Hey ladies, I am going to start Phase 1 again very soon, and this time I was going to incorporate exercise. Previously, I was walking 45 minutes on the treadmill each morning (boring!). I picked up a copy of SBD Super Charged, and I was wondering if any of you follow an interval walking program similar to the one listed in the book. Dr. A's program really appealed to me because it's only 20 minutes, and it seems more manageable for me since I want to do other exercising in the morning as well. But then I start thinking about how much 20 minutes can actually do for your body. I'm kind of skeptical. I have a considerable amount of weight to lose so I'm wondering if I should try interval walking or stick to my 45 minutes on the treadmill?

What have your experiences been with interval walking?

Hi, Annie! I do believe that any kind of workout is great, but I'm a HUGE fan of interval training. I did do the walking intervals for a while, and they're great, but now I do walking/jogging and jogging/sprinting intervals.

Intervals are great for improving cardiovascular health, as you push yourself to your max and then have a short recovery. I've noticed that my cardio endurance has increased more since incorporating intervals than ever before. If you were going to workout for 20 minutes anyway, how about doing 20 minutes of intervals plus your other exercise? I'm still on the fence about whether 20 minutes intervals is = 45 minutes of non-interval walking, but I do know that 20 minutes of intervals is a better workout than 20 minutes of non-intervals.

Doing intervals has also pushed me further than I would push myself before. I.e., walking 3 mph for 30 minutes is great, but walking 3 mph with 4 mph intervals every two minutes is better and makes me want to walk at 4 mph and jog at 4.5 mph every two minutes the next time.

I'd say give it a shot for a week or two and see how you like it. If you feel like you're getting a great workout, then you probably are!

ETA: I have some articles on the benefits of interval training saved on my thumb drive, but it's at home, so I'll come back ASAP after work to post some links.

Hi Annie I have not read that version of the book but also think intervals are a great way to train. And it makes the time go faster too!

I think I'm going to give interval walking a try. Although I also agree with the statement about whether or not 20 minutes interval is equal to 45 minutes regular. That's kind of how Dr. A portrayed it. I think if I had to do 45 minutes interval I would keel over, lol. Anyway thanks for your replies, and I would love to see those links!

http://www.thecowl.com/2.7829/the-ma...ning-1.1099988

http://hubpages.com/hub/Interval_tra...fits_and_risks

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/...les.asp?id=621

Since I started interval training I have started to notice my body is starting to change, so I definitely recommend doing. I do 30 minute interval walking at work during lunch and I can definitely tell a difference from just doing solid walking for 30 minutes. I plan on eventually working up jogging when the weather warms up. I also have been doing Jillian Michaels 30 day shred at night.

I like to walk for 2-3 min., run for 1 min. Not much of a runner, but this way I don't tire as easy and the treadmill shows a lot more calories burned than when I just walk fast. I can tell I'm getting stronger. I need to reread "Supercharged" & see what it says about interval training.

As far as one vs the other I'm not an expert, but I sure feel like I've done "more" when I do the intervals . I don't run, I walk briskly. When I started doing intervals in November my 'supercharged' pace was 3.5 mph, now that's my regular pace and I go up to 5.0 for my intervals. I do believe it's improved my stamina more than my old 'steady pace' walking did.

Thanks for all the replies! I know you end up working harder with interval training, but those 45 minutes of walking on the treadmill at a constant pace are so damn boring!

Heidi - that's my pace too! 3.5 is my walk and 5 is a jog. I have worn my heart rate monitor a few times and those jogs get my heart pumping!

Annie - I find 45 minutes of intervals on the treadmill passes faster than going a steady pace. Try it!

I do intervals on the treadmill too. I switch it up between walking at 3.5 mph, jogging from 5-6 mph (only for a minute or two at at time for now) and walking at 3.5 on a 10% incline. My endurance has really increased since I started doing this.