By: Sara Morgan, Ortho-Kinetics Specialist Trainer
Whether for weight loss, sanity, or health benefits, getting your cardio minutes in can be daunting, but I believe you are up for the challenge!
i often struggle with the cardio aspect of fitness. To me, the fun part is the weight lifting and machine aspect of working out, because I feel the instant gratification of the “pump” and the chance to see lift improvements. For that reason, sometimes it helps to get creative to get that extra sweat on.
Here are some ideas to give your sweat a boost during the day.
– As a warm up or cool down:
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if you walk to your workout, take the long way
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if you drive, can you manpower it to the gym?
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use the stairs up OR down…it gets easier when you do it more!
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old classic, park at the far end of the lot or down the street (Plan ahead! Be early!)
– Going to an event:
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if you have time, go ahead and walk instead of the ride
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if you are in a hurry, try out the share ebikes (they are fun!)
– During your pump session:
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do you sit and wait 2-5 minutes between strength sets?
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pick a movement, do it for an interval or two between sets
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for example, if you are working on bench press, do high knees or toe taps for a minute in between sets, catch your breath, then go back to the bench
– At the office:
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walk the long route or take the stairs to your next meeting
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every hour take a few minutes to get your heart rate up (hey, it’s said to make your time working much more productive!)
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instead of finishing lunch and sitting on your phone, finish your lunch break with a brisk walk (keep shoes at the office)
– At home:
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We can always revert back to doing something during commercial breaks: one of the ways I like to create a challenge is to pick a movement and keep doing it for the ENTIRE commercial
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When you’re cleaning, do 5 squats as you cross into the next room
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Only watch your favorite show while you’re on a cardio machine (guilty pleasures fuel your motivation)
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Sports break: when your opponent scores give yourself a challenge to do…like burpees = to the opponent points!
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Above all, when you find something that motivates you, keep doing it! If you are still trying to figure it out, what motivates you? Grab your friend. Hit the trails. Up the intensity! Challenge yourself and work to make the next level feel easy.
if you need more ideas or would like to chat about how to fit cardio into your current schedule, please feel free to chat with any of the trainers or check out our lifestyle coaching. We would love to help you figure it out!
Check out the Workout of the Strong that Sara is posting on the board in the cardio room to help you FINSH THE YEAR STRONG!