Just 20 mins a day...

How Can I Start Getting in Shape in 20 Minutes a Day?

Interval training is the shortcut to exercise and fitness. If you can spare just 20 mins a day, then 20 minutes of exercise a day is enough to seriously improve your fitness.  Interval training is included in the Spin Classes I attend.  We climb for say 2 minutes on moderate resistance, then drop the resistance and sprint, flat out, for a minute....timings vary from class to class.  Do you know what interval training is all about or how to get started? This is what you need to know....

Interval training is a great way to fit the recommended 30 minutes of exercise, five days a week, into a busy schedule. Basically, it compacts your workout into short, intensive bursts so you can get them done in 20 minutes. A recent study suggests you can use interval training in place of regular exercise. The study also suggests you can get started right away even if you're out of shape. We'll take a quick look at interval training and then check out a few exercises you can do without a gym.

The Basics of Interval Training

In simple terms, interval training means: Push yourself almost as hard as you can for a little while, then pull back and rest for a little while, and then repeat. So, if you're jogging, you push yourself near you maximum for one minute, then turn down and lightly jog for another minute.

Or what I do when I'm on the treadmill, jog along at a pace of about 8.8 for 3 mins & then increase the speed to 13 (running pace) for 40 seconds, and then I return to the 8.8 for another 3 to 4 mins and repeat.  I do this for 20 mins...I have to admit that I hate it because I hate jogging/running... but it works.

What does maximum mean exactly? It's different for everyone, but it's gauged on a 1 to 10 scale, where 10 is somewhere around, "My lungs are on fire and I can't feel my legs" and 1 is "I'm too lazy to change the channel." The scale is based on your heart rate and you can get a rough estimate of your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. Most interval training workouts want you to push yourself to around an 8 or 9, which is the equivalent to about 80% or 90% of your maximum heart rate. If you're 30 years old, your maximum is 190. 90% of that is 171.

Interval training burns the same amount of calories as (and possibly more than) a traditional workout. A lot of variations on the timing in interval training are out there, but here are two of the most popular.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): This has you pushing yourself at about 90% of your maximum for one minute and then resting for one minute. You repeat this 10 times for a total of 20 minutes.

Tabata: Tabata is the same idea, but shrinks down the time period. Here, you push to your absolute max for 20 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds. This is great if you have a hill in your neighbourhood where you run up the hill at full speed, walk down, and repeat. Like HIIT, you can integrate this into pretty much any workout.

Interval training can save you a lot of time and shrink your workout down to a short period that you can fit it into your day. Here are a few ideas for getting started with your workout.

No Gym Necessary

Alternating between jogging and walking or running and jogging is the easiest way to start interval training. It's simple and works no matter what shape you're in. The benefit is, instead of having to sustain a jog for 30 mins you only have to get in 10 mins of hard work. Start by jogging for a full minute, then slow down to a fast walk for another minute. Repeat this 10 times for a total of 20 minutes.
Even better, an exercise App like RunKeeper allows you to set timed intervals and prompt you to start and stop with a "coach".

Skipping

You have a few different options to use interval training in skipping. You can switch from jumping on both feet for a duration of time, to jumping on one. If you don't have the strength to handle that, one minute of jumping rope followed by one minute of running in place will also do the trick. Again, repeat this 10 times for a total of 20 minutes of exercise.

Running in Circles

If you wanted to, you could run around in circles for one minute, then walk backwards for one minute. As long as you push your body near the maximum 10 times in 20 minutes you're doing it right. As with any exercise, be careful. If you suffer from any heart conditions talk with your doctor before you start. Interval training is a great way to fit an entire workout into a very small section of time, and with new research suggesting it's just as good as a regular-length workout, it's probably not a bad idea to start doing it now.

So grab a friend or two for encouragement, and get going..
...let me know how you get on :)