|
|
|
With the holiday season upon us, it becomes increasingly harder to find time to work out. With increased social demands from family, friends, and work, keeping up with those regularly scheduled exercise sessions can get tougher and tougher.
One thing you don’t want to do is to totally stop working out during the holidays. One option might be to opt for shorter routines spread throughout the day (mornings, afternoons and evenings).
Currently the American College of Sports Medicine recommends that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise each week for health benefits. Some examples of aerobic exercise are walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, stair stepping and elliptical.
You can meet this recommendation with 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five days per week or 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise three days per week. You can get your daily exercise in one continuous session or multiple shorter sessions, as long as the shorter session last at least 10 minutes.
There are two basic ways to measure exercise intensity: how you feel and your heart rate. Today we are going to focus on how you feel.
Moderate-intensity exercise should feel somewhat hard. Your breathing should speed up, but you should not be out of breath. You should develop a light sweat after 10 minutes, and be able to carry on a conversation.
Vigorous exercise should feel challenging. You should begin to sweat after the first few minutes of activity. You shouldn’t be able to say more than a couple words without having to pause for a breath.
Strength training is another activity you will want to include in your shorter workouts as well. One great way to accomplish this is through circuit training. To do this, select 10 exercises from all the major muscle groups — thighs, calves, hips, upper and lower back, abs, chest, shoulders and arms — and perform each exercise for one minute or to fatigue, whichever comes first.
Time between exercises should be minimal — just enough time to get to the next exercise. Many exercises can be performed at home with body weight only without special equipment or weights. For single leg exercises, perform right side for 30 seconds, then switch to left side for 30 seconds. Check out www.exrx.net for exercise descriptions. I encourage you to seek the advice and instruction from a qualified professional for exercise techniques.
Here is a suggested workout schedule:
Monday: Three 10-minute moderate-intensity aerobic sessions
Tuesday: One 10-minute strength circuit
Wednesday: Three 10-minute moderate-intensity aerobic sessions
Thursday: Three 10-minute moderate-intensity aerobic sessions
Friday: One 10-minute strength circuit
Saturday: Three 10-minute moderate-intensity aerobic sessions
Sunday: Three 10-minute moderate-intensity aerobic sessions
Monday: Two 10-minute vigorous-intensity aerobic sessions
Tuesday: One 10-minute strength circuit
Wednesday: Two 10-minute vigorous-intensity aerobic sessions
Thursday: One 10-minute strength circuit
Friday: Two 10-minute vigorous-intensity aerobic sessions
Make sure to incorporate a warm-up before exercising and a cool down and stretching after completing the workout. A warm-up consists of 5-10 minutes of gradually increasing intensity of exercise, such as walking or a slow jog, to prepare the body for more intense activity.
A cool down gradually brings the body back to a near resting state. Take a few minutes at the end of the cool down to stretch the muscles that were used in the work out. Stretching will help your body relax and increase flexibility.
By staying mindful of these few simple methods to stay fit during the holidays, you’ll feel better, look better, and maintain your hard earned level of fitness during one of the busiest times of the year.
Editor’s note: Tom Davis is an exercise physiologist with the Army Physical Fitness Research Institute Annex at the Command and General Staff College.
With the holiday season upon us, it becomes increasingly harder to find time to work out. With increased social demands from family, friends, and work, keeping up with those regularly scheduled exercise sessions can get tougher and tougher.
One thing you don’t want to do is to totally stop working out during the holidays. One option might be to opt for shorter routines spread throughout the day (mornings, afternoons and evenings).
Currently the American College of Sports Medicine recommends that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise each week for health benefits. Some examples of aerobic exercise are walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, stair stepping and elliptical.
You can meet this recommendation with 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five days per week or 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise three days per week. You can get your daily exercise in one continuous session or multiple shorter sessions, as long as the shorter session last at least 10 minutes.
There are two basic ways to measure exercise intensity: how you feel and your heart rate. Today we are going to focus on how you feel.
Moderate-intensity exercise should feel somewhat hard. Your breathing should speed up, but you should not be out of breath. You should develop a light sweat after 10 minutes, and be able to carry on a conversation.
Vigorous exercise should feel challenging. You should begin to sweat after the first few minutes of activity. You shouldn’t be able to say more than a couple words without having to pause for a breath.
Strength training is another activity you will want to include in your shorter workouts as well. One great way to accomplish this is through circuit training. To do this, select 10 exercises from all the major muscle groups — thighs, calves, hips, upper and lower back, abs, chest, shoulders and arms — and perform each exercise for one minute or to fatigue, whichever comes first.
Time between exercises should be minimal — just enough time to get to the next exercise. Many exercises can be performed at home with body weight only without special equipment or weights. For single leg exercises, perform right side for 30 seconds, then switch to left side for 30 seconds. Check out www.exrx.net for exercise descriptions. I encourage you to seek the advice and instruction from a qualified professional for exercise techniques.
Here is a suggested workout schedule:
Monday: Three 10-minute moderate-intensity aerobic sessions
Tuesday: One 10-minute strength circuit
Wednesday: Three 10-minute moderate-intensity aerobic sessions
Thursday: Three 10-minute moderate-intensity aerobic sessions
Friday: One 10-minute strength circuit
Saturday: Three 10-minute moderate-intensity aerobic sessions
Sunday: Three 10-minute moderate-intensity aerobic sessions
Monday: Two 10-minute vigorous-intensity aerobic sessions
Tuesday: One 10-minute strength circuit
Wednesday: Two 10-minute vigorous-intensity aerobic sessions
Thursday: One 10-minute strength circuit
Friday: Two 10-minute vigorous-intensity aerobic sessions
Make sure to incorporate a warm-up before exercising and a cool down and stretching after completing the workout. A warm-up consists of 5-10 minutes of gradually increasing intensity of exercise, such as walking or a slow jog, to prepare the body for more intense activity.
A cool down gradually brings the body back to a near resting state. Take a few minutes at the end of the cool down to stretch the muscles that were used in the work out. Stretching will help your body relax and increase flexibility.
By staying mindful of these few simple methods to stay fit during the holidays, you’ll feel better, look better, and maintain your hard earned level of fitness during one of the busiest times of the year.
Editor’s note: Tom Davis is an exercise physiologist with the Army Physical Fitness Research Institute Annex at the Command and General Staff College.
