Shortest Exercise Routine With Maximum Benefits

As you age, you increasingly recognize the importance of exercise and movement, but you also might have increasing difficulty finding time to fit it into your hectic schedule. Exercise is generally broken into three distinct categories: cardiovascular, strength training and flexibility. These three components of fitness should be part of your routine, and finding a way to incorporate all of them in a single program will lead you to maximum results in a minimal amount of time.

History

In just two decades, from 1990 to 2010, experts have modified exercise recommendations several times. In the 1990s, you were told to do 20 minutes of intense exercise three days per week. The American College of Sports Medicine,or ACSM, now encourages you to extend the time you spent on cardiovascular exercise, recommending that you get closer to 45 to 60 minutes of continuous exercise, but allowing you to reduce the intensity to a more moderate level. The length of time and the intensity of the exercise, along with your specific metabolism, all contribute to how many calories you will burn in a single bout of exercise. Since obesity is so rampant, experts hope that by encouraging you to exercise longer, you will burn more calories and better control your weight.

Types

Besides cardiovascular exercise, which involves any exercises that uses large muscle groups repetitively for an extended duration at a submaximal effort level, ACSM also recommends participating in strength training workouts at least two times per week. Strength training can include using strength machines, using your own body weight with exercises such as doing push-ups, sit-ups and chin-ups, and using free weights and resistance bands. Using heavier weight that only allows you to lift against the resistance for 10 times or less without resting, is designed to tax the muscle enough to cause the body to remodel and increase muscle mass. Lifting lighter weight for more repetitions tends to increase muscular endurance rather than strength. As for flexibility, MayoClinic.com notes that as we age, our muscles and tendons become less pliable and we lose our range of motion. This loss of flexibility can limit the quality of life by reducing your ability to do many activities that you previously enjoyed. Lack of flexibility also increases your risk of injury.

Expert Insight

Circuit-style training involves combining all of the types of fitness into a short, powerful workout routine. If you can find 20 to 30 minutes in your schedule each day to go through an exercise routine that involves elements of cardiovascular exercise, strength training and flexibility, you will have a concentrated program that helps you reach your goals in a minimal amount of time. Work with a trainer to set up a circuit you can follow in the gym or at your home. Start with a three- to five-minute warm-up and move through eight to 10 strength exercises with minimal rest in between. Then move to a cardiovascular machine, such as a bike or elliptical trainer for five to 10 minutes, and do the strength circuit again. As you get in better shape, you will find that you can limit your rest periods even more and even begin to mix one to two minutes of cardiovascular exercise in between each strength station. If you are doing this at home, try using simple dumbbell or band exercises for your strength stations and jogging in place for your cardiovascular component.

Programs

Consider a training program that coaches you and pushes you to your limits in a condensed amount of time. Kettlebell workouts are challenging to both the cardiovascular and muscular systems, with both the anaerobic and aerobic systems getting a workout, according to the Kettlebell Workout website. This program is convenient because it does not require you purchase a lot of equipment and it limits the amount of time necessary to meet your fitness goals. Other programs, such as the P90X and Insanity programs from Beachbody, also use a schedule that combines all three components of fitness in a fun way that will push you to your limits in a short time.

Warning

When you begin an exercise program, start by letting your doctor know your plans. Depending on what medications your are taking, your doctor might need to advise you about any limitations or warning signs to watch for. Always make sure to start at a low level, increase your total exercise time slowly over the period of a few weeks and keep your effort level in the moderate range. If you ever feel suddenly short of breath, nauseated, dizzy, chest pain or sudden muscular pain, stop what you are doing and let someone know. MayoClinic.com states that if you have a condition that limits your ability to participate in aerobic activities, ask your doctor about alternatives, such as aquatic exercises, can gthative you the benefits of aerobic activity without stressing your joints.