If you’re like me, getting out of bed to walk on that treadmill every morning can sometimes be difficult. So to give me a little boost I like watching morning television talk shows to keep me entertained and to pass the time. If it’s a later workout, my favorite is good ol’ Dr. Oz to keep me informed on my health while improving my health!
If turning on the tube for a little talk show time is what gets you up out of bed then use it! Early morning walks for me are never too intense as I like to use them to get my metabolism jumpstarted and do a higher calorie burning workout later in the day when more time is allotted.
While looking around online I came across an article on AmandaLaVergne.com explaining the “treadmill games” she uses to keep herself from going “completely bonkers” on the treadmill during winter when outdoor workouts don’t permit. One of her “games” was called Commercial Breaks Bursts. I thought it was a great idea and a must share for our EffectiveExerciseTips.com readers!
So here is Amanda explains it:
Pick a pace that is your ‘I am working, but I can still carry a conversation’ pace. Something you can hold for the duration of your run. Then on the commercial breaks, bump it up .5. So say your ‘go-to’ pace is 6.5 mph, then run 6.5 while your show is on, and then 7.0 mph when those annoying commercials come on.
These mini cardio bursts are not only going to help you burn more calories in the same amount of time, but they’ll help to add a little bit of excitement to your treadmill workouts while also helping you to avoid those dreaded commercials.
Check out these other ways of How to Not Die of Boredom on the Treadmill to help add excitement to your treadmill runs during this winter season. The article also explains that intervals, such as these commercial break bursts, help us to increase our fat burning as well. In fact these mini cardio bursts are actually going to improve your health more than you may realize.
According to Mini Cardio Bursts Offset Prolonged Sitting Danger to Heart, an article from Yahoo.com, states that a study done in 2008 by Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports showed that people who sit for long periods of time usually have lower levels of the heart-protectant enzyme lipoprotein.
So if you’re a desk worker, the best way to help counteract your long days of sitting at the office is to incorporate mini cardio bursts into your morning treadmill workout. They stated it was also a good idea to incorporate some mini cardio bursts to your work day to help counteract the effects your prolonged sitting has on your heart.
Try out our Workouts at Work to help you add a little fitness into your mundane work day and build your heart health as well. Choose one workout to do for 5 minutes every 30-60 minutes to help you get up and moving. Every movement is going to help offset those long stretches of sitting down, while also helping to jumpstart your calorie burning furnace as well!
Incorporating more fitness into your treadmill workouts and your work days is going to help you to burn more calories and become overall healthier!