If you have a busy life ? and most people do ? you know that it can be hard to find time to exercise. The demands of children, work, or school can keep you from sticking to your goal to burn fat.
Most people can find a few ten minute blocks throughout the day, so are shorter workouts just as effective as one longer one?
You often hear that it takes the body about twenty minutes to start burning serious calories and fat, so wouldn’t that make shorter workouts ineffective? What is the best way to burn fat on a tight schedule?
If you spend the same amount of time on your short workouts as you would on one long ones, the American Heart Association says that you will get the same benefits.
So, if you are doing four ten minute sessions, you’re body is getting the benefit equal to one forty minute session. The AHA also found that vigorous exercise is much more effective than moderately paced movement.
So the key to making your short workouts count is to make sure they are rigorous and challenging to your body. Here are some ways you can do this:
1. Run like the wind.
Try to go at a faster pace than you normally would. If you’re not a runner, walk very briskly for ten minutes. Both will get your heart pumping.
2. Do a gym machine for ten minutes.
If you are at the gym or have equipment at home, jump on and exercise extremely rigorously for ten minutes.
3. Hills and stairs are made for climbing.
Run up some stairs or a steep hill. Walk down and repeat. Do this for ten minutes to burn fat.
4. Have flashbacks to phys ed with jumping jacks.
5. Jump rope.
Basically, anything that is intense and hard work for your body can make a good ten minute workout. And don’t forget your strength training!
Don’t let your body get bored; if you do, it is harder to burn fat. Do a few minutes of light walking to warm up, and then do some of the moves below:
* Deadlifts
* Pushups
* Deadlifts
* Tricep dips
* Deadlifts
You can do sets of each or combine them to create compound moves. These work more muscle at the same time. Examples of compound moves are: squats combined with overhead presses, lunges paired with chest presses, and knee lifts with tricep kickbacks.
Just because your workout is condensed, don’t neglect the warm-up and cool-downs. Walking briskly to warm up, and walking at a more moderate pace to cool down is sufficient. You can also do some stretching moves to release tension in your muscles.
The important thing with exercise is to do it. If you can do four ten minute workouts per day, that is great. You will see results, and you will burn fat.
It is also easier to stick with a program that allows such flexibility. Knowing you can do ten minutes and have it ?count? is very motivating.
Your busy schedule may be a valid excuse for not doing a long workout each day, but not with short workouts! You can always find ten minutes somewhere.
Tags: build muscle, gain weight, weight training program, bodybuilding