I Don't Have Time to Exercise, What to Do?

This is a question I get asked regularly at the clinic and the easy answer is “it depends”. Depends on what? It depends on how old you are, what your fitness level is like etc, etc, most importantly it depends on what your goals are. Any exercise program should be specific to your particular goals and therefore there is no one size fits all exercise programs.

I am Too Busy to Exercise

As you get older, your goals around exercise are probably different than when you were in your 20’s. The time you have to devote to exercise is maybe less than when you were younger yet you recognize that the importance of making time is greater than when you were younger.

If this sounds like you, then like me, you want to get the best return on your time and effort investment. To do this there are some basic guidelines that I follow for my own exercise regime. These may work for you or they may not, depending on your specific circumstances.

Have both resistance and HIIT training in your program.

HIIT training stands for High-Intensity Interval Training and over the past several years it is a good recommendation for those who are short on time but are interested in modifying or maintaining a leaner body composition.

There are several ways to structure a HIIT style of workout but the thing they all have in common are short burst periods of difficult to very difficult activity followed by a period of rest or recovery. One Common formula is called a Tabata workout.

The Tabata formula is 20 seconds of intense (nearly all out) exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest. Do this for 8 rounds which adds up to a total of a 4 min program. Sounds easy right, nope if you are doing it right it is a long 4 min.

The nice thing about this formula is that it doesn’t matter what your 20 seconds of exercise is. Running 20 on 10 off no problem, Stairs? Yup, how about Burpees? Sure thing. Almost any exercise can be incorporated in the HIIT formula.

Now everybody’s goals will not line up with HIIT training. For example, if you want to run a marathon or deadlift 300+ lbs, HIIT is not the best method of exercise for you. But, most people just want to be healthier, lose a bit of weight, and put on a bit of muscle, and HIIT is great for these goals.

Where can I go locally to exercise outside?

Elm creek park reserve is a great place to exercise outside. They have great trails for running, walking, and biking. The reserve is between Dayton, Camplin, and Maple Grove.

If you are looking for a gym, Fuse Fitness in Champlin, Get it Done Fitness in Osseo, and Crunch Fitness in Maple Grove are all great.

Home exercise:

Sometimes this is the only option life is busy and it can be hard to schedule a workout. So what to do? Put the kids to bed and watch an exercise video. Beach body is a great option. There are also many youtubers who have great guided workouts. Just type “at home workout” into youtube and pick on that looks fun.

If you want more specific guidance, we do offer at home workout programming.

Where you go is not nearly as important as just getting started. Resistant exercises and HIIT style workouts can be, and should be challenging but not scary. Make sure you consult with a health care provider before starting any type of intense exercise. But once start you won’t look back because you will be too busy doing the stuff you want to do and feeling great doing it.

We recognize that you have a choice of who you trust with your Chiropractic care and would like to thank you for placing your trust and confidence in Chirostrength Twin Cities.