U.S. Air Force/Abner Guzman
Getting to the gym can be a challenge for anyone in today’s world. With work and personal tasks in the way, some give up before trying. Fortunately, microworkouts are aiding those looking to quickly lose some pounds in their own time.
Workout wherever you want
From your office to your bedroom, microworkouts can take place anywhere. These quick bursts of exercise have been useful for those struggling to have a steady gym schedule. “It’s definitely better than nothing. It fills the gaps between training in the phases of your life when you’re crushed with work or family stuff,” performance and conditioning coach David Jack told Men’s Health.
Microworkouts feel familiar to those engaged in another popular workout. “The idea behind micro workouts is based on HIIT, or High Intensity Interval Training. HIIT interval training is all about short bursts of high-intensity activity followed up an active rest period. All of these workouts are designed if you have limited equipment availability,” trainer Michael Massetti told Bustle.
So many kinds of microworkouts
A wide array of microworkouts are available for all types. If you enjoy running, one 10-minute sprinting exercise can fit into your schedule. After three minutes of light activity, sprint for 20 seconds. Following two minutes of activity, engage in another 20-second sprint. Continue doing this three times before taking a two-minute rest. As an alternative, sprint up and down the stairs for a full minute.
If you’re watching TV, there’s plenty of ways to work your muscles. During commercial breaks, engage in overhead punches or tricep dips until your program is back on. You can even do leg raises while you’re on the couch.
Tabata is easily one of the most common types of microworkouts. For 10 minutes, engage in eight 20-second sets of exercise with 10 seconds of rest between each set. With Tabata, you can insert any type of exercise, including squats, burpees, and lateral slides. The workout is named after Dr. Izumi Tabata, who used it on students back in the ’90s. “After four minutes’ hard exercise they were wiped out. But after six weeks they saw the results and were surprised. We all were,” he told The Guardian.
Is this a good replacement for the gym?
As expected, people have been questioning the legitimacy of microworkouts. Could something so short deliver the same punch as a normal workout? Personal trainer Marc Coronel stated that it’s not a proper replacement. “Any movement is good movement, but if you think that slipping these activities into your day will replace a workout’s benefits overall, then I have bad news for you. It probably won’t work that way,” he told My Fitness Pal.
Being able to bring a slice of the gym experience home or at work is beneficial. It can help de-stress you after a rough meeting at the office. It can also give you confidence before an important decision. These quick five to 10 minute exercises can only go so far, though. Inserting them in-between time at the gym can help boost your stamina.
It’s all about feeling good
While it might seem minuscule to some, microworkouts can be a good jumping point. These quick exercises could get folks motivated to hit the gym regularly. For most trainers, though, it’s the thought that counts. “The bottom line is that every step in the right direction is worth taking. It should never be all or nothing, as there is no such thing as the perfect diet or the perfect training regimen. We are human. We are busy. We need to practice balance and abandon the absurd notion of perfection,” Jillian Michaels told Oxygen Magazine.