Quality Over Quantity
Tips to improve your long- term health and wellness
More does not always equal better in the fitness world. Within the health and wellness field, more can often lead to undesired outcomes and frustration, as well as burn- out. If we can find a way to exercise more efficiently in less time with even better results, then we can free up time to spend with family and friends and bring a positive balance into our busy lives.
Individuals tend to think that longerduration workouts are better. For example, if they can work out for two hours, they feel efficient; but anything less than that is unproductive to them. They also think more total volume— more reps, more weights and more physical effort— within a workout is better. Although we do need to vary our routines and adjust duration and volume to fit our needs, exercisers with limited time will greatly benefit from short, quick and intense workouts. The benefit is that you can usually complete your session in less time because of the lower total volume and recover physically much quicker. This kind of workout keeps your metabolism fired up throughout the day.
Remember to focus on quality, not necessarily quantity. It would be much better to exercise for 30 to 45 minutes with a channeled focus and intensity than to exercise for two hours at half speed with a lack of urgency. Find a way to make your workouts count, and you will be pleasantly surprised with the effectiveness of a 30or 40- minute session.
Here are some ways to optimize your workout. Alternating between very short periods of work, followed by very short periods of rest, is very effective at fat burning. A Tabata- style workout, created by Japanese scientist Izumi Tabata, includes alternating between periods of 10 to 20 seconds of physical work, followed by 10 to 20 seconds of rest. A great example would be swinging a heavy kettlebell between your legs. You could essentially repeat this for 20 to 30 minutes and be finished with your total- body workout, which included both cardiovascular and muscle toning.
When traveling, it is essential to have a “go- to” mini workout routine you can complete with virtually no equipment at all in less than 10 or 15 minutes. This routine should consist of squats, modified pushups, lunges, planks, dips, wall- sits, jumping jacks, jump squats and mountain climbers to name a few. Completing them in a circuitstyle fashion with little to no rest in between will surely give you a quick workout and keep you on track.
Remember, a short and intense workout is better than nothing at all, and most importantly it will help keep you motivated, accountable and on track for long- term health and wellness.