The workout below is for Day 13 of the Good Vibes Workout, a four-week workout plan. It’s pretty great on its own, but you can also check out the full program right here or browse the calendar here. If you’d like to sign up to receive daily emails of these workouts, you can do that here.
You’ve reached the second cardio-focused workout of the Good Vibes Workout plan, and for this one you’ll focus on building a more sustained endurance base, and adding in some shorter, heart-pumping efforts.
Like with your first cardio routine in Week 1, you can choose whichever modality you want for this workout: If you want to take it outside, you can walk, jog, or run. If you prefer to stay inside, you can hop on an indoor bike, elliptical, rower, or treadmill. It’s completely up to you, and you don’t need to stick with the same type of cardio you did last week either.
Again, you’ll be basing your effort on RPE, or ratings of perceived exertion. Here’s a reminder of what that looks like:
- RPE 0: At rest.
- RPE 1: Very light effort. You can easily hold a conversation.
- RPE 2–3: Your warm-ups, cooldowns, and recovery intervals. You can speak comfortably in full sentences.
- RPE 4–5: Moderate effort. Talking in more than a sentence or two at a time is difficult.
- RPE 6–7: High, vigorous effort. You can only speak a few words or phrases at a time—not full sentences.
- RPE 8–9: Very hard effort. Talking is almost impossible. Maybe you can muster a breathless “yes” or “no.”
- RPE 10: All out, maximum effort. Talking is out of the question.
Today you’ll be working in sustained, moderate efforts and shorter, more intense bouts. For the moderate efforts, you should be working at an intensity where you can still talk in a complete sentence, but more than one or two sentences at a time would be challenging. For the shorter, more intense bouts, aim for an output where you can only speak a few words at a time. Those more intense pushes may feel tough (you’ll be encouraged to hit an RPE 7), so make sure you really let your body recover at an easy level during your rest periods.
Above all, make sure to listen to your body during this workout: If you ever feel like the effort is too intense for you, back off. Remember, this workout program is designed to lift you up, boost your energy, and bring on the feel-good vibes—it’s not here to overstress, overwhelm, or push you past your body’s limits. You should finish your cardio workouts feeling sweaty and accomplished, but not overly exhausted. If you do, consider pulling back on the intensity next time.
Lace up your sneakers, fire up some tunes, and get ready to make this cardio workout yours!
Cardio: Build a Base, and Add Spice
- 5-minute warm-up (RPE 2–3)
Sustained Effort
- 2 minutes moderate intensity (RPE 4–5)
Interval Circuit 1
- 20-second moderately hard intensity (RPE 5–6)
- 40-second recovery (RPE 2–3)
- Repeat the above 5 times total
Sustained Effort
- 3 minutes moderate intensity (RPE 4–5)
Interval Circuit 2
- 15-second hard intensity (RPE 6–7)
- 45-second recovery (RPE 2–3)
- Repeat the above 5 times total
- 10-minute easy cool-down (RPE 2–3)
Total time: 30 minutes
Photographer: Katie Thompson. Hair: Jerome Cultrera for L’Atelier. Makeup: Steven Canavan for L’Atelier. Styling: Rika Watanabe. Creative Direction: Amber Venerable.
Athlete Keri Harvey wears: Top: Reebok Lux Racer Padded Colorblocked Bra, $40. Bottoms: Reebok Lux High-Waisted Colorblock Tights, $65. Shoes: Puma, similar styles.