Between a busy career, hectic personal life and a lot of TV to keep up with, finding the time to workout and keep healthy isn’t always easy. We know that exercise is good for us, but do we always make enough time for it? The good news is that you don’t need to take hours out of your day to go to the gym, go for a swim or a run – short workouts can be effective too. They say you need at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, which can both be broken down into short and sharp workouts.
Think you can manage 30 minutes of exercise, five days a week? Here are some short workout ideas for busy bees like you.
Get walking
Walking is one of the easiest and most effective exercises you can do, yet so many people don’t do enough of it. Instead of relying on your car or public transport to get to work – why not walk instead? You have to get from A to B anyway, so why not get fit while you do it? Walking can be a great time to help you think, and even accomplish some other tasks too. It’s also a great time to call friends and family for a chat so it won’t even feel like exercise! A fitness tracker can be a good way to help you work out how much you’re walking, and a great motivator to keep going. Start walking more today to improve your fitness at an easy pace.
Complete a lunchtime HIIT session
HIIT sessions (high-intensity interval training, in case you didn’t know) are the perfect short workout. They are fast, intense and will leave you feeling exhausted and invigorated afterward, and sore the next day. Most HIIT workouts last 20-30 minutes, so they’re perfect for doing on your break while still having enough time to shower and eat. Fitting in a lunchtime workout is a good way to fit more exercise into your life without sacrificing time. Take a look at some hacks for fitting your workout into your lunch break and enjoy a new way to make your lunch more productive.
Give yoga a try before bed
Yoga is a great exercise for toning the body and calming the mind, and the good news is that it can be done anywhere. Yoga before bed will help your body to settle and put your mind at ease, ready to help you get a better night’s sleep. Try a bit of bedtime yoga to help you stretch and tone your muscles and improve your flexibility.
Invest in an exercise bike
An exercise bike is one of the best pieces of workout equipment you can buy for your home. They’re quiet, can be moved to an unused space for storage and can be used to enjoy an effective cardio workout. The best stationary bike will fold up nice and neatly, so it won’t be in the way when you’re not using it. Instead of staying idle when watching TV or a movie at home, use an exercise bike to keep you moving. You’ll save time by not having to travel to the gym, and a quick half-hour workout will be much more effective than doing nothing.
Start your morning off with a 10-minute session
Exercise first thing in the morning is a good way to get your metabolism going, and could help you continue to burn fat throughout the day. Use your 10-minute session to target a specific area of your body such as your legs or your abs and really make the most of it by giving your all. There are some amazing 10-minute workouts you can do at home that will really push you to the limit and help you build up your fitness quicker. That 10-minute burst of exercise can be great for toning and targeting, and you can double it up by adding some cardio or weights to your routine later in the day.
Make up for it on the weekend
If you struggle to make the time for exercise during the week, why not put in longer sessions over the weekend. Instead of staying in bed on those lazy Saturday mornings, get up and workout instead. You could enjoy an energising morning at the gym or a fitness class and a swim – all before you’d normally get up! Weekends are also a great time to go for long walks or bike rides, so get some friends involved to exercise while you catch up.
Put it in your calendar
It’s a lot easier to stick to exercise when you plan it out in your calendar. While you might usually be easily open to ditching your workout for a better offer, you might stick to it better if you put it in your calendar like an appointment. Even better, if you can pay for your workout in advance, you’ll have no excuse not to go – otherwise you’ll just be throwing money away.
Work out with a friend
Trying to juggle your fitness with work and your social life can be notoriously difficult, but you can at least combine working out with catching up. Working out with friends is a good way for you to socialise without having to sacrifice your fitness, and it will help you to stay motivated too. Try different classes together or be each other’s personal coach to help you both to meet your goals while having fun too.
There’s always something better to do than exercise, but if you’re serious about getting in shape then you need to fit it in somehow. Look at fun ways to keep fit that will help keep you motivated, as well as be something that you make the time for. Even a short workout is better than nothing, so start looking at ways to fit fitness into your day.