Why You Must Try Mindy Kaling’s Treadmill Workout Trick
It turns out that actress and writer Mindy Kaling is not only an elite multitasker in her professional world, but is also one when it comes to her fitness routine.
The star’s personal trainer, Jeanette Jenkins, recently revealed her latest workout on Instagram, which showed Kaling walking on a treadmill while performing hammer curls into a shoulder press with a pair of dumbbells.
Just when you thought the treadmill couldn’t get any more rigorous Kaling’s gotta kill it even more, right?
Although the “A Wrinkle in Time” star’s workout might seem daunting to some, it’s actually an amazing total body workout that combines both cardio and strength training to make for one efficient, and highly effective, workout. Here’s why.
It Saves You Time
You might not have to balance a thriving writing and acting career with a newborn baby like Kaling, but chances are you’re busy.
In fact, one of the top reasons why people skimp on exercise is due to lack of time. Which is why when you combine your cardio routine with your strength training, like Kaling, you’re completing two gym sessions in one day. Basically, you’re out of excuses to not work out!
You Get More Bang for Your Buck
Some fitness traditionalists think you should complete your cardio and strength training on separate days because they believe if the two types of exercises are performed simultaneously or close together then your muscles won’t grow or become as strong as they would be if performed further apart.
However, studies have shown that performing cardio and strength training exercises on the same day have no negative impact on muscle growth, nor does it negatively impede your cardio or resistance training. In fact, they found that if you performed only half of your regular weight training and cardio sessions together, you would get the same results as if you performed them in their entirety on separate days.
You might as well perform them both on the same day!
You Burn More Calories
According to Livestrong.com, a 125-pound person walking at 3.5 miles per hour on a treadmill would burn 108 calories in 30 minutes. Factor in lifting light hand weights at the same time, and you’ll turn your body into a fat-burning machine long after your workout.
That’s because you’re not only killing calories while you’re pumping iron, but strength training burns calories and fat for a longer time post-sweat session than lower intensity aerobic exercises.
It’s Functional
Adding weights to a treadmill walk is a killer workout as well as functional one. Functional fitness exercises use both your upper and lower body to train your muscles to work together to help prepare them for daily tasks so it becomes easier for you to do them in your “real life.”
For example, lifting weights while walking on the treadmill will help prepare your body to carry home a large load of groceries, lug around a huge suitcase at the airport, or, in Kaling’s case, carry a baby to and from her car.
The Takeaway
There are some things to note about using dumbbells while walking. First, gripping hand weights for long periods of time can increase your blood pressure, so you’ll want to make sure to keep your sessions short. Also, using hand weights can cause you to stride differently and, as a result, could injure your joints and ligaments.
Slow and steady movements will reap the best results for this type of exercise, which is why new walkers should focus on their form first before they add hand weights into their routine.
Ultimately Kaling’s multitasking workout is a good one, especially for those who are short on times, like busy moms. The actress must be doing something right because she’s definitely glowing these days!
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