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I’m not an exercising expert. In fact, when it comes to this whole diet experience—keeping up with a consistent and effective exercise routine is my biggest weakness. But apparently no matter how hard anyone tries, for the most effective weight loss, exercise is a necessary ingredient.
That’s why I decided to ask someone who actually knows what they’re talking about to guide me toward living a happier and healthier life—the right way.
Meet Meaghan Murphy, SELF magazine’s Fitness Director and just the expert I need to help me figure out the ins and outs of breaking a sweat. Hopefully you’ll find her answers to my questions as helpful as I did:
Nikki: Why does interval training work better than switching days of cardio and strength training or just doing only cardio?
Meaghan: Interval training is a form of cardio training and does NOT replace strength workouts. It simply means alternating high-intensity bursts of heart-pumping activity (think: sprinting) with slower bouts (as in: jogging). It’s great way to approach cardio because it will shorten your workout. As few as two to three minutes of intense exercise per cardio session increases the size and number of mitochondria, the powerhouses in your muscles that use oxygen to burn calories and fat.
Extra mitochondria deliver the same results in less time. In fact, intervals can cut your gym time by 25%. Intervals also keep your metabolism cranked higher and longer post-workout, sizzling as many as 120 extra calories after you’re done. I’d aim for 2 or 3 cardio interval workouts each week in addition to 2 total-body strength workouts like the one in Jumpstart.
N: What is the biggest mistake people make when they go the gym?
M: Not having a game plan. Go to the gym with a purpose. Map out on paper exactly what you are going to do (20 minutes on the elliptical; 15 minutes on the Stepmill; an upper-body circuit consisting of biceps curls, triceps kick-backs and Supermans, whatever.) before you get there and chances are you will actually do it.
N: The Jump Start Diet recommends 45 minutes of cardio 5-days a week. Is that the ideal amount of time to workout, the minimum or the medium?
M: It really depends on your diet and your better-body goal. If you are following our 1600-calorie meal plan and want to shed about 2 lbs per week, you should aim to do about 250 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity weekly. You can slice and dice those minutes any way you want. I like to workout 5 days per week with 2 days off, so I allot my minutes accordingly.
N: What is an exercise that is not as effective as most people think?
M: Sit-ups are overrated. Bicycle crunches and planks are more effective ab firmers!
Want more tips on how to get your fitness on? Subscribe to SELF magazine by taking advantage of their current offer for $8 per year subscription. Also, sign up for the Jump Start Diet for customized workouts and yoga poses to help boost your metabolism and shed those pounds.
Feel free to email me at NikkiRoberti@HerCampus.com or tweet me anytime @Nikki_Roberti.