HOW TO FIT EXERCISE INTO YOUR ROUTINE
With 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions having hit the buffers by February, don’t be surprised if you’re struggling to stay focused on the goals you set out to achieve: to get fitter, perhaps lose weight and become generally healthier.
In fact, it’s unsurprising when we live such busy lives. Carving out time to hit the gym, go for a swim or attend an exercise class is difficult when you’re either tied to a desk or juggling childcare commitments. After a day of chasing around, you’re hardly to blame if you opt for a sofa and boxset rather than a session down the gym.
Life can be tiring and there are only 24 hours in a day but with a few tweaks you can fit in activity that will help you on your journey to a healthier lifestyle.
Fit in 30
You read it correctly. When it comes to improving your fitness levels, an intensive 30-minute class can be just as effective as an hour-long run. It’s also more manageable to fit a short training session into your day. While research has proven that exercising can make you more productive and improve levels of concentration, it really is win, win all round.
Make the most of your time
Recent research, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, showed that short bursts of intense exercise are more effective for weight loss than say a long walk. So if weight loss is your goal, a HIIT-style class like Extreme Interval Fitness will certainly help. The class includes short, intense, bursts of activity followed by short rest periods. Designed to increase metabolism, reduce insulin resistance, improve cardiac function and produce faster gains in endurance levels than steady cardio training, you may also find that you’re burning calories 48-72hrs later. So you’ll reap the rewards in half the time.
Work your body and mind
If you’d prefer not to be left sweaty and breathless then a class that works on your body strength such as Functional Fitness could be a worthy alternative. During a typical session you might use resistance equipment, hand weights or your own body weight to strengthen your muscles. As well as improving your balance, posture, muscular endurance and flexibility, you’ll be giving your mind a workout as you focus on staying balanced and maintaining a good posture throughout.
Jump in the saddle
If you’d rather take the weight of your feet, then jump on the saddle for 30-minutes at a Group Cycle class. Devised to provide an intense aerobic workout with variety similar to interval training, cycling uses the resistance of the bike to increase or decrease the aerobic difficulty of the workout and the overall impact on your muscles. It also means you can tailor the session to your own fitness level, increasing the intensity by standing and pedalling or upping or reducing the bike’s resistance levels. So why not take 30 and try a cycle class?
Build strength
Alternatively, 30-minute options include Cardio classes, created to get your heart rate going and your blood pumping, and our Strength and Conditioning sessions, which are more about increasing physical strength through weight-bearing and resistance activities.
FIND A CLASS THAT WORKS
Be it before work, during your lunch break or while the kids are at school, find a workout to suit you. Even if you’re time poor, you’ll be amazed what you can achieve with the right direction.
