[ThicknPretty]

So, I know I could just google all this stuff...but rather than sifting through thinly veiled ads for exercise equipment and weightless supplements...I'd ask you guys because you always have such great advice and I trust ya...you're experienced!

1) What causes side cramps when you're working out? If I can't get to the gym, I try to walk at night for an hour or so and lately I've been getting those really bad side cramps. Can't see that I'm doint anything differently than I was a week or so ago....

2) How much cardio do I need to do to be effective? I have been doing 60 minutes on the treadmill, alternating between a 6 incline at 2.7 speed and an 8 incline at 3.1 speed (10 minutes of the lower then fifteen of the higher) and then usually 15-20 minutes on the bike. Too much? Not enough?

3) This one kind of ties in to the one above...is it better to do higher intensity cardio for a shorter period of time or lower intensity (but still making me sweaty and feeling a burn) for a longer period of time? Unfortunately I do smoke and I find it easier to do lower intensities for longer...but really, which is better?

Thanks for all your help...I know I'll get some great and very helpful answers!

[stargzr]

Afternoon!
1. I've been told it's a sign of dehydration. You may not have been getting these a week ago because your body is still adjusting.
2. Word on the street is that 30 minutes is enough to make your body react. The tricky part (and what ties into #3) is that it has to be challenging to you. You wouldn't take a leisurely stroll through the neighborhood and expect to lose, you'd probably walk as fast as you can. So a good thing to monitor is your heart rate - that'll tell you how hard your body is working to do what you're doing. Any activity that raises your heart rate enough is a workout for your body.
Hope that helps a tad.

[platformnine]

1. I could get all biological on you, but basically it's just your body telling you that you need to drink more water.

2. I agree with Star, do what you can as long as its making you work!

[Ilene]

1. Dehydration and shallow breathing, try to breath deeply more.

2. The recommendation to lose weight is 60 mins of cardio/day, but work yourself up to that point...

3. HIIT and SS cardio are both good. HIIT should be done only once or twice/week for 20 mins, 5 min warm up, 10 intervals = 20 mins actual work out, and 5 min cool down. Only 1 to 2x week for HIIT because doing the intensity any longer could cause injury... you can do both HIIT and steady state in the same workout, 30 mins of each... When doing SS you should be able to talk but not want to talk...

Hope this helps...