Here's a little article about interval training from about.com.
Workouts for Stress Relief
by Paige Waehner
How do you deal with stress? If you’re like most people, you probably have a mixed bag of tools. Some are healthy, like taking a day off or getting a massage, and some are not so healthy, like eating sweets or drinking too much. It’s a good idea to have a variety of ways to reduce tension so you always have something to reach for (besides those chips or glass of wine) that offers relief. Exercise is one of the best ways to ease stress and anxiety while giving you a sense of confidence and mastery when other parts of your life feel out of control. These workouts offer you new ideas for reducing stress.
Interval Training
Higher intensity cardio is great for stress reduction because your body releases endorphins, feel-good hormones that boost your energy and mood. Interval training helps relieve stress by allowing you to work at higher intensities for shorter periods of time, making the workout effective and efficient.
Try it:
- Choose any activity you like (running, walking, etc.)
- Warm up for 5-10 minutes
- Increase intensity (adding hills, incline, resistance and/or speed) so that you're working at Level 7-8 on this perceived exertion scale for 30-60 seconds.
- Reduce intensity and recover for 2 or more minutes
- Repeat intervals for 20 or more minutes
More Interval Workouts
