Better Health & Living
Quickie Workouts
Do 10-minute exercises 3 times a day, and you can lose 3 pounds in 3 weeks. Here's how.
Published in fitness •fast_fitness •METRO •METRO Story | 0 Comments, Talk about this article »
Don’t have 6 hours to exercise like the contestants on The Biggest Loser? Not a problem: You need only 10 minutes here and there to get great results. The proof: When University of Virginia researchers had 40 sedentary women ages 43 to 47 do 10-minute workouts three times a day for three weeks, the women lost an average of 3 pounds and experienced a 10 to 15 percent increase in overall fitness and a 40 to 100 percent increase in strength.
“The key,” says Chris Freytag, a personal trainer and star of The Express Workout: Belly, Butt, and Thighs DVD
Here are some 10-minute fitness strategies from Freytag and Tamilee Webb, also a personal trainer and star of the Tight on Time DVD series
Stuck at Home
If a rainy day or a sick child has you imprisoned, your workouts don’t have to suffer.
DIY indoor workout
Here’s my favorite grab-bag routine: I do three arm exercises in the morning, such as pushups, chair dips (sit on a sturdy chair and place the heels of your hands on the seat, move forward off the seat and lower your body by bending your arms to about 90 degrees, and then move back to your original position), and biceps curls with 8- to 10-pound dumbbells. I start off by marching for 2 minutes. Then I do a minute of pushups. I jog in place for 2 minutes; do chair dips for a minute, jumping jacks for 2 minutes, and biceps curls for 1 minute; and then jog in place for the final minute. At lunch I do the same, but I substitute three belly-blasting moves for the arm exercises. After dinner, I do one last set with leg exercises.
Screen it
The DVDs mentioned, above, are conveniently sectioned into 10-minute routines you can squeeze in at various times during the day. Or pop in any fitness DVD you own and work out for just the first 10 minutes, pause, and then take 10 later in the day when your schedule allows. Just be sure to warm up by walking or marching in place for 3 minutes or so.
On the road
Here are a couple of ways to keep your workouts on track when you’re traveling.
Waiting for a flight
Instead of hunkering down with a fashion magazine, take a stroll. “If you have a bag with wheels, don’t roll it,” suggests Webb. “Carry your luggage in one hand until it gets too heavy; then change it to the other hand. Continue until you’ve walked for 10 minutes.”
At the hotel
Do 10 minutes of stair climbing before breakfast. “Pump up your workout by stopping after 3 minutes and doing a series of heel raises for 15 seconds. Climb again for 3 minutes, stop to do wall pushups for 30 seconds, and then repeat,” says Webb.
At the office
Do these in the first 10 minutes of your lunch hour and on your breaks.
Join the band
Stash a 4- to 6-foot exercise band in your desk drawer for Freytag’s quickie workout. Grab your band and head outside. Walk for 2 minutes to warm up, then pick up the pace for 2 minutes. Pause and stand on the band with both feet, holding the ends in your hands, and do a minute of biceps curls. Walk at a brisk clip for another 2 minutes. Pause and stand on the band, bend forward from your hips, lock your upper arms close to your sides, and press back for a minute of triceps (back of arm) extensions. Walk for the last 2 minutes.
Cardio walk
“You’ll burn even more calories if you sneak small bursts of intensity into your walking routine,” says Webb. Try this: Walk at a moderate to brisk pace for 3 minutes. Next, walk fast (as if you’re late for a meeting with your boss) for 1 minute; then slow to a brisk pace for 2 minutes. Repeat your fast walk for 1 minute; then gradually decrease your speed for the final 3 minutes.
Seasoned health journalist Marianne McGinnis is also a certified personal trainer.
Related Articles
Walk This Way
Posted by Robin WarshawBest Picks For Your At-Home Gym
Posted by Marianne McGinnis3 Weeks To A Sculpted Body
Posted by Marianne McGinnisBeef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Posted by Meredith Deeds
» Advertisement «