Hectic schedules and workouts don't often go hand-in-hand so it is often that I find myself with a break that is seemingly too short for exercise. This has been happening more lately as it seems that I have developed the mental block of "if it's not at least an hour, it's not worth doing." That attitude has got to change.
Yesterday was frigidly cold and I did not even bother trying to run outside (I left Canada so that I would not have to deal with cold like that). But my fatherly obligations in the evening meant I would not be able to get to the gym either, so I was determined to get a ride on my trainer. Between getting each kid to bed my window of opportunity opened, although it was only a half-hour window. Do I bother to ride for just 30 minutes, or do I just call it a rest day?
In the end I opted for the ride. Since I wasn't riding for too long I focussed on keeping my cadence high, occasionally dropping into the highest gear for some resistance. The result was a good workout that got my heart-rate going and worked my legs, but only took 30 minutes. Afterwards I felt great, and was so energized I ended up getting a lot of other things done that I would not have if I had just sat on the couch.
This got me thinking about what other times I have during the day that I could squeeze in exercise. What is not enough time for a workout, and is there even such a thing? Got a half-hour? Try a quick ride or hill repeats! How about 15 minutes? Pushups, planks and core! I'm beginning to feel that there are many opportunities for exercise that I am missing out on just because of my preconceived notions of what is "worth the effort." Time, after all, is not on our side and we have to make the most of what we have!
3 comments:
I find that even the briefest of workouts improves the rest of my life markedly. Sure, we'd all like to duck out for a couple hours but sometimes you just can't make that happen. Even a short run helps me feel better, clears my head and lets me be more productive. I think your idea of doing push-ups, planks, sit-ups etc. with any shorter blocks of time is perfect.
~stubert.
http://www.runsturun.com
LOL---I COMPLETELY understand thinking that is a "30 minute" workout even worth it. :)
It's that thing called "distance perspective". We tend to lose it after going for sickeningly long distances. :)
It is great to read some of the information and feedback, here. I hope to read more ideas in the future!!!
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