiovascular health, boosts metabolism, increases stamina and more. It also helps you stick with your exercise program by alleviating boredom -- trudging along on the treadmill at the same pace can get pretty humdrum. High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, burns more calories and fat than just plodding along, which results in a faster metabolism. The only thing to watch out for when incorporating HIIT into your workout is overdoing it.
When done correctly, HIIT is extremely taxing, and repeating a HIIT workout day after day doesn't allow muscles to recover. Do a HIIT workout on alternating days, being sure to take at least one day off out of the week. The other days can be reserved for strength training and moderate-intensity cardio. To start, you might try a five-minute warmup, followed by 15-20 seconds of sprinting and 45 seconds of brisk walking. Repeat this cycle 20 times and follow it with a five-minute cooldown. As you increase your endurance, you can increase intervals to one minute of sprinting and three minutes of brisk walking.
