15 Minutes of Fitness – Cardio Workout #1

Everything we do in a day is a collection of tasks that only take a few minutes to do. For example, there are a lot of things you can get done in just 15 minutes, including:

• Listening (or singing) to three or four of your favorite songs
• Grilling a 1.5″ thick steak on the barbeque
• Gift wrapping five large “oddly-shaped” presents
• Cover three miles distance on your bicycle

When it comes to your health, you can also get in a good workout in just 15 minutes. Consider this … it takes:

• Up to 6 seconds to complete one slow repetition of a strength movement, counting “1-2-3 up, 1-2-3 down” (150 repetitions in 15 minutes).
• One second to complete to jogging strides (1800 strides in 15 minutes).
• 20 seconds to complete one stretch (45 stretches in 15 minutes).
• One second to complete 3 jumps when skipping at a moderate pace (2,700 jumps in 15 minutes).

You don’t need to set aside a block of 45 to 60 minutes in your day to get an effective workout. That’s not always realistic (or enjoyable). Breaking up your total exercise for the day into “15 minutes of fitness” makes exercise doable and ensures you give your body what it needs each day to be healthy and fit for life!

“15 Minutes of Fitness” is an exercise series being developed by TodaysFitnessTrainer.com (in conjunction with WorkoutBOX.com) to provide quick and effective workouts that you can do at home or at the gym (if it requires free weights or commercial equipment) in an effort to help you get the recommended exercise recommendations for good health and fitness (according to the American College of Sports Medicine).

The series focuses on four different types of workouts:

1. Cardio (i.e., cardiovascular exercise)
2. Resistance (i.e., strength training)
3. Functional (i.e., neuromotor exercise)
4. Flexibility (i.e., stretching)

Today’s feature workout is “Cardio Workout #1″.

15 Minutes of Fitness – Cardio Workout #1

Today’s cardiovascular exercise program is designed to challenge the heart, lungs and major muscle groups to burn calories with high intensity exercises. This workout includes the following exercises:

Steady Pace (5 minutes)

• Choose a cardiovascular exercise (i.e., running, cycling, rowing, swimming, etc.), and have all equipment necessary to start
• Identify your maximum heart rate (220 beats per minute minus your age in years)
• Calculate a target heart rate rage of 50 to 75 percent of your maximum heart rate (multiply maximum heart rate by 0.5 and 0.75 to determine your range)
• Maintain this intensity for five minutes

* To read a more detailed exercise description and videos, click here.

Interval – 75% Maximum Heart Rate (5 minutes)

• Calculate a target heart rate of 75 percent of your maximum heart rate (multiply maximum heart rate by 0.75)
• Work Interval:  15 seconds
• Rest Interval:  60 seconds
• Repetitions:  4 times through
• Keep in mind it will take a few seconds to get your speed up to your maximum so start the 15 second interval when you are at top speed

* To read a more detailed exercise description and videos, click here.

Interval – 90% Maximum Heart Rate (5 minutes)

• Calculate a target heart rate of 90 percent of your maximum heart rate (multiply maximum heart rate by 0.9)
• Work Interval:  15 seconds
• Rest Interval:  60 seconds
• Repetitions:  4 times through
• Keep in mind it will take a few seconds to get your speed up to your maximum so start the 15 second interval when you are at top speed

* To read a more detailed exercise description and videos, click here.

Optional: Five Stretch Series (5 minutes)

Even though the amount of time is much shorter than a traditional workout, a proper warm-up and cool down are important for safety and effectiveness. This 5 minute warm-up is recommended at the beginning of this program if you only intend to do this program alone. If you are combining 15 minute workouts (back-to-back) you can use this series as either the warm-up or cool-down.

Equipment Required:  None (although you may want to complete the stretches on a yoga mat if you have hardwood floors)

• Stretches:  Chest stretch, back stretch, glute stretch, hamstrings stretch, and quadriceps stretch
• Repetitions:  2 stretches (on each side – where applicable), 30 seconds each
• Sets: One set only

* To read a more detailed exercise description and videos, click here.

Stay tuned for another “15 Minutes of Fitness” workout next week on TodaysFitnessTrainer.com!

Written by TodaysFitnessTrainer (trainer@todaysfitnesstrainer.com).