Quick But Effective Workouts
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With only 24 hours in a day, it can be difficult to fit everything in a daily schedule of work, school, family time and other commitments. With these busy schedules, exercising may become a task that can be put aside until you feel you have more time. However, as Kenneth Cooper, MD, MPH, Founder and Chairman of Cooper Aerobics says, “if you cannot find time to exercise, you better find the time to be sick.” Every bit of movement you add into your day is beneficial. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, going for a quick walk in your neighborhood, parking farther away from the entrance to get in extra steps. These are all ways to move more in short amounts of time.
Planned workouts can also be short, yet effective. “Instead of an hour-long workout,” Sam Laceky, Professional Fitness Trainer at Cooper Fitness Center, says, “scheduling shorter workouts is beneficial in taking care of your health.” While you’re exercising for less time, quick workouts can be effective when you increase your intensity and resistance and make them a part of your daily routine.
Intensifying Your Workout
With a short amount of time available for a quick workout, it’s assumed you need to use your maximum speed throughout the entire workout. Rather, Laceky explains it’s best to prioritize the intensity than finishing the workout quickly. Similarly to high-intensity interval training, these workouts require you to do intense movements in combination with short breaks.
If you cannot work at a high intensity (medications or medical reason) or are new to exercise, you may consider adding challenge to your workout by completing two to three exercises in a row (core – lower – upper) or using compound movements, for example starting with a squat, resting, followed by a row and resting again.
Warming Up Your Body
To make sure your body is well equipped for these intense workouts, it’s important to properly warm up your body. Laceky explains, “a warm-up isn’t just stretching your arms and legs; it’s about activating the muscles you plan on using in your workout.” For example, if your workout includes lunges or squats, you should warm up your lower body and hips.
In addition to warming up, knowing the proper form for these exercises is also key to avoiding injury and getting the most of your quick workouts. “At times, doing fast motions means poor form. Focusing on the correct form helps you to prevent injury and execute your exercises correctly,” says Laceky.
Measuring Your Progress
As with any exercise program, you can become accustomed to the intensity of your workouts. Laceky shares, “you need to transition or evolve your workouts based on your fitness needs and goals and how you feel that day or week. If you stick with the same workouts, you’re not challenging yourself or your body.” You’ll reach a plateau hindering your progress—for example, strength, endurance or weight loss.
Wearable fitness technology, such as Myzone®, Fitbit® and Apple Watch, is a great way to monitor and track your exercise intensity and progress. These devices allow you to see your heart rate zone, a form of measurement that reads your maximum heart rate and identifies the level of intensity you reach during your workout. For short workouts, Laceky recommends exercising at an 85%-90% intensity. For a less intensive workout, 65%-75% intensity is recommended. Learn how to track and read heart rate zones with the Fitness Files article Tracking Heart Rate During Exercise.
Exercises to Consider
Creating a quick workout depends on your fitness needs and goals and should vary based on how you feel that day or week. The main component to a quick workout involves push exercises, pull exercises, squats, lunges, hinges and carries. “If you add at least one of each component, you’ll be able to work the upper and lower body, core and engage grip strength, providing you with a balanced workout,” says Laceky.
Laceky also shares the following recommendations to help broaden your movements and continue your balanced workouts:
- Two to three sessions of resistance training per week
- 150 minutes of cardio weekly
- Balance exercises for upper and lower body
Watch Mary Edwards, MS, Fitness Director at Cooper Fitness Center, as she demonstrates a Quick & Effective Workout: Core, Lower, Upper, Upper workout pairing core exercises with upper and lower body exercises.
Additional Resources
Creating a Habit
Making time for these quick workouts can be beneficial to your health and overall well-being. “It may take a few weeks to a few months for exercise to become a habit, but being consistent and continuing to work out multiple times a week can make a big difference to your life,” says Laceky. Finding a buddy who can be a part of these workouts is an excellent way to stay consistent and accountable.
Adding a quick workout to your daily routine can be the first step to prioritizing and improving your health. “Take full advantage of your time; your health is an investment in your future,” says Laceky.
For more information about professional fitness training at Cooper Fitness Center or to schedule a session with a trainer, visit cooperfitnesscenter.com or call 972.233.4832.