Welcome to Diet and Fitness Podcast, a free audio podcast brought to you by Diet.com. This is your fit, fun, and fabulous host, Lady Diet, here to give you the skinny on the latest way to spice up your boring old cardio routine at the gym.

All too often, we find one cardio machine at the gym that we feel comfortable with. It’s the first thing we jump on at the gym because we know exactly what setting, what speed, or what time length it takes for us to just break a sweat. Comfort is nice, but think twice. Don’t you get really bored after a week or two of doing the same routine everyday? I know I sure do. My mind starts wandering to another planet or I simply stare at the clock, waiting for the 40 minutes on the elliptical to wind down. This makes my workout less efficient and less effective, let alone less fun. Even a juicy issue of Ok! Magazine couldn’t keep me on course when I am this bored. The solution? It’s time to step out of the cardio comfort zone. Add some spice to your cardio routine, switch it up, surprise your body. I think you’ll find that a new challenge will renew your interest in working up a sweat.

The following Cardio Blast routine is courtesy of Women’s Health Summer Shape-Up Guide, which by the way, I highly recommend you check out. It’s only 10 bucks at any local book store and it has hundreds of very valuable exercises and health tips. The routine I’m about to mention is fantastic to kick the boredom out of your cardio workout. I’ve tried it. It’s 42 minutes in total and you will feel re-energized when you are done. I recommend you head from one piece of equipment to the next as quickly as possible (in other words… no breaks!)

The first phase involves 15 minutes on the treadmill. Warm up for 5 minutes. For the first minute, walk at 3 mph. Every minute thereafter, up the speed 0.3 mph. For the next 10 minutes, increase your speed to an easy jog (5 to 6 mph) for 1 minute, then bring it down to 4.5 mph for a brisk walk for the next minute. Do this sequence five times.

For cardio phase two move on to an elliptical trainer for 10 minutes. Try to use a full-body machine that involves arm movement. Concentrate on using your arms, pushing and pulling, instead of making your legs do all the work. Go gung-ho during this phase to work up a real sweat.

Phase three involves 12 minutes on a treadclimber, starimaster, or rower. Do 2 minutes of intense work, followed by 1 minute of recovery. Get to the breathless state by increasing the incline or speed, then lower it for a minute of rest.

The final cardio phase is 5 minutes on a stationary bike. Pedal at a low intensity to cool down. After that, you are done! Finito!

Remember, during any of these phases you don’t want to push yourself to the verge of exhaustion. If at any point you experience light-headedness, muscle cramps, extreme thirst, or any other warning sign that you might be pushing too hard, stop exercising and take a breather or a swig of water. So what are you waiting for? Get to your gym to try out this great new cardio routine now! Your heart and lungs will thank you! If you have any comments or suggestions about today’s topic or any other fun and informative health, diet, or fitness related tips, please feel free to email me at LadyDietPodcast at dietdotcom. Thanks for listening!