DOLCE DIET LIFESTYLE:
3 Alternatives to Traditional Cardio
by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD
Traditional cardio activities, such as, running, rowing, and the elliptical machine can become redundant, and let’s be honest, boring if that’s all you do for your cardio. So mix it up! Try out these alternatives, which will get in your high intensity cardio without you even realizing it! You’ll be breathing hard and super sweaty without that dreaded monotony of typical cardio workouts.
Tabatas
Tabatas are short, high intensity workouts that consist of 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work with 10 seconds of rest. Total time is 4 minutes. Simply pick any body weight movement, and when those 20 seconds are ticking, really turn up the intensity to get the most out of the workout. You’ll have that short rest to look forward to, and you won’t have to work forever to see results. Great movements for a Tabata include: push-ups, pull-ups, air squats (probably one of the best), sit-ups, jump rope/double unders, plank holds, etc. You can also choose 2 movements and alternate between the two every other round.
Shorten Your Rest Times Between Sets
“What do you do to work out?”
“I lift weights”
“But what about cardio?”
“I lift weights faster!”
Whether you are going light for lots of reps, or heavy for a few reps, keep your rest times short. You’ll feel a completely different burn when you get your body moving more consistently. Instead of 1-2 minutes of rests, try for 30 seconds (of course always keeping safety in mind first), but you’ll notice you’ll see results faster. At first, it’ll feel terrible, but you’ll learn to love the rush! You may have to adjust the reps you do per set, but giving your body a shorter recovery time between sets does wonders for your metabolic conditioning. You’ll also see a pump like you’ve never seen before!
Play a Pick-Up Game
Whether it’s basketball, touch football, sand volleyball or Frisbee, getting out there with a bunch of friends and running around will keep you moving, and laughing, the whole time. More than anything, you won’t even realize you’re working out as intensely as you are. Just have fun, goof around, and get fit!
