Learn How to be Super fit Using 10-Minute Exercise Bursts
The recommended amount of exercise determined by fitness gurus and physicians is 30 minutes to 1 hour per day. This may be more than you have time for, especially if your job is demanding or you have children.
Be aware of opportunities
If your schedule doesn't allow you a big chunk of time in which to work out every day, you will have to make do with several smaller chunks. The good news is that there is always time to get in shape, even if it simply means moving around more in your spare time and on your day off. Use household chores as a chance to exercise and get your home clean at the same time! Gardening and walking the dog around the block are great everyday activities that need to be done anyway. And they all count as exercise.
Every stolen moment counts
If you are thinking that short spurts of exercise wouldn't affect your fitness level, you're in for a surprise. One recent study showed that participants who spread out their exercise throughout the day into 10-minute blocks are disposed to exercise regularly, and shed more pounds in 5 months, compared to most women who'd rather work out straight for an hour.
What other experts say
Exercise physiologist Glenn Gaesser's recent study conducted in Virginia involved men and women who exercised for 10 minutes at a time. The startling results showed that these men and women were able to dramatically improve their overall health by conducting 15 of these 10-minute sessions per week for one month. At the end of that time, Gaesser found his subjects as fit as men and women who were 20 years younger.
Split up your normal hour-long routine into more manageable periods in order to feel more confident and motivated, advises time management consultant Harold Taylor. It's easy to give up if you never have time to make it to the gym, but a quick workout, however small, will keep your doubts in check and your motivation strong.
An Addition, Not An Alternative
Remember, however, that short exercise blocks are intended to make use of available free time; it should not take the place of your existing fitness program. Here are some practical tips to squeeze exercise in your daily routine even if you "don't have the time." Don't tackle all of them in one day; simply choose the ones that work for you.
* When you pick up the morning paper, take a quick 5-minute walk up the street and back again.
* If you work from home or take a day off because your child is sick, take a ride on the exercise bike or make use of the treadmill.
* Set aside a few minutes to do jumping jacks. You can burn 90 calories in just 10 minutes this way.
* Practice upright push-ups in between household chores by pushing in and out from the shoulder.
* Go outside and shoot some baskets or play tag with your children after dinner.
* Take a hint from exercise instructor Sheila Cluff, who stores dumbbells in her bathroom so she can do a few sets before bedtime. Cluff is a professional fitness expert at The Palms in Palm Springs, CA.
* Take your kid to baseball practice and walk around the field while you wait.