We all have those days when we just don’t have time for a full workout. When you have work, and errands to run, and kids to haul around, you sometimes just can’t squeeze in a workout.
Recent studies have shown that mini workouts have very positive health effects, and are worthwhile doing when you don’t have time for a full workout. The studies show that 3 workouts of 10 minutes each gave you the same benefits as one 30 minute workout.
A great way to get in your 3 mini workouts is, a 10 minute walk from your car or the bus to work in the morning, and a 10 minute walk during lunch, and another 10 minute walk back to your car or bus at the end of the work day. You’ve gotten your cardio workout in for the day and it took basically no time out of your busy schedule.
Mini workouts are also great if you live in Minnesota like I do, where the weather in the winter is not very conducive to outdoor workouts. I worked on the 10th floor of an office in St Paul, we had an hour for lunch. I walked 10 to 12 minutes from where I parked my car to the office in the morning. At lunch what I would do is walk down the stairs to the bottom, then run back up, then walk back down, then eat my lunch, walk around outside for a while, and I was ready to start work again. It gave me a workout and lots of energy to get through the afternoon, and I didn’t care that it was below zero outside. Then walk back to my car after work and I was set on my cardio for the day.
The benefits of getting in your 30 minutes of cardio daily are so important to your health. You will have extra energy to help you with your busy day. You will also get benefits to you heart and lungs, lower your blood pressure, lower your cholesterol, and will help keep you from gaining fat. One big problem busy people have is that they don’t work out and they gain weight. They can’t understand why they gain weight with all they do. The problem is that most of what you do when your busy is work for them and they feel like they are running all day, but it’s not exercise.
You also need weight training several times per week. If you don’t have time for a full workout, you can squeeze in a mini weight training workouts as well, and you don’t need any equipment. If you have a place where you can get a little privacy for 10 minutes. Do 10 pushups then 10 squats, and repeat those 2 exercises for 10 minutes, don’t rest between. When you’re done you will feel a muscle pump and your heart rate will be elevated into a good cardio range, and you will have worked most of the major muscles in your body.
The main thing to get from this is there is no excuse to not be able to get in a workout. You do have time if you look for it. You will help stay healthier and you will feel better. Don’t ever use the excuse again that you don’t have time, you do have time for mini workouts.
