So many people are slaves to a busy schedule these days that it often seems impossible to work out regularly. However, an effective workout routine doesn’t have to mean an hour in the gym every day. There are ways you can work short but effective workouts into your busy, everyday life that will still yield results.
Once you adjust your perception of what it means to work out, it becomes less daunting. You can start with 20 minutes three days a week. It doesn’t sound like much but if you stay consistent, you will make progress.
If you’re unsure of how to start, consider finding an adjustable program like 30 Day Fitness. This is an inexpensive app that offers guidance and specialized plans for any schedule, lifestyle, and level of fitness.
How to Workout on a Busy Schedule
If you’re a busy person and you’re feeling overwhelmed, consider the following tips. Incorporating even these small changes will help you create more time and you’ll settle into your new routine in no time.
Start Waking up Earlier
Whether you do your work out immediately after waking up or not, getting out of bed earlier gives you more time during the day.
Even if you prefer to work out in the evening, you can get something else done in the morning, thus making more time for your work out later.
If this feels overwhelming, start by doing it twice a week. That’s the beauty of 30 Day Fitness and its flexible schedules - start slow and work your way up. Your personalized program can be adjusted to whichever days you wish to work out, you aren’t required to do something every day.
Work Out at Lunch
Dedicate part of your lunch break to working out. Even if it’s 15 or 20 minutes, you can find plenty of great short workouts for weight loss that you can fit in at lunch. By doing this, you get it done during a time you’d otherwise be sitting around, and your mornings and evenings remain free for other activities.
Find a Partner
If you have no motivation to work out, consider recruiting a friend or family member to join you on your fitness journey. Having someone to work out with comes with so many benefits.
First, you’ll find that workout motivation is much less elusive. You’ll be excited to work out because you’ll have someone there with you and you’ll get to spend time with them. If you can’t always meet up in person, you can at least commiserate with the other person and have something to talk about later.
It’s also great for accountability. When someone else is counting on you to show up, or at least complete the workout, you’ll be less likely to bail on it.
Complete a Challenge
If you’re struggling because your busy schedule leaves you with no motivation to work out, try committing yourself to one of the challenges offered by 30 Day Fitness. These challenges are created around specific goals - losing belly fat, getting toned, strengthening your arms, etc.
The challenges include 30 days of workouts, complete with instructions and timers to help you stay on track. Plus, each day only unlocks when you complete the previous day’s workout. This alone is motivation to keep going and check each day off.
Even though this method does require a daily workout for 30 days, it’s still less daunting than the thought of trying to go every day for the rest of your life. Get through the first 30 days, and you’ll feel more confident about the next 30.
Do the Right Workouts
Lastly, you must do the right workouts when your time is so limited. If you’ve only got 20 minutes, you need to make the most of every minute. For short sessions, one very effective way to work out is to do HIIT workouts. This stands for “high-intensity interval training” and it involves doing short but intense bouts of activity, followed by a very short rest period.
More studies and scientific information is coming out all the time to back up the efficacy of HIIT. Thus, lots of people are gravitating towards it as a way to get fit, lose weight, and increase their health overall.
If you’re looking to do a HIIT workout at home, though, don’t go into it blind. While HIIT is fantastic for so many reasons, you also need to be careful. If you try to work out at an intensity that isn’t suitable for your fitness level, you will do more harm than good.
Using 30-Day Fitness as your guide prevents this. Workout routines are sorted by target area, length, and difficulty. With these parameters, you can find exactly what you’re looking for and avoid over-exerting yourself. As you move up in both skill and fitness, the app moves with you, providing more advanced workout options.
Try This HIIT Routine
Below is an example of what you can find on the 30 Day Fitness app. This workout takes approximately 10-19 minutes to complete - perfect for your lunch break! It’s beginner-friendly and is a full-body workout.
If you don’t recognize the exercises mentioned - that’s okay! 30 Day Fitness includes both written and video instructions to help you learn the movements.
Warm-Up (two rounds):
- Swinging high kicks for 40 seconds
- High knees for 40 seconds
- Abdominal cocoons for 20 seconds
Two rounds of the following:
- Swinging high kicks 30 reps
- Rest 40 seconds
- Assisted pushups 15 reps
- Rest 40 seconds
- Crunches 15 reps
- Rest 40 Seconds
- Bent Knee Calf Raises 30 reps
- Rest 40 seconds
- Heel Touches 30 reps
- Rest 40 seconds
- Full-extension plank 30 seconds
- Rest 40 seconds
Cool Down (two rounds):
- Standing toe touch 15 seconds
- Child’s pose 15 seconds
- Standing lats stretch 30 seconds
If you’re using the app, each exercise will have a timer so you don’t have to worry about counting or keeping track. This 20 minute HIIT workout is available on the app along with hundreds of others.
As you progress, the exercises will become more intense and the rest periods will become shorter - sometimes only 15 seconds! As you can see, HIIT workouts are extremely adjustable, meaning you can reach your goals without even leaving the house or drastically changing your lifestyle.
Don’t Give Up
HIIT is a great method for those with busy schedules and limited time, but it’s not a miracle worker either. It still requires commitment and dedication. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see results right away. Keep at it and results will come.
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