If your running out of time to exercise today, you should just probably skip it, Right? wrong!
you reap the benefits of working out with sweats sessions as short as five minutes. You read
that correctly: five minutes. Still skeptical? Keep reading to learn about how micro workouts can boost your health and strengthen your body.
Can a 5-Minute Workout Be Effective?
Rob Fletcher, creator of "ANGT - America's Next Great Trainer," says that a simple five-minute exercise routine can make a big difference. In fact, he challenges his clients to a seven day jump-start challenge, where he asks them to set aside just five minutes each day to work out. He says this simple commitment helps to ignite healthy habit changes and promote a positive confidence boost.lp?
So, how many calories can you burn during a five-minute workout? It depends on how hard you work. Fletcher says that you can burn up to 20 calories per minute with a high-intensity interval workout.
But the real benefit comes after the workout is complete. An intense five-minute workout can help you burn more fat all day. Fletcher says that you experience the "afterburn effect" for up to 48 hours after an intense workout. Exercise physiologists call this post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). In simple terms, it means that your body consumes more oxygen and burns more fat and calories in the hours following an intense workout.
Set Up Your 5-Minute Workout
There are a few things you should do to set up your five-minute workout for weight loss. First, you should make sure that you are healthy enough for vigorous activity. Check with your doctor if you haven't exercised in a while, if you have any injuries or concerns about your health. Next, make sure that you are properly equipped for your fitness level.
A beginning-level, fat-burning mini workout doesn't require any special equipment. Most of the activities can be performed using your own body weight as resistance. But as you progress and become more fit, Fletcher suggests that you add medicine balls, dumbbells, or resistance bands to further enhance your "fat-burning furnace."
5-Minute Weight Loss Workout #1
Do each exercise for one minute. Rest 15 seconds between each activity.
Run in place
Jumping jacks
Burpees
Push-ups
Mountain climbers
5-Minute Workout #2
The second five-minute weight loss workout suggested by Fletcher is based on repetitions, not on time. Again, modify if necessary when you're first starting out. And remember to add resistance (dumbbells, resistance bands, or a medicine ball) as your fitness level improves.
5-Minute Weight Loss Workout #2
Perform 12 repetitions of each exercise. Repeat the sequence as many times as possible in five minutes.
Jump lunges
Jump squats
Push ups
Bicycle crunches
5-Minute Workout Tips
Even though you should be able to do some kind of physical activity every day, there will be occasions when you simply can't get the five-minute workout completed. So, should you ditch the weight loss workout plan completely? "Absolutely not!" says Fletcher.
"Never give up," he says. "The key is consistency. However, things do happen and days will be missed." He suggests that you refocus and stay the course. He also emphasizes the importance of healthy post-workout nutrition. He says that eating the right foods after exercise will help to keep you satisfied, so that your weight loss plan stays on track.
More 5-Minute Workouts
If you enjoy five-minute workouts and you're in the market for new exercise tools, find a tool that provides workouts on the go. Many new tech tools provide watch or ear-based sessions.
For example, the Jabra Sport Coach wireless buds might be a good investment. The Bluetooth-enabled earbuds connect with the Jabra Sport Life app and provide a series of guided mini-workouts that you can do while you listen to music. The weight loss workouts range from 3-6 minutes and can be modified or customized based on your fitness level and goals. You can also use the app and the earbuds to track and coach you through your other favorite activities like running, biking, or walking.
Several Fitbit products also provide exercise tools so you can get a 5-minute workout right on your wrist. Both the Versa and the Ionic have a coach app that you can use when you are short on time.
But you don't have to spend any money to create your own mini 5-minute workout. Simply put together a few of your favorite physical activities and time yourself as you complete them. You can jog up the basement stairs, lunge across your living room or hold a wall squat while you talk on the phone. You can even turn your housecleaning routine into a calorie-burning session.
As Rob Fletcher says, the key is consistency. Try to complete some type of activity each day to burn enough calories, so that you reach your goal and weight.
stay fit stay healthy