Exercising intensely allows you to get in shape and stay healthy with a minimum time commitment. According to the National Institutes of Health, regular vigorous exercise strengthens the heart muscle and can reduce your risk for coronary heart disease. How do you know that you're working intensely? The inability to speak more than a couple of words at a time is an indicator of intense activity used by major health institutions, including the NIH.
Recommendations
The NIH recommends that adults do at least 75 minutes of high intensity activity per week for major health benefits. In addition, muscle-strengthening exercises that work the entire body should be included for two or more days per week. The key to intense workout routines is to find exercises that keep you moving and keep your output high.
Activities
High-intensity activities include running, walking quickly with a backpack over difficult terrain, fast-paced calisthenics, sparring, rock climbing, rapid swimming or cycling, wrestling, boxing, basketball and soccer. When planning a high-intensity training plan, try to find areas of your life where normal activities can be intensified to the desired level. If you already jog, cut the time in half but double the pace. If you take your children to the park, sprint around after them.
1 Hour and 15 Minutes Per Week Workout Plan
Designing high-intensity workout plans revolves around finding available activities that you can act on. A week's workout plan for the minimum recommended one hour and 15 minutes for a suburban parent is: on Sunday, 20 minutes spent sprinting after your children at a park; on Wednesday, a fast-paced 25 minute walk with a 25 lb. pack up hills; and on Friday, 30 minutes playing soccer.
2 Hour Per Week Workout Plan
A two hour per week workout plan might consist of: On Tuesday, 30 minutes of soccer or basketball; on Thursday, 30 minutes of sprints in a pool; on Friday night, one hour of fast-paced dancing. Alternatively, try running interval sprints on Tuesday and Saturday for 1/2 an hour, and sparring, wrestling or boxing for 1/2 hour on Monday and Thursday.
3 Hour Per Week Workout Plan
An sample plan for a week with three hours of high-intensity exercise is: On Monday, 45 minutes of basketball or soccer; Tuesday, a 30 minute run with a 25 lb. backpack; Wednesday, 45 minutes of mixed poolside calisthenics and cross-pool sprints; Friday, 30 minutes of intense sparring, boxing or wrestling; and Saturday, 30 minutes of mixed sprints and calisthenics.
Precautions
Intense exercise puts a significant amount of strain on the body. Talk to a physician before starting your exercise program. Many studies referenced by the NIH have shown that for weight loss, moderate physical activity is as effective as intense activity.
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