I HATE WORKING OUT. I hate it. The problem is, even if I can get myself to go one time, the pain of that one time is so strong that it keeps me from going back for another two months.
But it doesn’t have to be like that, and the sooner I find a way to work out, the sooner my body and my older self will thank me.
We’re never going to enjoy working out. You’re not supposed to. What we’re looking for is a way to trick our minds into enjoying it — or at least not hating it so much we can’t get ourselves to go.
Something Mel Robins said in one of her videos was that a lot of times she’d skip the gym because she didn’t have the time. The idea of needing an entire hour is what also turns so many of us off. But what if you only needed 15 minutes? That doesn’t seem so bad.
Let me introduce you to high-intensity interval training – short workouts involving brief bursts of intense activity, followed by longer intervals of gentle recovery. It’s more effective than longer periods of moderate exercise.
According to Women’s Health Magazine, researchers found that a 10-minute workout, with just one minute at high-intensity, had the same benefits as 45 minutes of jogging.
One group of study participants did a two-minute warm-up on a stationary bike, followed by a 20-second sprint, then rode slowly for two minutes. They repeated that sequence two more times for a total of 10 minutes. The other group just rode steadily on the bike for 45 minutes. After 12 weeks, both groups showed a 20 percent increase in cardiovascular endurance.
Scientists from the European Society of Cardiology evaluated study participants over a 12-year period, and found that those who exercised at a low level (or the equivalent of a 15-minute brisk walk) were 22 percent less likely to die during the study period than those who didn’t exercise at all. And participants who exercised at medium and high levels reduced their risk of death by 28 percent and 35 percent, respectively.
Weight-bearing exercise prevents muscle loss while strengthening bones. You can lift heavy weights or lighter weights, as long as you work until your muscles are exhausted. After age 40, the outer layer of people’s skin dries and thickens, while the underlying layer sags, but regular exercise can restore a more youthful texture in both layers.
“A typical high-intensity workout lasts less than 15 minutes…but has been shown in multiple studies to provide health and fitness benefits that are the same as or greater than an hour or more of continuous and relatively moderate exercise.”
15 Minute Workout Routine You Can Do in 15 Minutes Flat
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a23842114/hiit-workout-routine/
