It’s easy to get stuck in a rut with exercise routines, doing the same thing at the same pace day after day can become very mundane. The good news is that it is easy to change your routine, add some variety and even burn more calories! The key is interval training.

The concept behind interval training is simple: add bursts of intensity (either with speed, resistance or anaerobic-type moves) throughout your workout. The idea is to work very hard for a period of time - that means really pushing your limits - then slowing down for a period of time to recover. For example, if you are working out on a bike, cycle at a lower pace for 2 minutes and then at a much higher pace for 1 minute continuing the series for 10 sets of intervals equalling 30 minutes of exercise.

Interval training works both the aerobic and the anaerobic system. During the high intensity effort, the anaerobic system uses the energy stored in the muscles (glycogen) for short bursts of activity. During the rest phase the aerobic system uses oxygen to convert stored carbohydrates into energy. This leads to an adaptation response by the body.

Adaptation refers to the body's ability to adjust to increased or decreased physical demands. It is also one way we learn to coordinate muscle movement and develop sports-specific skills. Repeatedly practicing a skill or activity makes it second-nature and easier to perform. Adaptation explains why beginning exercisers are often sore after starting a new routine, but after doing the same exercise for weeks and months they have little, if any, muscle soreness. Additionally, it makes the exerciser very efficient, allowing them to expend less energy doing the same movements – reinforcing the need to vary a workout routine if you want to see continued improvement.

Interval training helps build new capillaries and the cardiovascular system is better able to take in and deliver oxygen to the working muscles. Interval training also helps prevent the injuries often associated with repetitive endurance exercise, and allows you to increase your training intensity without over training or burn-out. In this way, adding intervals to your workout routine is a good way to cross train. Furthermore, more calories are burned during short, high intensity exercise.

Anyone can perform interval training – from beginners to world class athletes. Honoring individual differences allows everyone to enjoy the benefits that come with this form of exercise. The principle of individual differences simply means that, because we all are unique individuals, we will all have a slightly different response to an exercise program. This is another way of saying that "one size does not fit all" when it comes to exercise.

Well-designed exercise programs should be based on our individual differences and responses to exercise. Some of these differences have to do with body size and shape, genetics, past experience, chronic conditions, injuries and even gender. For example, women generally need more recovery time than men, and older athletes generally need more recovery time than younger athletes.

Follow these simple guidelines when practicing interval training:

Warm-up for at least 8 minutes

Consider your current physical condition and set goals that are within your ability

Start slowly (for example: walk 2 minutes/run 2 minutes)

Build the number of repetitions over time

Bring your heart rate down to 100-110 bpm during the rest interval

To improve, increase intensity or duration, but not both at the same time

Train on a smooth, flat surface to ensure safety

Did you know that aerobic power can decline 5% in one week, 10% in two weeks and up to 25% in three weeks if you stop exercising? Did you know that all your gains could be gone after two months of inactivity and that the fitter you are the faster you lose your fitness level? Scary thoughts! With summer holidays beginning, time spent in cars, campers, planes and hotels can compromise all the hard work and sacrifices you have made preparing for summer. Here are a few tips to consider when traveling on the road and how you can stay fit while enjoying your vacation. There are three components to focus on: cardio, strength/flexibility and nutrition.

There are many vacation destinations that offer a variety of cardiovascular activities. For instance, walking or jogging on the beach, swimming, bike riding, hiking, golf and tennis are all forms of cardiovascular activities. These activities can keep you moving without realizing you are ‘working out’.

Many believe you need a commercial gym to strength train. That is not the case. Bring a resistance band with you and set a goal to do a quick workout 2-3 times a week. Focus on compound exercises (exercises that use more than one muscle group) to maximize your time. Here is a fast, effective workout that utilizes little to no equipment that will keep you strong while enjoying your time away:

Pushups – work your arms, chest, back and core without any equipment at all. Do them from your knees (easier) or toes (more difficult) and ensure that your back is straight (no sinking towards the floor). Your head is a natural extension of your spine and your abdominals are tight as you inhale while you lower down and exhale as you push back up. Do as many as you can for 1 minute. Stretch: interlace hands together behind the back and push the chest forward – hold for 30 seconds.

Squats with bicep curl – targeting your quads, hamstrings, glutes, biceps and core. Stepping on the middle of a resistance band with both feet, holding the handles, palms facing up, elbows close into the rib cage, feet shoulder width apart. Squatting down as though you are about to sit in a chair, keeping the chest lifted and knees over the ankles. Bend at the elbow as you curl your palms to meet your shoulders. If you do not have a resistance band, fill two water bottles and hold one in each hand. Do as many as you can for 1 minute. Stretch: Find balance on one foot and grab opposite ankle as you bring your heel towards your buttocks. Knees are together. Hold for 30 seconds. Switch sides.

Modified Dead lift with a Row – working hamstrings, glutes, core and back. Stand on band and pull it tight, hands in front of thighs. Keeping back flat and knees bent for support, hinge from the hips and bring hands down the legs to mid shin. While you're down there, bend elbows and pull them up to your ribcage, contracting the back (imagine holding a pencil between your shoulder blades). Tighten buttocks to lift back up. Do as many as you can bear and move on. If you don’t have a resistance band, use water bottles. Stretch: Place right heel in front, hinge at the hip bending the left knee keeping your chest tall and back straight. Hold for 30 seconds. Switch sides.

Tricep Dips - Find a chair or solid object and sit on it with hands next to hips. Move hips in front of chair and, keeping the buttocks close to the chair, bend the elbows and lower a few inches. Be aware not to sink into the shoulder or lower past 90 degrees. Do a whole bunch and get ready for your last exercise. Stretch: Bending at the elbow, bring the left hand behind the head pointing the elbow straight up to the sky and reach the hand in between the shoulder blades. Place the right hand on the left elbow and gently pull back. Hold for 30 seconds.

