Shorter Workouts More Often—Does Less Really Amount to More?

Whether you want to burn fat or improve your endurance, shorter workouts are all the rage—and perfect for any overworked, busy professional. Why? Because it allows you to ‘get the job done’ in an impressing short period of time.  Let’s weigh in the pros and cons so that you can fast track your way to a lean, toned body from head to toe.

HIIT May Be Here to Stay

With the pressing deadlines you have on your plate, errands you need to run and personal goals you want to accomplish, what chance does regular, consistent exercise have to show up (and stay there) in your life? A good chance, if you’re focused on High Intensity Interval Training. For anyone that doesn’t have the time to devote themselves to an hour (or longer) workout, focus on high intensity intervals.  Always start your HIIT workout with a five minute warm-up, and then push, lunge, and lift with everything you’ve got!  Spend 90 to 120 seconds on each machine, and give yourself a moment of rest in between each set.

The Benefits You May Have Forgotten About

Shorter workouts give you ‘more’ of a workout only if you’re willing to crank your intensity up a notch. Doesn’t a 30 minute workout sound better than a 90 minute one, especially if you can get the same results out of a shorter time pushing, lunging and sprinting? But like anything else in life, you’ve got to feel the burn. Put in the work, and you’ll reap the rewards of a sexy figure from head to toe. Here are some additional benefits of short, intense workouts you may not have thought about:

• Shorter workouts will give you that ‘runner’s high’ that boost your mood and make you feel downright invincible! The world is your oyster, and the gym is your playground!
• Short bursts of high intensity workouts will allow your body to have a greater sensitivity to glucose, creating the ability to be stored in your muscles instead of in you fat stores.
• Tired of boring, repetitive cardio? Studies show that short bursts of high intensity exercise are actually more effective than running on a treadmill or climbing your heart out on the Stairmaster.

Sure, you’re grateful for the body you have, but what are you really doing for it? When you work out with high intensity exercise, you improve your insulin response, boost your biceps, and rev up your metabolism. Now that’s doing your body some good!