If you feel like you have no time to exercise, join the club -- but not a gym, because who has a free hour a day for that?
Sure, some people love the gym and get there often, but the rest of us eat dry cereal for two days because we just can't part with the hour needed for a supermarket trip. Carving out any time to exercise with a busy career, kids, a spouse, or some combination of the three can seem a laughable proposal.
And even if you don't have time to exercise, the pressure to invest in expensive at-home equipment, DVDs, or programs is intense. Everyone wants to be fitter, but even planning an in-home exercise routine on par with a gym workout is a considerable time sink.
Ugh. So if you're looking to tone up but have no time for exercise, is there any recourse?
Fortunately, thanks to the internet, some fixes have arisen -- and there's even good news for the schedule-challenged on the subject of workout times and overall health benefit.
Studies have shown that brief, focused workouts are actually better than a long session of spin or Zumba -- in short, if you don't have time for exercise, you can still be on top of your fitness game.
So if you find that time to get to the gym is short, don't despair. There's a better, more streamlined way to approach physically fit goals!
No Time To Work Out, Investment Option
One controversial but hugely popular workout for people who are short on time but want an intense experience is Crossfit. Crossfit "boxes" (the name for Crossfit-branded gyms) are popping up everywhere, and while they don't come cheap, the workouts will definitely get you the most bang for your precious fitness minutes.
And while Crossfit is costly, adherents cite a supportive network of fellow Crossfit-ers to keep you on task.
Workouts are "scalable," which means even the very out of shape can adjust to manage the daily routines.
Some Time To Work Out, Cheaper Option
In general, the series of workout options known as High-Intensity Interval Workouts are gaining ground as the smart way to workout without gym membership.
Depending on your level of commitment and preference for accoutrements, you can spend from nothing to a small chunk of change on some small workout enhancers, and devise the perfect HIIT workout for your lifestyle.
No Time To Work Out, No Money For The Gym
World's Fastest Workout
Why?
Burns as many calories as a 40-60 minutes run.
Makes your body adapt and improve very quickly.
Increases metabolism for next 36 hours.
Takes only 4 minutes. Try to find an excuse not to spend 4 minutes to reach your goals.
Don't forget, HIIT workouts can be adapted for your lifestyle. For example, if you prefer running, spend 4 minutes alternating between 30-seconds of sprinting (run as if a hungry bear had already picked out your choicest bits) and 30 seconds of jogging will have the same effect. Forget the 4-hour body, this is 4 minutes!