Looking for a challenge? How about interval training? Interval training trains your system to utilize different fuels for energy.

Interval training is an training system that combines short bursts of intense activity, called intervals, with periods of lower intensity, or rest periods. By alternating the two throughout your workout, your body is forced to exert more effort than it normally would during a steady, continuous workout of moderate intensity.

Intervals can be used by anyone, beginner or advanced, for almost any kind of workout. You will find that interval training takes less time, but the challenge it provides is very intense. For instance, instead of 45 minutes on a recumbent bike, reading a magazine, try 15 minutes of interval work.

An example of interval training is the Tabata Method, which alternates 20 seconds of ultra-intense exercise with 10 seconds of rest for a total of four minutes, the results have been “through the roof.”

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, short, high-intensity exercises burn more calories than longer, low-intensity aerobic workouts.

Interval training is accomplished by adjusting several factors in a workout: the length or duration of the intervals, the length or duration of the rest periods, and the type of activity taking place during the rest periods.

Each increase and decrease of activity corresponds to an increase and decrease in your heart rate -- and that’s where the extra calorie burning occurs. But it’s not about how fast your heart is beating. It’s how fast it slows.The important thing about interval training is not the rate of activity; it’s the rate of recovery. For instance, if you walk a block and you can’t walk another one until the next day, your rate of recovery is horrible.

Try interval training on the treadmill, walking or running. Try it on the elliptical, the bike, and even jumping rope. You can use interval training in any sport.

Until next time, keep training hard and eating smart!