Continued
The workout:
Minutes 0-5: Leave the incline at 0% (flat). Walk at a pace so that you're working at a 4 on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being sitting still and 10 being your max.
Minutes 5-7: Set the incline at 5% and adjust your pace so your level of effort is a 7 out of 10.
Minutes 7-8: Keep the incline at 5% and back down your pace slightly, so your level of effort is a 6 out of 10.
Minutes 8-14: Bump up the incline to 6% and rev up your pace, so your level of effort is 8 out of 10.
Minutes 14-17: Lower the incline to 4% and slow down so your level of effort is a 5 out of 10.
Minutes 17-19: Raise the incline to 5% and move faster, so your level of effort is a 7 out of 10.
Minutes 19-20: Keep the incline at 5% and back down your pace so your level of effort is a 6 out of 10.
Minutes 20-21: Lower the incline to 2% and push your pace until you are near your maximum effort, at a 9 out of 10.
Minutes 21-23: Raise the incline to 4% and slow down your pace until your level of effort is a 5 out of 10.
Minutes 23-25: With the incline at 5%, move fast enough that your level of effort is a 7 out of 10.
Minutes 25-26: Keep the incline at 5% and slow down a little bit, so your level of effort is a 6 out of 10.
Minutes 26-30: Lower the incline and slow down so that your level of effort is a 4 out of 10.
Up for a challenge? “Repeat this workout a second time for a full hour,” Nichols says.
Workout 3: Stationary bike
Time: 60 minutes
What it does: Builds your endurance with a lower-intensity but longer-lasting workout. The downside? Long, slow workouts can drag, which is why Nichols recommends cranking up your favorite workout tunes as you do this.
The workout: