ByTraining Maestro, Rosemary Marchese :: Australian Institute of Fitness
Running, you either love it, or hate it, either way diversity in any training session is key to improving fitness levels and, ensuring we don’t get board.
Running also used to be a popular exercise mode of choice for ‘fat loss programs’ but that too is shifting. It’s still a great way to get fit and perhaps lose weight but it’s not the only way. The key is to really work out what your client enjoys and program from there. Not everyone likes running, although they will tend to like it more if they are good at it!
So, here are our 7 Cardio Workouts That Are Way More FUN Than Running:
#1 Jump on the elliptical
If you’re training clients at the gym this is a great way to get the whole body moving and get the heart rate up. You can control the intensity too, which is great for effective programming.
#2 The stair burn
Get your clients onto a good flight of stairs to work out the heart and lungs. That’s not even mentioning the great lower body strengthening workout too.
#3 Try the intervals
We all love a good interval training session, don’t we? With quite a bit of evidence now out to support it’s benefits, HIIT (high intensity interval training) is becoming really popular, even in fat loss programs. It also gives you another ‘win’ in regards to time-saving because of its effectiveness.
#4 High knees
Get back to old-fashioned strategies and get them to raise their knees on the spot. Add in a toe touch (opposite hand to leg) and you’re really pushing them now!
#5 Squat jumps
Move on from the old-fashioned squats and add in a leap for variation and a cardio workout.
#6 Power Yoga
Yep, some Yoga sessions can be a great cardio workout. Get your clients to fit in a session for variation, even if you don’t run them!
#7 Dancing
Yep, we sometimes forget how much of a workout this can be because it’s so fun. While you may not prescribe it you can definitely remind your clients how easily they can get some cardio by getting on the dance floor more often!
