If you’re anything like me, you’re a bit of a workout class junkie. Having played sports continuously throughout my childhood, working out was always a “no brainer.” While I didn’t look at team practices as “workouts,” they most definitely kicked my butt. Going into college, I was in pretty good shape but it was a bit of a rude awakening on the fitness front. It was the first time that I needed to be motivated purely for the sake of my own health. I would need to make time in my schedule for exercise and get my butt to the gym. Like any college student, my workouts became less frequent and often inconsistent. While I was getting to the gym 4-5 days a week, I wasn’t being very intentional with the types of workouts I was doing.
Like anything, getting into a routine and finding balance can be really challenging and is something that the majority of us are working towards every day. Recently, after doing more research and learning more about health and exercise, I’ve been enjoying a balanced workout routine comprised of strength training, HIIT (anaerobic) workouts, and cardio (aerobic).
Strength Training
Strength training is so important because it helps us build and maintain our muscle mass. When we build lean muscle, our metabolism speeds up and our bodies burn more calories. There are many additional benefits of strength training such as reduced risk of injury, improved bone density, mood enhancement, and so much more! I know “strength training” can sound pretty intimidating – I used to purely associate it with lifting super heavy weights and “bulking up.” This is not the case at all. There are a variety of “strength” workouts that vary in weight and reps. When I do a strength training workout, I typically use light weights (or just my bodyweight) and do more reps as opposed to heavy weight and less reps.
HIIT (anaerobic)
HIIT (high intensity interval training) is an anaerobic workout, meaning that the body breaks down glucose for energy in the absence of oxygen (think of a workout where you expend a lot of energy in a short period of time and are really out of breath). HIIT workouts are effective because they produce EPOC (excess post-oxygen consumption). EPOC raises your resting metabolic rate for up to 24 hours after your workout, allowing your body to burn calories more efficiently. Having run track in high school, I love to do sprint HIIT workouts! These typically look like 45 seconds on (all out sprint), 30 seconds off (walking recovery). I find HIIT workouts to be really effective for busy people like me (college students) because even if you only have 20 minutes, you can still get your sweat on!
Cardio (aerobic)
Finally, the workout most people dread the most… cardio! To be honest, I have a love-hate relationship with cardio. I love how I feel post-cardio workout, but sometimes, I really struggle when I’m in it. After doing a bit of research, I learned that the cardio workouts I was doing were a little too intense (which explains why I dreaded them so much.) When you are doing aerobic exercise (cardio) your heart rate should stay between 70% and 80% of your maximum heart rate. This means that when I do cardio, my heart rate should stay between 140-160 bpm (beats per minute). Looking back, it all makes sense. No wonder I dreaded going on long runs, my average heart rate was exceeding 180 bpm almost every single time. I can’t stress the importance of heart rate training enough. It can change your entire cardio experience and make it so much more enjoyable. Now, when I go for a run or do any sort of cardio workout, I try to focus on maintaining 70% and 80% of my max heart rate.
The biggest and most important benefit of cardio is that it improves your cardiovascular (heart) health. A healthy heart means lower risk for heart disease, something we should all be conscious of! Other benefits include lowering blood pressure, regulating blood sugar, enhancing mood, reducing stress, etc.
All of this might sound super overwhelming, but there are so many different workouts in each category that you can try. I am a firm believer that working out is SO much easier (and you have more motivation) when you actually enjoy what you’re doing! Everyone’s routine looks different so it is important to find what works for you.
Whether that is a combination of Pilates, running, and HIIT workouts or weight lifting, speed walking, and spin classes, if you’re looking to improve your fitness, make sure you’re hitting all of the bases: strength, anaerobic, and aerobic workouts!
I love to try different workouts and am constantly pushing myself to get outside of my comfort zone. Stay tuned as I share new, fun, and effective ways to get your sweat on!
Sources:
- https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/blog/5073/8-reasons-hiit-workouts-are-so-effective/
- https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/expert-articles/5008/7-things-to-know-about-excess-post-exercise-oxygen-consumption-epoc/#:~:text=The%20EPOC%20effect%20from%20a,extended%20post%2Dexercise%20energy%20expenditure.
- https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a25335864/high-intensity-interval-training/
- https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/target-heart-rates
WOW KATHARINE I AM IMPRESSED WITH YOUR VARIETY OF EXERCISE ROUTINES. THEY MAKE EXERCISING SO MUCH MORE FUN . Love you 😍 Grandmama.
Fabulous – and so true!