Do you know what most people do on their busy days/weeks?
Yes, you are right!
They miss their meals. Plus, they miss their 8-hour sleep.
But, before that, they skip their workouts. And, that's not acceptable no matter how busy you are.
A study conducted by the World Health Organization states that 1 out of 4 people worldwide do not do the recommended amount of physical activity. The most obvious reasons for this are lack of motivation and lack of time.
If you have been skipping your workouts frequently due to lack of motivation, we can’t help you much. You will have to figure out a solution yourself because no one else can motivate you enough other than your own conscience. But, if lack of time is an issue; you are not alone and we totally understand your situation.
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That's why we have come up with this article on alternative workout routines. Through this article, we want to make you understand that you don’t necessarily have to hit your home gym every day for 45 minutes at a specific time. If you are really busy on a project or during the festive season, you can still do some alternative workouts and keep yourself fit until you are ready to go back to your regular sessions.
When you are busy, instead of hitting the pause button, you should adjust the dial
The general approach towards exercise or diet is ‘either on or off’. There is no middle way. When there is a big project at work, we hit the ‘off’ button and when it’s time for making New Year resolutions, we hit the ‘on’ button.
Having guests at home? Going on vacation? Have an important meeting today? Need to visit a friend? Have lots of pending household chores? There are endless reasons why we keep hitting the ‘off’ button on our workout routine.
But, is it necessary to totally skip exercising on the days when you are busy?
How about having a dial instead of an on/off button? When you are busy, you can turn the dial down and exercise for as many minutes as you can and anywhere you can. When you are free, turn the dial up and spend as much time as you want in your home gym.
Doing multiple shorter workouts are better than not exercising at all
Say you have a very important meeting today and you are busy preparing for it. But, how about doing 20 quick pushups in your living room while mentally preparing for your meeting? You can store push-up bars and push-up handles under the sofa and use them when you want to get maximum benefit in the minimum possible time and reps.
20 pushups will hardly take 3-4 minutes but they will give your muscles at least a part of their daily dose of workout.
Think you can manage to spare 3 more minutes? Why not do a set of 20 pull ups right in your living room using a screwless doorway pullup bar.
Managed to get home early after the meeting? Why not head out for a run? Or do kettlebell swings right in your living room or home gym?
Why not buy a foldable treadmill and use it under your standing desk so your legs can do their work while your brain is doing its? Why not have an under desk elliptical and get your legs moving? How about taking a short break from work and doing some resistance band squats?
All we want to say is, if you are too busy to do your routine workout, don’t hit a stop/pause button altogether. Rather, keep doing short and simple exercises to just keep yourself moving.
Wondering if multiple short exercises are of any good?
Well, it depends on what you expect from them.
If you want to build stronger legs and well-defined quads like Arnold Schwarzenegger, they won’t be effective enough.
But then, missing your workouts every other day won’t work either!
If you want to grow stronger and stronger, you will have to be consistent with your workouts. You will have to improve your squats and you will have to work hard on enhancing your cardio strength. You will have to try to lift harder and opt for hardcore fitness programs such as the Insanity cardio, power, and Resistance workouts.
And, you obviously can’t skip your workout frequently.
But, if you are someone like us who wants to stay healthy and fit from the comfort of your home, short workouts are still better than no workout at all for days or weeks. They can help you burn some extra calories that you wouldn’t be able to burn otherwise. They can keep your muscles engaged and prevent them from becoming stiff due to lack of exercise. Plus, they can make it much easier for you to get back to your routine once you are available.
Don’t get addicted to short workout though
There are high chances that you could get addicted to these 5-minute 4 times a day workout plans because they are easier and fun. But, as we said above, they may not be enough to fulfill your daily recommended physical activity. You should opt for them only when you are really occupied and genuinely don’t have time to spend 45 minutes in your home gym in one go.
Exercising is a therapy for your mind and body. You must not rush through it unless that’s the only option you have.
Wrap up:
Quick workouts don’t seem interesting at first and most fitness experts do not recommend them.
That's because they are trained professionals who want to make you believe that ‘going hardcore’ is the only way to achieve good health. They are the flag bearers of the toxic gym culture. These are the people that make others feel that exercise is not a recreational activity but a punishment that you have to give yourself if you want to live an exciting life like them.
Don’t listen to them. Listen to your body and your mind. Exercise whenever you can and make your workouts fun, even if they are just for 5 minutes before heading for the office.
Excited? We are glad you are.
If you have any query or suggestion, do get in touch with us.
