The Power of Short Workouts Daily in Limited Time
In our fast-paced whirlwind, you wonder when you’ll fit in the much needed exercise. Often, the demands of work, family, and unforeseen life events create us juggling priorities. It’s at times like these when fitness routines tend to get cast aside. And though you may fit in a few minutes a day – you may doubt there are benefits of short daily workouts.
Is a Short Workout Beneficial?
In short, yes! Any kind of movement is worth the effort. Exercising, even if it’s for a shorter duration, still provide substantial health benefits. A brief workout is decidedly superior to no workout at all. In fact, an array of studies have substantiate that squeezing in exercise sessions whenever possible can be a game-changer for your wellbeing.
Here are a few simple ways you can get a quick, effective workout in during your busy schedule:
1. Walking for Overall Fitness
Walking is one of the simplest forms of exercise, and it’s highly effective. Consider taking a brisk 15-minute walk during your lunch break or even walking while on a conference call. A fitness watch can track your steps and estimate the calories you’ve burned.
2. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT workouts can be a great way to burn calories in a short amount of time. These workouts involve short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by a brief rest period. A HIIT workout can be as short as 10-15 minutes and can be done anywhere, making them a great option for those with a busy schedule.
3. Quick Cardio
You don’t need an hour on the treadmill to get your heart rate up. Short bursts of jumping jacks, running in place, or high-knees can get your heart rate up quickly and burn calories.
4. Office or Home Exercises
If you’re working from home or in an office, there are numerous exercises you can do without any equipment. Try doing squats, lunges, or push-ups during your breaks.
Remember, the goal is to move more and sit less. Just a few minutes of exercise a day can make a difference in your overall health. So, make sure to incorporate these short workouts into your daily routine and keep track of your progress with a fitness watch
Weekend Warrior Workout
So, if you’re entangled in a relentless weekly schedule that leaves no room for fitness, don’t fret. A viable solution lies in the concept of ‘Weekend Warriors.’ This term describes individuals who, owing to their busy lives, only engage in fitness activities on weekends.
Remarkably, evidence suggests that working out just twice a week can be just as beneficial as more frequent exercise sessions. So, transforming your off-days into fitness-filled periods could prove highly advantageous for your health, putting you on par with those who manage to sweat it out more regularly. But beware of the weekend warrior workout. It is important to warm up and watch out for large amounts and excessive exercise.
How Much Time to Exercise Is Enough
Indeed, many individuals can’t dedicate time for weekly workouts but manage to accumulate their fitness gains in one concentrated session, typically on a Saturday or Sunday. The general recommended amount of exercise is 2.5 hours of moderate aerobic activities throughout the week or 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous exercise in one day. Hence, if committing to a spread-out routine is challenging, focusing on an intense, compact workout once a week can still promote fitness and health.
Measure Burnt Calories When You Workout Daily
To measure these burned calories accurately, using a fitness watch can be a game-changer. These watches come with a feature that counts the calories you’ve burned based on your activities throughout the day. The watches can track your steps, your heart rate, the distance you’ve traveled, and more. Based on all these factors, they calculate the amount of calories you’ve burned. These calculations, though they are estimations, provide a reasonably accurate snapshot of the energy you’re expending throughout the day.
Aim for Regular – Increase Strength and Stamina
While it’s crucial to highlight the advantages of shorter workouts, it’s equally important to note the aspects you might miss out on compared to more regular exercise. Regular physical activity helps uplift mood, boost metabolism, and enhance the quality of your sleep. However, even with these missing pieces, engaging in short workouts still fulfills the primary purpose of exercising – maintaining optimum health, reducing the risk of various diseases, and fending off heart-related problems.
If your ambitions involve specific fitness goals, such as running a marathon or achieving a toned physique, longer, then frequent workouts are necessary. However, if the aim is simply to stay fit and healthy, then short daily workouts are good approach. And you can increase them as time allows.
Make House Chores a Quick Workout at Home
Interestingly, even amidst the most chaotic weeks, short workouts can still be cleverly woven into your routine. Simple everyday activities, such as house cleaning, vacuuming, washing dishes, shoveling snow, and even grocery shopping, can serve as opportunities for burning calories and staying active. All it takes is keeping track of the time spent on these activities to ensure they add up to the recommended exercise duration.
Burn Calories With Activity
Furthermore, in your quest to maintain a healthy lifestyle, every calorie burnt counts. For instance, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or park a little further away to walk to your destination, will contribute to your short daily workouts. Standing up and moving around every hour if you have a desk job will help increase your daily calorie expenditure. These small changes can help you incorporate ‘exercise’ into your day without needing to dedicate specific time to a workout session.
Get Motivated Using a Fitness Watch
Another critical tool to maximize the benefit of short workouts is using a fitness watch to measure calories burnt. This handy device is a great motivational tool. As it can monitor your heart rate, measure steps taken, as well as your daily. All of which provides a real-time snapshot of your activity levels. In addition, using fitness trackers can motivate you to set and reach daily fitness goals, even if it’s in the form of short bursts of activity.
Concluding the Benefits of Short Daily Workouts
The beneficial impact of exercising is undeniable. But it’s crucial to remember that the length of the workout isn’t the only determinant of these benefits. Short workouts, when incorporated mindfully into your routine, can yield significant health dividends. So, whether it’s a few minutes of cardio squeezed in before work, a brisk walk during lunch, or an intensive workout session on the weekend. Remember that a short workout is indeed better than no workout at all.