Everyone sets and starts fitness goals in January, so the early weeks of the year can be rough at the gym. Long wait time for machines, limited floor space, even the size of the crowd can be daunting.
Then there's the busy-ness of work, which seems to increase in January. How can you make it to the gym, stay on schedule, and get the most out of your trip in the time you have?
First Things First
Do whatever you must do at the gym. Leave the rest for home or office. Strength training with machines or free weights probably needs to be done at the gym. That's top priority.
You might save stretching and/or core work for home, for example, and fit them in around other things in your day or evening.
If the calf machine is busy the entire time you're at the gym, do calf raises later on a flight of stairs - indoors or outdoors.
What about the adduction machine? I have a Pilates ring and can use it for exercises that target the inner thigh. Do you have any forgotten fitness equipment - or floor exercises - you can substitute for a machine? Skip that machine and sub later.
Treadmills, ellipticals, and bikes may be tough to access at the gym these days. If you can find decent cardio equipment - say, your building has a good treadmill with 24-hour access - do it there. Just do at the gym whatever you might otherwise skip.
Obviously, this tip depends heavily on self-discipline. It's an approach I use frequently, but I count on many years of habit to complete my routine later. If you don't yet have the fitness habit, do whatever you're likely to skip before leaving the gym.
Strong suggestion: add whatever you omit to your calendar and treat it as part of your day's schedule. (Yes, it works!)
Better-Than-Nothing Is Better Than Nothing
I discovered the value of BTN workouts several busy holiday seasons ago when I had to "skimp" on cardio time.
To make it physiologically meaningful, of course, intensity is essential. Recent research shows the value - and some say superiority - of high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
Even busy days can accommodate a workout of 10, 11 or 12 minutes. To keep the numbers simple, let's say 10 minutes. This example uses a Stairmaster.
Once set, the Stairmaster screen shows 30 vertical columns (or rows). The duration of each row depends on the number of minutes you enter at the start. Entering 10 minutes makes each row 20 seconds long.
A Sample BTN Workout
Use the first 3 minutes as warm-up: the first minute (3 rows) easy, the next minute a little harder, and the next minute a little harder. Then start your intervals.
The intensity of each interval is up to you, but make it uncomfortable. It's short, so recovery is never far away. If you're a relative beginner, make the interval 20 seconds, then recover for 40 seconds. How much recovery you give yourself during the 40 seconds is up to you, as well.
It's obviously more challenging to limit recovery so that you get just enough to enable yourself to do the next interval - but do what you need to do for your fitness level.
An advanced variation is to do a very high-intensity interval for 40 seconds, followed by very limited recovery for 20 seconds.
Either way, you'll have time for 6 or 7 intervals, depending on cool-down time.
Never Fear, Resolution Fizzle Is Near
Don't worry about having to adjust your workouts forever. After a month or so, gym attendance will be back to normal.
You'll resume your usual training, but these tips can help whenever life gets hectic.
If you'd like help with your nutrition resolutions, weight loss or whatever they may be, I'm dedicated to helping. Please start by visiting http://www.FoodAddictionSolutions.com and grabbing your free copy of "3 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Trying To Quit Sugar."
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Joan_Kent/1748388
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