Earlier this summer, 14 members of the Simon Family Jewish Community Center participated in the Sprint 8 Cardio Challenge.
“I wanted to challenge our members to change how they’re doing cardiovascular exercise with a clinically tested workout that provided real results. I took a training course into how to instruct individuals on the proper intensity specific to their ability, as well the form of exercise that will challenge them throughout the 8 weeks,” says Tom Purcell, Simon Family JCC’s Wellness director, who spearheaded the eight week program.
Sprint 8 is a 20-minute, high-intensity interval training program designed to boost energy, reduce body fat, and promote lean muscle.
The Sprint 8 program consists of short periods of intense exercise followed by active rest. It takes 20 minutes from start to finish and is designed to increase an individual’s natural human growth hormone (HGH), which is known to help cut body fat, tone muscle, boost energy and improve overall speed and endurance.
Sprint 8 is “Challenging and fun,” says Sandy Goldberg, one of the program’s participants. ”It actually works because it is supposed to change your metabolism and cause you to lose weight.
“For those 8 weeks I could eat and drink as much of anything I wanted and still lost a few pounds. That made it worth the work.”