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Too Hot to Run? Or
Do You Need a
Non-impact Aerobic Alternative It is so hot here in Texas - when I try to run outside it about kills me. Do you have other options besides the standard run on a treadmill in the AC? You took away my number one answer but not MY number one choice for getting cardiovascular exercise during the dog-days of summer. Summer time is a great time for water - not only to drink it but to get in it and swim. Here are several workouts that I love to do to stay cool and workout during the day either in an indoor/outdoor pool or beach: My number one favorite cardio exercise that I do year round is the Hypoxic Swim Pyramid. Hypoxic means "low oxygen." The goal of this workout is you decrease your breaths per stroke as you increase the distance causing the heart to race into the anaerobic zone. This gives you a great cardio workout that will drop your resting heart rate close to that of Lance Armstrong (32 beats per minute!). Now that is in shape! Here is how the Hypoxic Pyramid works: Warm up: Swim 50-100m freestyle breathing every 2 strokes. A stroke is each arm pull, so two strokes is a left and a right arm pull and you take a breath after every 2 strokes. Stretch your arms and legs for a few seconds and begin the workout. Swim 50-100m freestyle breathing every 4 strokes and build up to 10-12 strokes per breath for 50-100m each and work your way back down the pyramid. This workout, if you go from 2 - 12 - 2 using the even numbers as your step will only take about 20-30 minutes but will challenge your lungs to the maximum. It is not recommended to try this workout alone or without a life guard for obvious reasons, though I have never heard of anyone holding their breath while surface swimming and passing out. One workout I would never recommend to try is underwater swimming due to "Shallow Water Blackout." Many great swimmers have drowned due to "pushing the envelope" of how far they can swim underwater. Stay safe! Never swim alone! Another great swim and PT mix is what I call the Swim/PT Workout::
These workouts are used in the eBooks sold on the StewSmith.com eBook Fitness Store especially in the Special Forces workouts that require swim tests like the Navy SEALs, Recon Marines, and Air Force PJs
Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author
certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National
Strength and Conditioning Association. If you are interested in starting a
workout program to create a healthy lifestyle - check out the StewSmith.com
Fitness eBook store and the
Stew Smith article archive at StewSmith.com. To contact
Stew with your comments and questions, e-mail him at
stew@stewsmith.com.
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