Plank - Lie on your side and push up so that your body is supported by right hand (or bent forearm), feet stacked. Straighten left arm and reach for the sky. Hold for 30 seconds, switch sides and get ready to hit the beach – you’re done!

Finally, eating healthy while on vacation can be difficult. The key is to find the happy medium between denying fatty foods and an occasional indulgence, and you'll be on your way. In today's society, healthy options can be found on almost any menu, even at McDonald's however, the main concerns with eating out are the portion sizes and making the right choice. There are several things vacationers can do to guide them towards healthy restaurant eating. The first key to eating healthy while at restaurants is to stay away from anything fried or with a mysterious special sauce and go with anything grilled, broiled or steamed. Second, appetizers offer smaller portions in comparison to full meals. Third, try sharing a meal or only eat half of what you order and take the rest home for lunch the next day. Most importantly though, just because the food is in front of you, does not mean you have to finish your plate - stop eating when you feel full and remember that eating out doesn’t always mean pigging out. You are on vacation so it's okay to indulge now and then, if you make healthy decisions the rest of the time.

--Jenn Naiman, Group Fitness Director

Did you know that 67% of Canadians aren’t active enough to gain health benefits? While the concept of active living is slowly catching on, many people believe that they can choose less intense forms of activity, especially during the summer months, and still gain the same health benefits.

Although gardening, mowing the lawn and going for evening walks are forms of physical activity it is important to remember the difference between exercise and active living. Active living means that you find ways to be physically active every day.  Examples are taking the stairs at work or turning off the TV and going for a walk outdoors, or going dancing. Exercise, on the other hand, is a form of physical activity that is planned, structured and done to improve at least one aspect of physical fitness, that is, strength, flexibility or endurance.

It is important not to replace exercise with active living and instead, blend the two forms of movement together. Be sure that your activity is sufficient and consistent. If you choose to spend more time outdoors during the summer months pick exercises such as beach volleyball, jogging, swimming and/or outdoor fitness classes like bootcamp and yoga.

If you’re unsure of your intensity level try the rating of perceived exertion. Perceived exertion is how hard you feel your body is working. It is based on the physical sensations a person experiences during physical activity, including increased heart rate, increased respiration or breathing rate, increased sweating and muscle fatigue. Self-monitoring how hard your body is working can help you adjust the intensity of the activity by speeding up or slowing down your movements. Through experience of monitoring how your body feels, it will become easier to know when to adjust your intensity.

To determine your intensity level, on a scale from one to ten – ten being the hardest thing you have ever done physically and one being asleep, you want to aim between a four and eight – somewhat strong to very strong. For example, a walker who wants to engage in moderate-intensity activity would aim for a RPE level of "somewhat hard" (4-6). If they describe their muscle fatigue and breathing as "very light" (1-2 on the RPE Scale) they would want to increase their intensity. It is important to appraise your feeling of exertion as honestly as possible, without thinking about what the actual physical load is. If you choose to increase your intensity this summer be sure to drink plenty of fluids, wear light colored clothing, and have fun!

“Core stability” describes the ability to control the position and movement of the central portion of the body or the trunk. Core stability training targets the muscles deep within the abdomen. These muscles connect to the spine, pelvis and shoulders which assist in the maintenance of good posture and provide the foundation for all arm and leg movements. Simply stated, good core stability helps prevent injury and aids in daily active living. The biggest benefit of core training is to develop functional fitness – activity that is essential to both daily living and regular activities. The trunk region of the human body is considered to be the ‘power house’ meaning that power is derived from here. A properly conditioned core helps to control that power, allowing for smoother, more efficient and better co-ordinated movement in the limbs.

We tend to live in a society where we work the muscles on the front of our body more than the muscles on the back of our body. For instance the quadriceps, the muscles found on the front of the thigh, are typically stronger than the hamstrings which are found on the back of the thigh. The pectorals, muscles of the chest, are usually overdeveloped and the muscles of the upper back underdeveloped. This also holds true for our core. Believe it or not the abdominal muscles alone are overrated when it comes to real core strength. Biomechanically, the abdominal muscles have very limited and specific action. The core actually consists of many different muscles that stabilize the spine and run the entire length of the torso. The muscles of the core make it possible to stand upright and move on two feet. These muscles help control movements, transfer energy, shift body weight and move in any direction. A strong core distributes the stresses of weight-bearing activities and protects the back. Conditioning programs must target all of these muscles to prove effective and prevent injury. For example, the weakest and most injured area for most golfers is the lower back. The reason: the golf swing. The golf swing puts tremendous stress on the back due to the torque (turning) of the upper body over a stable, fixed lower body. If you are weak in this area, the likeliness of injury is greatly increased. The good news is that injury can be significantly decreased by strengthening your core. Activities such as yoga and pilates are known for improving the strength of both your abdominals and the core stabilizers in your back. There are also many other fitness classes that are designed to target these areas of the body.

Try this simple exercise at home to help improve the strength of your core:

The Plank: Start by lying on a mat or towel on your belly with your legs straight out behind you. Bending your elbows at 90 degrees, place them on the floor directly under your shoulders and gently lift your body off the mat balancing on your knees. Hold for 30-60 seconds. For more intensity lift your knees off the floor and balance on your toes. It is very important not to hold your breath while doing any kind of exercise – especially core exercises. Breathe slowly in through the nose and out through the mouth. Repeat 3-5 times.