Okay. So. I’ve been whining about you getting outside for months now and I bet you don’t even hear me anymore.
Which is okay.
But.
I still want you to have awesome workouts, even if (especially if!) you are in the same gray gym on a gray snowy day in the middle of winter.
SO! Let’s do it. You give me 20, 30, or 40 minutes and I’ll give you a longer post-exercise burn and more sweat and if you aren’t careful, a low or two. (So you need to pay attention and plan for these: try to have as little boluses on board as possible when you start or even try decreasing your insulin for an hour before you start the workout. Your insulin is going to work like dynamite here so make sure you watch yourself and have glucose available nearby.)
The following routines are GUIDELINES not rules… do what works for you!!
High-intensity exercise burns more calorie than long steady-state sessions, yes, but not so many more that you “deserve” the extra cookie or ice cream. You’re going to get out of it what you put into it and you are what you eat and do unto others what you would have them do unto you and an apple a day keeps the doctor away… (oops; I got on a roll there for a minute!)
You’ve got 30 minutes to spend on the treadmill?
| Minutes (counting up) | Minutes (counting down) | Speed | Incline | RPE (rate of perceived exertion on a scale of 1-10) |
| 0-3 | 30-27 | 3.5 | 3 | 4 |
| 3-5 | 27-25 | 4.0 | 3 | 4-5 |
| 5-7 | 25-23 | 5.0 | 3 | 5-6 |
| 7-9 | 23-21 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4-5 |
| 9-11 | 21-19 | 5.5 | 4.5 | 6 |
| 11-13 | 19-17 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 5 |
| 13-15 | 17-15 | 6.0 | 6 | 6-7 |
| 15-17 | 15-13 | 5.0 | 6 | 6 |
| 17-20 | 13-10 | 4.0 | 6 | 5 |
| 20-22 | 10-8 | 5.5 | 4.5 | 6 |
| 22-23 | 8-7 | 7.0 | 4.5 | 7-8 |
| 23-24 | 7-6 | 6.0 | 4.5 | 6 |
| 24-25 | 6-5 | 5.0 | 3 | 5-6 |
| 25-27 | 5-3 | 4.0 | 3 | 4-5 |
| 27-30 | 3-0 | 3.5 | 0 | 3 |
You’ve got 25 minutes to spend on the bike?
Warm up fully for five minutes. Then start the following:
10 seconds of DIFFICULT intensity
60 seconds of RECOVERY
15 seconds of DIFFICULT intensity
60 seconds of RECOVERY
20 seconds of DIFFICULT intensity
60 seconds of RECOVERY
20 seconds of DIFFICULT intensity
2 full minutes of recovery, then
10 seconds of DIFFICULT intensity
60 seconds of RECOVERY
15 seconds of DIFFICULT intensity
60 seconds of RECOVERY
20 seconds of DIFFICULT intensity
60 seconds of RECOVERY
20 seconds of DIFFICULT intensity
And a 5-10 minute warm down on the bike.
You’ve got 40 minutes to spend on the elliptical?
| Minutes (counting up) | Minutes (counting down) | Resistance/Level | RPE (rate of perceived exertion on a scale of 1-10) |
| 0-5 | 40-35 | 2-3 | 4 |
| 5-6 | 35-34 | 4-5 | 5 |
| 6-7 | 34-33 | 8-10 | 7-8 |
| 7-9 | 33-31 | 4-5 | 5 |
| 9-11 | 31-29 | 8-10 | 7-8 |
| 11-12 | 29-28 | 4-5 | 5 |
| 12-13 | 28-27 | 9-11 | 8 |
| 13-15 | 27-25 | 4-5 | 5 |
| 15-17 | 25-23 | 8-10 | 7-8 |
| 17-18 | 23-22 | 4-5 | 5 |
| 18-19 | 22-21 | 9-11 | 8-9 |
| 19-21 | 21-19 | 4-5 | 5 |
| 21-23 | 19-17 | 8-10 | 8 |
| 23-26 | 17-14 | 5 | 6 |
| 26-27 | 14-13 | 4-5 | 5 |
| 27-29 | 13-11 | 8-10 | 8 |
| 29-31 | 11-9 | 4 | 5 |
| 31-35 | 9-5 | 5 | 6 |
| 35-40 | 5-0 | 2-3 | 4 |
Let me know what you tried, how you did, and how your blood sugars ran with these interval workouts. Way to rock your winter workout!
