Today's musings I suspect will resonate with many people. Traditionally 1 January, with its famed New Year Resolution, is the day when "everyone's life changes for the better" or at least it would do, if only they had the time. Or at least that's what they say.
In an ideal world, we'd all have more than enough time every day for training. But sometimes, real life is far from ideal, and things get in the way. Time at the gym gets relegated on your list of priorities. It happens.
But, just because you are on limited time, doesn't mean you should shun your workout completely. 30 minutes, 20 minutes, even 10 minutes of exercise each day is better than no exercise at all.
If you're struggling to fit your workouts around your busy schedule, try one (or more) of the following techniques and get yourself back on track today!
#1 - Move more
Just because you haven't got time to hit the gym today, doesn't mean you haven't got time to move. In today's world where most of us: wake up, sit down at the breakfast table, sit in traffic on the way to work, sit in the office, sit in traffic on the way home from work, sit at the dinner table, sit and watch TV, go to bed and then repeat the next day; it's fair to say most of us aren't filling our days with enough movement.
The key is to be creative with it. Waiting for the kettle to boil? Blast out 20 air squats or jumping jacks. 5 minutes until dinner's ready? Do some press ups whilst you wait.
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No matter how busy you are, there is always time for daily movement to get those muscles pumping and the endorphins flowing.
#2 - Multitask
No time for strength training and cardio? Combine two workouts in one with circuit training. Dynamic exercises like mountain climbers, battle ropes, push ups, box jumps and jump squats combined together in a high intensity circuit will give you the benefits of resistance and cardio training, and you'll be wrapped up in less than 20 minutes.
#3 - Superset
If you do have time to make it to the gym but are working with a limited time frame, supersets are your best friend. Instead of following the traditional method of 60 - 90 seconds rest between sets, alternate between two exercises at a time in a superset to cut your workout time in half.
Example: training legs? Tag your front squat straight on to the end of your deadlift, then rest for 30 seconds before starting the sequence again. If you're really pressed for time, you can superset 3 exercises and be out of the gym in record speed.
#4 - Sprint
Sprinting is the most effective fat burning exercise on the planet, and the beauty of sprints is that everyone has time to do them. Instead of spending 40 minutes doing gruelling, steady state cardio, try the following:
Warm up: 5 minutes
60 - 70% 100 metre runs x 3 (30 seconds rest in between)
100% 100 metre runs x 5 (60 seconds rest in between)
Cool down (2 minutes)
That's your full workout done in less than 15 minutes. No excuses.
#5 - Ditch the car
It's not always possible, but if you're travelling anywhere within a 5 mile radius, strongly consider opting for 2 wheels over 4. Cycling to your destination will combine travel with exercise, which is ideal for those with busy schedules. You'll also soak up a healthy dose of vitamin D as an added bonus.
Whether or not you have time to 'work out' in the traditional sense of the word, you always have time for exercise! Make it a priority, starting today, well okay the 1st January and just watch how quickly your body can change.
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