Challenge Your Cardio

Are you someone who jumps on the treadmill and walks or runs a set distance or duration every time? If so, you’re probably missing out on the true calorie-burning benefits of a cardio workout. When managing diabetes, maintaining a healthy exercise routine is paramount to your wellbeing.In fact, exercise lowers blood glucose levels and boosts your body’s sensitivity to insulin, countering insulin resistance.

So, that’s why we’re here to provide you with some exercise ideas to keep our Transcend Warriors moving!

Two great ways to turn up the intensity are tempo and interval training. Both are good for beginning power walkers and experienced runners alike – the lone exception: Those who are brand new to cardio. If you’re a beginner, stick with your current routine for about six to eight weeks to let your body adapt to a new activity. Maintaining steady, light-to-moderate effort for these workouts for 30 to 60 minutes is a pre-requisite.

You can do either exercise two to four times per week, not on consecutive days. And remember, always give yourself a day off or an “easy day” in between tough workouts to give your body enough time to recover and avoid injury. Below you’ll find explanations of each routine with some examples. Get ready to feel the burn!

Tempo Training

Tempo means keeping a steady pace at a high intensity. However, you’re at a pace you could not maintain for an entire 30- to 60-minute workout. Tempo training takes you out of your comfort zone just enough to improve your fitness level to a faster and higher degree. Here’s what a tempo cardio exercise looks like in practice:

Warm up for 5 to 10 minutes, gradually working up to your normal pace.
Increase your pace until you’re at an 8 or 8.5 on the perceived exertion scale (7 to 8 is your average workout pace, and 10 is the maximum). You could also use your heart rate: Aim for 75 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate.
Maintain the pace for 15 to 20 minutes.
Cool down for 5 to 10 minutes at a slow pace.
Interval Training

Interval training means doing short bursts of intense exercise followed by short recovery periods at a reduced pace. As the intensity is elevated far above what you can maintain at a steady pace, intervals increase your energy expenditure and overall fitness level more than any cardio workout. In these short, intense bursts you teach your muscles to process the lactic acid it exerts quickly and efficiently. At the same time, the recovery periods allow you to do this repeatedly. So, you are exerting energy and recovering in a more consolidated manner. Here are two examples:

Cruise Interval Sample Routine
Warm up for 10 minutes, gradually increasing your pace. The final 2 to 3 minutes should feel like a tempo workout.
For 2 to 3 minutes, return to an effort level of 6 to 7 on the perceived exertion scale (again, where 7 to 8 is your average workout pace.)
Increase your pace until you’re at an 8.5 to 9 on the perceived exertion scale (or at 80 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate).
Maintain this pace for 5 minutes.
Return to a slow pace for 1 minute.
Increase your workout pace again for 5 minutes, followed by the 1-minute rest pace. Repeat this cycle five times.
Cool down for 5 to 10 minutes at a slow pace.
High-Intensity Interval Sample Routine
Warm up for 10 minutes, gradually increasing your pace. (Again, the final 2 to 3 minutes should feel like a tempo workout.)
Slow down to an easy pace (roughly 6 or 7 perceived exertion) for 2 to 3 minutes.
Increase your pace until you’re at a perceived exertion level of 9, or 85 to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate. Maintain this hard effort for 1 minute. (Note: This 1-minute period will not always get your heart rate up to the recommended percentage of maximum heart rate. Therefore, the rate of perceived exertion may be a more accurate measure than heart rate for these shorter intervals.)
Return to a slow pace for 1 minute.
Increase your workout pace again for another minute, followed by a 1-minute rest period. Repeat this cycle ten times.
Cool down for 5 to 10 minutes at a slow pace.

When you exercise, always remember to wear your medical ID bracelet indicating you have diabetes and whether or not you take insulin. Plus, make sure to always carry your Transcend Glucose Gels with you, wherever you go. Transcend Glucose Gels help manage your blood sugar accurately and efficiently, with 15 g of glucose in a durable, compact pouch.

To learn more tips & tricks for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, follow Transcend on social media!