Tabata Anyone?

Bored with your workout?  Looking to kick things up a notch?  Already including interval training, where are you are doing bouts of high intensity work, followed by recovery periods?  Try doing the intervals for longer and making the recovery period shorter.  Tabata, named for Izumi Tabata, a Japanese researcher who found that it improved fitness levels of cyclists faster than steady state exercise, alternates 20 seconds of high intensity work with 10 seconds of recovery.  I believe the Insanity videos are based on a similar theory.  Wanna try it?  Warm up well and then go all out doing sprinting or plyo moves like jump squats or burpees and then rest for just 10 seconds and start again.  Repeat for a total of 8 intervals.  Won’t take long and will keep your heart rate way up throughout the workout as 10 seconds is NOT enough time to fully recover.  Because of this, Tabata type workouts are only recommended for those that have already been regularly exercising.  If that’s not you, what are you waiting for?  Exercise IS, after all THE fountain of youth (and health!).

Wishing light and love to all.  In observance of the holiday, I will not be teaching tonight or tomorrow, and those classes are cancelled.   The gym, however, is open and if you aren’t observing the holiday, it’s a great opportunity to get in the gym and do some high intensity training.