Why interval training is the way to lose weight and get fit

Conventional exercise wisdom has dieters (and those who want to get fit), spending countless hours on cardio machines.However, studies have shown that endless hours on the treadmill, elliptical machine, or other cardio machines may not be the most effective weight to lose weight, and get fit.Today, exercise researchers have found that interval training is much more effective for weight loss, and for the improving of fitness.This can be surprising for those people who feel that their day is not complete, without an extended period of time on the treadmill. Assuming your diet is under control, you can proceed to changing the way you exercise. So before your next workout, here is what you need to know about why interval training is the way to lose weight and get fit-

• Steady does not always win the race-You may have noticed when you get to the gym, those people who are steady on the treadmill, or other cardio machines. These are the people who will be jogging on the treadmill for hours on end, and usually at a steady pace. Exercise research has shown that this really is not an efficient way of losing fat.This is because when you push your body for a long period of time, for long distances, it will actually switch over to burning your muscle for energy. The bottom line is that this steady-state does have its place (like if you compete in long distance events or are a bodybuilder), but for the average person trying to lose fat through cardiovascular exercise, it has become obsolete.
• Exercise smarter-Every dieter should realize that your body is a lot smarter than you think. If you want to keep your healthy tissue, your muscle, and still lose fat, then it is time to switch to intervals.An interval is simply changing either the pace, resistance, or movement a few times, during your workout. For example: if you like to run for cardio, you start out with a decent pace to warm up, and then once you have got a certain distance, or a certain length of time, pick up your pace (sprint if you can). You will then need to go a set amount of time, or distance at that pace, and then slow down to a fast walk. You will then go back up, and down, up and down in these intervals. The bottom line is that you just fluctuate back and forth, and you will work your body a lot harder. If you are on a treadmill you can change the speed, and/or the incline.
• Feel the burn for longer-The good news about doing intervals is that even though it is it harder for you to run in intervals, you will continue to burn extra calories, throughout the day because you exercised this way. Most exercisers will watch the read out on the treadmill to see how many calories they burned, and expect that number to make a huge difference when it really does not.That is why they will jog for hours on end. However, with intervals you will not have to spend huge chunks of time working out. With intervals, not only will you burn calories while you are doing them, but your metabolism will be boosted enough to burn extra calories the rest of the day.
• You do not have do intervals at the gym-The principle of intervals does not have to be done at a gym.If you are walking outside choose a route that can be varied.Go up stairs, climb on walls, walk along the edge of the curb, just do anything that varies your intensity and you are then doing an interval. You can create your own interval routine for the best way that it fits your life, and your exercising style.