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| 20 Minute At-Home Workouts |
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When you think about it, 20 minutes is not a long time. It's less than your average television sitcom and about the time it takes to make a frozen dinner. If you have trouble getting into a regular fitness routine, 20 – 30 minutes a day at least three times a week is a perfect place to start. The time commitment means you can easily fit it into your busy schedule, whether before or after work. Not only is it a great way to burn calories, you will find yourself having more energy and better able to make exercise part of your daily routine.
Here are a few simple ideas for getting fit in the time it takes to figure out what you're going to watch on TV. Shake things up and keep it varied. If you get bored with workouts easily, do a combination of different things and use your mood as a gauge to see what you fee like doing on a daily basis. Remember, it does not matter what you do, just as long as you're doing something. The goal is to make exercise an essential and manageable part of your regular schedule.
Take a walk
If the weather is nice, why not go for a walk? Walking is a great low-impact workout and as long as you have a pair of comfortable walking or running shoes, that's really all you need. If you want to walk your way to a better body, you may want to get a pedometer to measure both distance and the approximate number of calories burned.
Circuit training
Develop your own or find one created by a fitness professional or trainer. If you have free weights, incorporate these into your circuit workout. You may also want to include abdominal work, crunches done alone or with fitness balls. Push-ups, lunges, you name it. A combination of light free weights and basic exercise moves requiring little to no equipment can tighten and tone. Since you will be doing these in circuits, say 60 seconds on, 30 seconds rest, before moving onto the next exercise, you will be raising your heart rate, too, so you will be including light cardio into your strength training. This can give you an edge when you’re trying to burn fat while developing muscle tone.
Invest in a cardio fitness machine
There are plenty of treadmills, elliptical machines, stationary bikes and stair climbers priced for every budget. If you are serious about making exercise a part of your life, you may consider investing in one of these fitness machines for working out in the comfort of your own home. For some people, they are more likely to workout if they can exercise without the usual hustle & bustle of the gym.
Pop in a DVD
Many of today's fitness DVDs are designed for busy schedules. They offer a combination of workouts, sometimes in varying lengths. Opt for a workout DVD with a combination of shorter workouts rather than one long fitness routine. This allows you to add a bit of diversity in your routine, meaning you should be more likely to stick with a steady fitness regiment. If you buy a few different DVDs, you can alternate what kind of workout you're doing every day to maximize both your interest and results. Focus on stretching and strengthening with yoga or pilates one day, followed with a heart-pumping cardio dance or tae bo workout the next.
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