In today’s world, there’s not enough time for anything. That’s especially true of exercising. Many people struggle to find the time to workout. But there are ways that you can shorten your workout and still get results. These tips can help you cut your workout time down.
1. Look for high-energy workouts
Some workouts burn energy faster than others. If you’re in a time crunch, look for workouts that burn calories quickly. Kickboxing classes can burn as many as 1,000 calories in an hour long session. HIIT and Tabata classes also offer major calorie burning.
The key to an effective but short workout is intensity. You need to workout as hard as you can and not waste time stopping the clock. If you’re creating your own workout, consider doing circuits. Incorporate plenty of bodyweight exercises. You should also try to use exercises that employ multiple muscles. Focus on doing moves that combine cardio and strength together, like burpees. If you plan your workout carefully, you can end up with a killer workout that takes less than an hour. And if it works your whole body, you’ll end up burning more calories than arms only or legs only.
2. Try an online workout program
An online workout program is a great way to shorten your workouts. First, it cuts out the drive to the gym. You can exercise directly in your home, without having to get into your car and drive. And you can also save time by skipping the wait for the gym showers.
Secondly, you can find an at-home workout that was designed to save time. For example, T25 was created to give you an ultimate workout in under 30 minutes. There are many more that can be completed in under an hour. The workouts are effective and quick. This means that you can shorten the time you spend exercising. If you need help finding the right program, check out http://www.fitnessrocks.org/.
3. Use active rest
If you’re not willing to change up your current exercise routine, you can always use active rest. Instead of sitting out for a minute in between sets, you can stay in motion. Sit-ups, jumping jacks, and push-ups all work well. They keep your heart rate up and allow you to burn calories in between sets.
4. Use dynamic stretches in your warm-up
Not everyone takes the time to properly stretch, which can be a big mistake. If you are one of the few smart people to stretch before a workout, you can save time with dynamic stretches. Instead of stretching in place, you stretch in motion. These stretches get your heart rate up quickly and jump start your workout. As an added bonus, they also prevent injury.
There are many different types of dynamic stretches. Walking lunges, knee hugs, and animal crawls are all considered dynamic stretches. Spend ten minutes doing a series of these before your workout, and its effectiveness will increase. You’ll burn more calories and get a better workout than if you stretched in place.
