2. Take the magazine test. If you can read a magazine perched on your treadmill screen, you’re not working hard enough, says Karp. Strolling on the treadmill is better than sitting home eating chips, but high intensity interval training can deliver the benefits of exercise more efficiently, adds Lombardo. If you’re not working hard enough, increase your running or swimming speed, add an incline on the treadmill, or increase resistance on the elliptical or bike.
3. Use weights on the Stairmaster. Combining exercises will maximize your results and help you build cardiorespiratory endurance, says Lombardo. Hold a light dumbbell in each hand and either pump your arms to mimic a natural stair-climbing stride or raise the weights above your head and bring them back down as you climb.
4. Jump on the bed. Any activity is better than no activity for improving your mood with a release of endorphins. Plus, jumping on the bed can create a sense of nostalgia and reduce stress.
5. Alternate long and hard workouts. Monotonous workouts cause endurance and weight loss to plateau, so increase your cardiorespiratory endurance by alternating between activities that are longer and harder than your regular fitness routine. Begin by incorporating one of these into your fitness routine each week, then progress to two per week when you feel comfortable:
Long: Jog outside, run on a treadmill, elliptical, cycle, kickbox, row, or swim for at least 60 minutes at a rate where you could simultaneously talk in full sentences.
Hard a: Perform a 10-minute warm-up; 15 minutes at a comfortably-hard aerobic intensity (you shouldn’t be able to talk more than a word or two without taking a breath); 10-minute cool-down.
Hard b: Perform a 10-minute warm-up; 4 to 5 sets of 3 minutes of hard, then 3 minutes active recovery; 10-minute cool-down.
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