Getting ready for my soccer match tomorrow and my cardio training for past two weeks has consisted of nothing but wind sprints mixed with walking in between.

And I gotta say, I find this to be the BEST type of cardio training there is.

Why?

Well, not only do you burn a huge amount of calories in a shorter period of time, but the feeling you get from this type of conditioning is simply amazing.  Yes, they're hard, but once you get used to them, it's totally worth it. 

Typically, when you're doing slow-intensity cardio or cardio in which you're working at about 60 percent of your maximum heart rate, you're getting a decent amount of oxygen to your body.  I would say you burn in the neighborhood of 300 calories per 30 minutes and 600 calories per 60 minutes.

But with sprints, it's a whole new ball game. 

For short bursts (I'll explain in a little bit), you're working your heart rate at 95-100 percent of its maximum capacity! 

So not only do you burn somewhere between 400-500 calories in 30 minutes and 800-1000 in 60 minutes...but you  feel like you're hooked up to a freaking oxygen tank!   And that's because the higher your heart rate, the more calories you burn, the more oxygen your body consumes.  It's a wonderful thing. 

At first your body feels a bit stiff when doing them, but once you get two or three sprints under your belt and the juices are flowing, you feel great.  And after your workout is done, you feel like you're on cloud 9 ther rest of the day. 

Jim Coughlin has Weekly Emails on Motivation, Fitness, Health and Maximum Success for You! Jim's weekly tips will inspire you unlike ANYTHING you'll read on the internet today. And they're free. Sign up right now. Name Email

You're in a better mood.  You can think more clearly.  You don't have cravings.  You're much more productive.  Heck, just writing this makes me want to go do them...and as a matter of fact, I think I will. :)

But before I go, let me tell you how I do them.

Please don't try this if you're new to cardio exercise or you have sustained an injury that makes it hard for you to run.  Also, please make sure you have some decent running shoes.  Oh, and I do these outside right around my suburbia neighborhood where there is minimal traffic...so don't try this if you live in the city.

Other than that, nothing is stopping you.

Here's how I do them...

I start with a brisk walk for about a half a mile or about 4-5 minutes.  Once I feel warmed up, I start to sprint as hard (and I mean HARD) as I can for about 100-150 yards.  I then stop until I catch my breath (this lasts about 30 seconds to a minute) and then repeat this process for about 40-45 minutes.

That's it.

Let me know how you do.

Yours in Total Fitness & Maximum Success,

Jim Coughlin