Despite more and more time-saver gadgets coming onto the market every day, we seem to be more and more short of time. Our lifestyles are a constant whirlwind of activities, and as we rush from one to the other, barely having time to eat or sleep, the last thing we need is to add exercise to the equation.
But making time for exercise is important for your overall health, and may even make those endless daily activities seem easier with less aches and pains and more energy.
Here are our top tips to help you integrate exercise into your life, even on the most busy of days.
Commuter Exercise
With traffic congestion ever on the increase, combining exercise with your commuting trips to and from work cannot only save you a trip to the gym later, but it can also reduce your commuting time.
Walking a mile and a half at the beginning and end of your working day wins on every level…
- It only takes about 25 minutes.
- It counts towards your recommended weekly cardiovascular exercise quota of 5 sessions of 20 minutes or more.
- It burns off the equivalent of up to half-a-pound of body fat a week.
Cycling is very efficient exercise and enables you to cover greater distances. Plus, you can get a better workout in the same time frame. If you have shower facilities at work, perhaps try jogging a couple of times a week or even easier, a jog home brings in a quality workout.
CLICK HERE for more Commuter Exercise Ideas
Superset exercise
Superset Workouts is a great technique to shorten your workouts. Used correctly, it can cut your exercise time by 50% yet still gives you the same results. Instead of having rest periods between two sets of an exercise, you select an alternative exercise that rests the muscle that youve just trained, and exercises the opposite one, before you complete your second set.
For example, alternate exercises for:
- Chest and upper back.
- Stomach and lower back.
- Front and back of upper arm.
- Front and back of thigh.
Circuit Training
Circuit training combines cardiovascular and resistance training in one fast-paced and supremely effective session. Try out The Human Trainer X50 Workouts.
Activity for Life
Being fit and healthy isnt all about living at the gym or running marathons. Building activity into your life is a great way to keep fit without encroaching on precious time. Think about the following exercise inclusive strategies to help improve your fitness and save your time:
- A family weekend activity such as a woodland walk is a great opportunity to spend time together and also enjoy the benefits of some exercise.
- Any sport: ?almost every sport requires physical fitness and there are a host of sports where you can build and improve your fitness as you learn the activity. Why not choose a new sport that youve always fancied trying and use it to improve your fitness as well?
Exercise and TV
It sits in the corner of everyones lounge and we all watch it. But you can still enjoy your favourite shows and improve your fitness. Flexibility is the most neglected component of fitness and relaxing with a routine of all over stretches can easily be carried out whilst you tune into your regular soap!
Always make sure that you are well warmed up before you start and then simply ease into each stretch in the comfort of your own home. Youll not only save specific training time, youll also find that your other workouts are more effective as your flexibility improves, as well as making you feel loose and relaxed.
Make the most of your Lunch Hour
Lunch-time can be an excellent opportunity to get an exercise session in. It could be a brisk walk in the park, a cycle ride or perhaps a quick gym visit followed by a sandwich at your desk. If you have an hour for lunch, with some planning you could squeeze a 30-minute session between traveling and showering and still be back before the hour is up.
The key to saving time for exercise is to want to do it. Setting yourself a goal or challenge will help you concentrate on what is important to you and it will help you focus on incorporating exercise into your life. Communicate your goal to family and friends so that they can buy-in to your commitment and help out with tasks and chores. Time for you is important and with some careful planning, everyone can tap into some of the exercise strategies above. Try out a few of the time-saving ideas and before you know it, your new exercise routine will have become something of a habit ? and a fun and healthy one too.
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