Break exercise boredom with a cardio blast
By Jeanette Jenkins
It’s not just repetitive cardio activities such as climbing endlessly on the stair machine or spinning round and round on the stationary bike that can bore our socks off. Weight-training can be a drag sometimes, too. Doing that same squat or biceps curl definitely can get old after awhile.
To energize your weight-training sessions and burn a couple hundred extra calories at the same time, try adding some “cardio blasts” to your usual routine.
A cardio blast is a one-to-two-minute activity that you can do in between weight-training sets so that you’re not just standing around idly.
Besides keeping your mind engaged, these activities keep your heart rate up and help you burn fat. You’ll also get a mood boost from all those feel-good chemicals your brain is pumping out as you sweat.
Plus, combining weight-training and cardio activities is a great time-saver if you’re rushed for your workout.
Here are some ideas for different cardio blasts that you can try, or you can come up with your own. Just find an open space where you can kick up your heels.
*Jumping jacks
*Skipping in place
*Jogging in place or on a treadmill
*Front or side kicks
*Step-ups
*Knee lifts (alternating from right to left)
