Our lifestyles are so hectic these days, it’s no wonder many of us find it difficult to commit to a consistent, long-term exercise plan. From juggling a demanding job to family commitments, often we’re so busy that fitting in an hour exercising seems unachievable. Luckily, your exercise routine doesn’t have to be long to pack a punch as Mark O’Reilly, from Fitvision explains, “You don’t need to be spending an hour plus exercising every-day. Doing 20 to 30 minutes a day, around 5 times a week, is actually enough to be able to reap the benefits.”
Diversify Your Routine
Exercise Express is designed especially for busy, time-poor professionals, with the aim of showing them how to incorporate a balanced exercise routine into their lives. “We recommend incorporating a range of training types into your weekly routine, including cardio, resistance training, Pilates and yoga. Each of these types of exercise benefit the body in lots of different ways and by varying your routine you’re ensuring that you capture the range of benefits that exercise has to offer.”
Avoiding a Plateau
So why should we be switching it up during the week? Well, there are a few reasons, as Mark points out. “Every type of exercise has its own unique benefits. For example, cardio is ideal for burning fat. Resistance training is great in terms of building muscle tone and improving strength. Pilates and yoga are great for mobility, and of course, de-stressing. What can happen to us if we stick with the same type of exercise a few times a week, is that our body plateaus. Take running for example, once our body plateaus, we tend to up our distance, and then we plateau again. Suddenly you could be spending the time on very long runs, needlessly.”
Releasing Endorphins
Incorporating different kinds of exercise into our weekly routines will keep our bodies healthy, and continually stimulated. “It’s not just about the physical benefits,” explains Mark. “Sure, regular exercise can greatly improve body confidence, but it also has such a positive impact on mental health. After 20-30 minutes of exercise, our bodies release endorphins – happy hormones. Remember though; it takes at least 2 weeks of a consistent exercise routine to feel the benefits of those endorphins. So don’t feel deflated after a couple of days if you don’t experience that exercise ‘high’ you’re expecting”.
Short But Sweet
So what are some of Mark’s final tips for getting going with short but sweet, weekly exercise routines? “The first thing to remember is to stick to that 30-minute timeframe. Anywhere above 45 minutes and you actually start to lose the key benefits of exercise. Secondly, incorporate more than one type of exercise into your routine. Your body (and mind!) will thank you for it. And thirdly, don’t go at it alone – try and consult with a trainer initially before deciding on your routine. And if you can find a training partner, all the better – workout buddies are a great motivation on those hard days!”
