Maybe you are not a big fan of long distance running.. Most of us have a picture in our head that going on a run means jogging for hours. What if I told you you could get greater results from a 20 to 30 minute run?

“How is that even possible if I am not running as long and/or as far as a person training for a marathon?”

I used to think I would not get the same benefits from running short distances. A few reasons why were:

• I won’t burn as many calories if I don’t run long distances

• I won’t achieve cardio endurance if I don’t run for a long enough time

I am sure there are several of us out there with this type of mentality.. I am here to tell you that NO, you do not need to run for long hours nor long distances in order to see results!

Several people use sprint intervals as their cardio regimen in order to shed fat and stay lean. High intensity cardio provides numerous benefits including:

• It burns fat faster than any type of low intensity workout

• It increases your metabolism

• It continues to burn more calories even after you finish training (EPOC)

Let’s talk about what EPOC is. EPOC stands for Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption. This basically means that after any high intensity activity, your body’s metabolism continues to burn calories. Any type of exercise that requires more oxygen is a type of exercise that allows you to burn more calories long after you have finished training.

“In simpler terms, the intensity of exercise is more beneficial than the duration in regards to EPOC.

Now we have to take into mind that not everyone can participate in sprint interval training. If you suffer from joint pain in the knees or ankles, sprinting may not be the best approach. Sprints do consist of high impact on the joints; therefore, biking or rowing are great alternatives. Also, anyone who suffers from any type of cardiovascular disease should make sure they consult with their physician first to make sure they are able to participate in any type of strenuous activity. In this case, it would be sprint intervals.

Of course, there are more aspects to consider when one is beginning sprint interval training. You cannot go right into it if you are a beginner in high intensity interval training (HIIT). A few progressions you can begin with are:

Begin by walking for 30 min.

Later incorporate some jogging.

Once you are comfortable jogging for 30 min. then begin to incorporate sprints.

Time to turn it up a notch. Below are a couple of examples of running programs to follow, if interested:

For beginners: 5 min jog to warm-up

[30 second sprint: Rest/walk for 3 minutes] x 6

Cool down for 5 minutes

Total time: 31 minutes if strictly followed

FOR ADVANCED: 5 MIN JOG TO WARM-UP

[30 second sprint: Rest/walk for 30 seconds] x12

Cool down for 5 minutes

Total time: 22 minutes if strictly followed

Your sprint intervals can either be performed on a treadmill, track, outdoors, etc. These are provided to give you an idea of where to begin. You can be as creative as you want to be with your intervals.

Your strength coach,

Iris Lopez