
Studies show that even a 10-15 minute mini workout not only fires up your metabolism and stimulates productivity, but also helps keep you successful in adhering to your fitness goals. Designating 30, 45 minutes or even an hour to workout can be daunting and sometimes unacheivable in today’s busy world. By adding in mini workouys throughout the day you “trick” yourself into getting your workouts in, and some cases, actually exceed your goals. Besides the physical and mental benefits of these mini workouts what I believe is the most important aspect of this method is the psychological component.
Our brain associates positive connections to the habit of pursuing goals even if they are not fully attained. For example, if you were planning on getting 3 days a week of cardio for 30 minutes and you were only able to workout 2 days, your brain would apply a negative association to missing a day which makes it even harder to accomplish the following weeks. If during that same week you did four 15 minute mini workouts you would have completed an equal amount of cardio but your brain would associate positively to you exceeding the number of days that you worked out. This positive association to the habit makes it less likely that you will skip working out in the future.
Here are some tips for mini workouts. All can modified for injuries and intensity levels.
Tip #1 - 15 Body weight squats or 30 second wall sit followed by 5 minute walk
Keep knees in line with toes and gradually increase depth on squats or wall sits. You can increase difficulty by holding a light dumbell at chest level. Repeat sequence twice.
Tip #2 - 30 Shoulder circles balancing on 1 leg or sitting on exercise ball with 20 second planks
Complete 2-4 sets, walking for 2 minutes in between each set. Switch legs each set and reverse direction on shoulder circles for variety. Plank can be done on the exercise ball for more intensity or wall for less intensity.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit” ~ Aristotle
Tip #3 -20 Push ups with 3 flights of stairs
This is my go to on the road (using a lot of towels on the hotel floor). 20 push ups with 3 flights of stairs. Do 3 sets. Again, push ups can be modified with knee push ups or wall push ups and stair flights can also be adjusted for fitness levels.
These are just a few examples but the possibilities are endless and can be modified for any fitness level.
Create the habit of working out
Remember, consistency is the key. Don’t let a preordained amount of time for working out or level of intensity stop you from achieving your fitness goals and creating the exercise habit. We at MFS are here to help you reach those goals and hopefully create new ones. Call 847-265-5380 or email info@mfsfitness.com for more information on how we can help.
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