Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and you were able to tame your stress and enjoy your family and friends more this holiday season than the previous one. It’s that time of year when you might consider how you will fit exercise into your busy life. Whether it is stretching, cardio, or strength training there is a way to make it work. We all have the thought of daily burst of movement.
ClockJust 10?
Forget the “all or nothing” mentality when it comes to exercise. Fitness does not live or die by 60- minute workouts; there is a middle ground. Short spurts of exercise, when they accumulate, have been shown to share similar benefits of longer workouts.
Easier than you think
Treat these 10 minutes like you would a regular workout. Take 1-2 minutes to warm up and get the muscles ready, including stretching. Follow with at least 7 minutes of exercise at a medium or high intensity. Then make sure to include a 60- second cool down.
Since its brief, it’s important to work at a fairly high intensity to obtain all of the benefits. Work at raising your heart and respiration rates. Just like regular workouts, try to include cardio, strength training and flexibility work in your routine. Either knock out all three during the 10-minutes, or plan a 10-minute segment for each area.
Example: Push out 10 minutes of cardio on the stationary bike. For strength, do push-ups, wall sits, or lift dumbbells. For flexibility, it’s helpful to just stretch every day. Work different muscle groups and keep it simple. After 10 minutes you will feel healthier and be on your way to developing solid fitness that can have definitely create great habits.
But I still don’t have time
It only takes 30 minutes a day, broken up into manageable chunks of 10. Start with a quick exercise when you wake up. The second session? A lunch break is possibly the perfect time to re-energize and get the blood flowing again. The last 10 minute blitz could come in the evening, even while you are watching TV. It’s an ideal way to involve the family as well. Go for a power walk after dinner or ride bikes with the kids.
It’s all about convenience; if you try, you can fit exercise into your schedule no matter where you are. Do it at home or work, outside or in the living room. Start building exercise spurts into your daily routine and you’ll start feeling more energized and positive about your day. The healthier and happier life is closer than you think. Call me today.
