One of my goals this year is to move more – specifically more cardiovascular exercise and more strength training. After battling some fatigue issues and neck and shoulder injuries over the past five years, I am finally ready to jump back into more intense exercise, but I am also short on time these days as I get my business up and running.
So, yesterday I decided to get out of my comfort zone and try a circuit training class at my gym. Circuit training combines both a cardiovascular workout with strength training in classes that are usually under an hour. That meets my time requirement. The Disease Delusion, a terrific functional medicine primer, also explains that combining cardiovascular conditioning with strength training is the most effective exercise to stimulate the production of more mitochondria in the cells. More mitochondria create more energy, which I always seem to need!
The room is kept dark with neon lights, so it has a cool vibe. Since it was my first class, I used fairly light weights which helped. The cardio was tough, and I was not familiar with two of the three machines - a rower and a Versa Climber. Time flew by since each station is only six minutes long. We rotated three strength stations with three cardiovascular stations.
I felt clumsy and a little nauseous at the end, but I recovered quickly. My heart rate was elevated and I got a good sweat. The gym offers classes every day, so I look forward to trying one again!