Workout Wednesday: Intervals for Any Cardio Machine

I feel like I'm running aimlessly right now—and honestly, I really am. The Hot Chocolate 15K was my last race of the year. Right now, I don't have anything solid on next year's schedule. I've just got a wish list of potential races that seems to grow by the day. So I'm sort of just...running. Not training And since it's getting colder by the minute, I'm doing my best to accept that a lot of my runs will be back on the treadmill (dreadmill?) again.

That's where I found myself on Monday, on the treadmill, with about half an hour to run.

Here's what that workout looked on my Garmin Forerunner 15.

To track my runs on the treadmill (or indoor track) (or both), I use it with a foot pod on my shoe.
It seems to line up fairly well with what the treadmill reports.

So instead of shooting for a set amount of miles, I decided to play around with my speed to get the most out of my window of opportunity. Because this is what you have to do when you don't have all day to exercise. You have to power up and really challenge yourself, and that's what playing with intensity will do for you. Especially when you're on the treadmill. Or any piece of cardio equipment, really.

So here's my workout:

Let's talk about it.

1) This workout can be adapted to fit any piece of cardio equipment. And furthermore, any individual can adapt this workout to meet levels of exertion that best fit their fitness levels. This, of course, is why I speak very generally in terms of when/how to increase your pace.

2) Each interval is five minutes long. Add intervals as you see fit to create a workout that's long enough to fit your needs. I repeated the intervals five times, plus the 5-minute warm-up and cool-down to get the results you see on my Garmin. Additionally, this is how I set the treadmill for each pace:

WARM UP: 6.0
INTERMEDIATE: 6.5
FAST: 7.5
FASTER: 8.0

Remember, you need to exercise at your own risk—so be smart. My numbers might not be right for you, and you might not want to run. Walking is fine. Or rowing if you choose a row machine. It's literally all up to you as this type of interval workout can be adapted from multiple directions.

If this is all new to you, I suggest checking in with your physician first.

If you give it a try, let me know! I'm always looking for feedback on the workouts I provide.

It sure did make me sweat.

Question: If you can't get on a treadmill, what's your go-to piece of cardio equipment? Why? Me, I like the lateral elliptical. What a leg burner!