No time to train, really?

It appears that as a nation we have very little time to exercise, or at least, that’s the excuses we make!

Over the past 30 years almost everything that man has designed has been to save us time, yet, the excuse I hear most as a trainer is that ‘I don’t get the time to exercise’. How much time do you need?

Think back over the past 12 months. Did you walk to a post box to post a letter, or did you just send a quick email? Did you walk to the nearest telephone box to make a call, or did you send a quick text or just call from your mobile? When did you last hand-wash your car, or do you take it to a car-wash, or get one of the polish guys to clean it for you! The point I’m making is this: almost everything we do now is quick, easy and convenient when compared to the past 30 years, but we still have no time to exercise! Or is this just a quick, easy and convenient excuse?

If you put your mind to it, could you spare 30 minutes everyday for the next 5 days? Half an hour, that’s all we’re talking. Is everyone so busy that we can’t find 30 minutes in our day for ourselves! I think we could if we tried!! EastEnders is 30 minutes long, Corrie is the same, but I bet you make time for those?

When I’m short of time and need to exercise I can be in and out within 30 minutes, sometimes 20 minutes is more than enough! Think I’m joking? Try these time-saving tips the next time you have a spare 30 minutes to exercise and you’ll see how easy it is to squeeze a tough, all over body workout into your busy lives.

1. WORK MULTIPAL MUSCLE GROUPS
Exercises such as squats, lunges and press-ups target multiple muscle groups at the same time and require maximum effort from the body. This means you’ll burn more calories in a shorter space of time. AND, you don’t even need to be in a gym to do them!
2. USE YOUR OWN BODYWEIGHT
One of the most effective training tools is your bodyweight. It’s free, it can be used anywhere and it provides great results. Try this: perform 20 of the following exercises back to back with no rest in between: star-jumps, press-ups, jump squats, lunges and burpees......Out of breath yet? And again, NO GYM REQUIRED!
3. BE TIME EFFICIENT
Interval training is the most effective way to burn bodyfat and boost your metabolism. 40 minutes on the cross-trainer is so yesterday- Tabata drills are the way forward. Perform 20 seconds of an exercise followed by 10 seconds rest for four minutes at a time. Try star-jumps, squat-thrusts, high-knee running-on-the-spot and burpees!! No gym required......
4. GET TRIM WITH SUPERSETS
A superset is when you perform two exercises back to back before resting. It’s a great way to save time and boost fitness levels. A great example is squats followed by lunges. Perform 16-20 reps of each then rest for 30 seconds before repeating three more times. Just make sure the rest is only 30 seconds!!
5. EXERCISE EN ROUTE TO WORK
Make a conscious effort to be active at work. Take the stairs instead of the lift, walk to meetings that are just around the corner or go for a walk at lunchtime......it’s as easy as that, and it’s free! Or why not try jogging to work or even cycling. Think of the money you’ll be saving on expensive fuel costs.
6. FILL UP ON WHOLESOME FOODS
Don’t waste the money you’ve saved by cycling to work on buying pre-packaged, processed foods that are full of sugar. Instead, try eating protein with every meal like chicken, fish or eggs as this will keep you feeling fuller for longer and save you money in the long run.

Well I hope you’ve found this blog of interest?

As always, I welcome your feedback and if you need that extra bit of help with diet, exercise or general health and fitness related topics, you know where to find me!

Call me on 07818 095 619 or check out my website at www.markefitness.co.uk