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If you’ve completed Month One of the SELF Challenge,you’re probably noticing that you already have more energy for work and play—not to mention looser pants and a glow that no makeup can match. Well, it only gets better! Visit the links below to begin the second phase of our proven plan, designed just for you by experts from the Duke Diet & Fitness Center and The Golden Door Spas.

Burn Calories

This month’s goal: Do three 30- to 35-minute cardio sessions a week and try intervals

It’s Month Two of the SELF Challenge—time to try a tactic that’s going to make a huge difference in how you look and how you feel: interval workouts (running at an easy pace for five minutes, for example, then sprinting for 30 seconds, then slowing down again to easy pace). “Pushing yourself to the limit for short spurts of time, especially if you’re using your legs and arms simultaneously, demands more of your body, so it really helps you burn more calories,” says Trish Martin, fitness director at The Golden Door Spa in Escondido, California, who designed the sample cardio exercise plan for Challengers.

If you’ve completed Month One, you’re probably already noticing that you don’t get as winded as fast and can sweat it out longer than you’re used to. “That’s why this month you should be able to do workouts that get you to 75 to 85 percent of your target heart rate,” says Martin. (Last month the goal was 60 to 70 percent; learn how to calculate your target heart rate with SELF’s target heart rate calculator) Either try the plan outlined here, or do your own favorite total-body shape-up.

Cardio kickboxing, Step classes and tennis are good choices, since they use muscles in every part of your body. You’ll notice that it’s difficult to maintain a high intensity level for an entire workout, so try to do intervals for only as long as it’s comfortable at first, with the goal of increasing your duration in the more intense heart-rate zone as you progress throughout the month.