Good Exercise Routines With A Minimal Amount Of Time

Even though you know you should exercise, it can be hard to find the time. How you exercise can be as important as how long you exercise. A study at the University of Virginia found that high-intensity exercise can have a bigger impact on body composition and health when compared with moderate-intensity exercise. So if you have a limited amount of time, perform high-intensity exercise routines over moderate- or low-intensity routines.

Recommendations

Try to accumulate a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity cardiovascular exercise each week. Add in two days of resistance training on nonconsecutive days as well, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. This amount of exercise will show moderate improvements to your weight, health and fitness. Make your limited amount of time exercising more effective by working toward a high intensity instead of moderate.

High-intensity Interval Training

Your favorite form of cardiovascular exercise can be transformed into a more effective workout routine in a shorter amount of time with high-intensity interval training, or HIIT. HIIT is a method of cardio where you perform bouts of short-duration, high-intensity exercise alternated with longer duration, moderate-intensity exercise, according to the American Council on Exercise. For example, after a five- to 10-minute warm-up on a stationary bike, alternate one to two minutes of fast-paced biking with two to four minutes at a slower pace. Do this for a total of 20 minutes.

Running vs. Walking

Walking is a low-impact form of exercise that most people can perform. However, if you need a good, fast workout, walking is probably not the best choice. Instead, run or jog. A 160-pound person can burn 584 calories in one hour of jogging at 5 mph or 986 calories running at 8 mph, according to the Mayo Clinic. This same person will burn only 277 calories in an hour walking at 3.5 mph. Run or jog for 20 to 30 minutes instead of walking.

Circuit Training

You can turn your traditional strength-training exercises into a more challenging workout by circuit training. Choose eight to 12 exercises, one for each major muscle group. Perform the exercises in a circuit, moving quickly from one exercise to the next with little to no rest. Use a weight that is heavy enough for each exercise to bring your heart rate up and challenge your muscles. Do the circuit two to three times through.

Other Exercises

Kettlebells are a cast-iron ball with a handle attached used for resistance training. In a 20-minute kettlebell workout, a trained individual can burn approximately 272 calories, depending on body weight. Compare this to a traditional one-hour free-weight workout that burns approximately 219 calories, according to the Mayo Clinic, and the kettlebell workout is a good option for a quick workout. For cardio, using a step machine, doing quick jumping jacks and working out on an elliptical machine are also good options for workouts in a minimal amount of time.