Find the time for fitness

Find the time for fitness

In this day and age who isn’t strapped for time? With all the pressures placed on us by work, our families and our social lives, good health and nutrition can take a back seat. Quickly we find our weight loss goals slipping away.
Since you can’t spend hours at a time on the gym floor, in order to hit your fitness targets you need to learn the tricks of making the most of a 30 – 60-minute workout.

Heavier weights

If done correctly, you can limit your gym weights session to 30 to 40 minutes, but put in that extra effort and make sure you add a little more weight than you normally would. As you become used to this weight, bump it up, making sure you are always pushing yourself to your limit each session.

If you are a bit lost in the gym it is best to have a program designed for you. This will increase your chances of achieving results and cut out the time spent wandering around trying to work out what to do next.

Lift weights more slowly

You often see people rushing though their weights workout. However, if you make the movement slower you are actually working harder, as you are keeping the muscle in the working phase or under tension longer. This means you are getting a greater return from the one weights session.

High-intensity workouts

When you first start working out, try to build your strength and stamina slowly, setting new challenges (distance/ speed/ time or weights/ repetitions) constantly.
For the regular or experienced trainer, this is where working harder can save time. If you normally walk on a treadmill for an hour on level six, then you could add an incline (so it’s like walking up a hill) and increase speed, getting the heart rate up and burning through more calories in a shorter time.

Alternatively, get yourself into a group fitness class, where you will be burning between 1900 – 2500 kilojoules per hour.

Compound exercises
These are exercises that use more than one major muscle group at a time. This means you need to do fewer exercises to work the whole body. Consult a professional for a full routine.

Nutrition

A protein shake or soft fruit immediately after exercise allows you to make the most of the hard work you have just done, so you don’t have to spend additional time. Make sure you drink lots of water during the day — and even more during the workout itself.

One of the biggest excuses I hear when people are giving up on a fitness program is that they don’t have the time. But let me tell you — if you think you’re too busy to work out, you’re not. By working efficiently you can limit the time commitment required for your gym routine. So tell me — what are you really waiting for?

info: Paul Peroy is group fitness manager at Lifestyle Fitness Australia. For more fitness and nutrition information, visit www.lifestylefit.com.au

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