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"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son... Matthew 28:19 - 20
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Three 15-minute workouts that you can do any time, any place Ask any person why they don’t work out, and chances are they'll respond: "I don't have time!" But contrary to popular belief, shorter workouts can have big benefits — and they're much more feasible if you're super busy." Squeezing in one to two 15-minute workouts daily, on your lunch break or before dinner: "Exercising increases your energy, so you accomplish more in less time. Plus, it improves the quality of your sleep, so you may not need to sleep as long," explains Calabrese. "And that leaves more time for fitness!" If you've been inactive, talk to your doctor before you start an exercise plan. Before beginning a workout, warm up for several minutes with an easy jog in place. A good guidepost for your exercise is not to go above an intensity As the temperature rises, it's easy to blow off a workout to stay cool and dry in front of the fan with a glass of iced tea. But by picking up the pace of your usual housework, and sneaking in some aerobic moves and toning exercises, you'll have a total body workout on your hands in no time (minus the sunburn)! The trick: Just try to get your heart rate up — exercise at a level no higher than you would rate as feeling "somewhat hard." Talk to your doctor about the right routine for you, but a good plan to start with is 30 minutes of aerobic activity on most days — try three to four times a week at first. When you get the hang of that, add strength training and toning exercises — go for three times a week. Always gradually warm up with mild calisthenics and light stretching before working out (you never want to over-stretch a cold muscle), and cool down by gradually tapering your exercise intensity. This is a good time to focus on flexibility exercises.
15 MINUTE QUICK, BUT EFFECTIVE WORKOUTS
Workout 1: Speed Toning
For 5 minutes: Get your heartbeat up by walking briskly or jogging up and down a flight of stairs. As you raise your fitness level, you can increase your speed on each flight up. Continue to descend each flight at a moderate pace. For a really great cardio workout (when you're physically up to it), do this for 15 minutes instead of 5.
For 10 minutes:
Legs: Sit toward the back of your chair. Lift one leg, extending your foot straight out, and hold for two seconds. Lower your foot down just short of hitting the floor and bring it back up again. Repeat 15 times on each leg.
Butt: Stand up tall and hold the back of your chair. Extend your right leg back and away from your chair as far as you're comfortable without having to bend your torso forward, and squeeze your butt for two seconds. Do the same with your left leg, lifting each leg 10-15 times.
Arms: While seated in a rolling chair, place both hands on your desk in front of you, about shoulder-width apart. Grip the desk, placing your thumb on the bottom and your fingers on the top. Slowly push yourself away from your desk and lower your head until it is between your arms. Then pull yourself all the way in while raising your head and back until your stomach touches the desk. Repeat 15 times.
Workout 2: Fast Footwork
Head outside or to an open hallway and begin walking. Accelerate your speed for one to two minutes until you reach your maximum speed. Then, slow your pace for a minute or two until you feel recovered. Repeat four times. If you feel you're able, gradually switch speed-walking for intervals of jogging or running. Be sure you're wearing supportive shoes, made for running or walking. Continue for 15 minutes.
Workout 3: Quick Cardio
Grab your jump rope (even if you don't have one, pretend). Jump as quickly as you are able on the balls of your feet for one minute. Then, jump side-to-side for two minutes. For the fourth minute, jump up and back. For the fifth minute, hop on your right foot twice, and then your left foot twice, alternating back and forth. Repeat this entire series two more times (for a total of 15 minutes).
Make "Me" Time
The phones ring, the kids are calling you, sometimes it seems impossible to catch a minute's breath. When everyone you know needs you for something or other, here's how to work in your much-needed private time. - Work out before your kids wake up, or do it after they go to bed.
- Make your workout part of your social life — do it with your buddies!
- Take the phone off the hook or let your calls go to voicemail. You'll
get back to whoever called later.
Have It All with Housework and Tone Your Zone
Who says you have to be at a gym to do toning exercises? Many of them require nothing more than your body, so while you bustle around the house doing chores, don't be afraid to stop and squeeze some reps in. Figure out what area you want to tone. Here are some indoor moves that'll get your housework done, too:
- Suck It Up. Vacuuming is great exercise, especially if you make a conscious effort to concentrate on tightening your muscles as you push out and pull back in the machine. Your carpets — and your biceps — will thank you for it!
- Squeaky Clean. Washing your windows makes for great stretching and toning exercises; the combination of up and down movements will work wonders on your arms and shoulders.
- Get Organized. Been putting off that major reorganizing project? Call it exercise and get it done! Take the contents of your pantry, book shelves, linen closets, etc. out, then reach up and put them back in, in order. You're getting in another great upper-body workout!
- Let's Go To the Videotape. Exercise tapes and DVD's are great utilities for rainy days and extreme heat. You can choose from beginner to advanced and pick a different video every day (yoga, aerobics, beginner kickboxing — just about anything you can think of), to challenge and motivate yourself. If you’re routine gets boring, pull out a fun one, such as salsa dancing or disco aerobics.
- Step to It. Instead of going to step class, use the steps in your house. Vary the moves: First, step up and down on the bottom step for two to three minutes; rest a minute or two and repeat. As an additional approach: Holding onto the handrail, walk up and down the first three stairs (great for butts and thighs). When you get the hang of that, try walking briskly up and down the stairs a few times (use the hand rail for support).
- Whistle While You Work. Crank up the music and take on the quick clean challenge. While you're at it, take little breaks to do these moves:
Stair Dips. Sitting on the bottom step, knees bent and leaning on your heels, put your weight on your hands and lift your body up and down 12 to 25 times to work out your chest, triceps and shoulders.
Rug Crunches. Lie on the carpet or rug with hands across your chest and your chin tucked; do 10 to 30 crunches, lifting your shoulders slightly off the ground and squeezing in your stomach muscles.
Wall Push-Ups. Do 10 to 20 push-ups — off the wall! Or do them the traditional way.
- Join the Circuit. Circuit training is a great way to burn calories. Walk in place at varying speeds for ten minutes. Follow with 10 minutes of toning exercises. Then, another 10 minutes of aerobic exercises (maybe a videotape), and the finish: 10 more minutes of toning.
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Rapid Rewards
No time? No equipment? No excuses. Our experts kick your training into overdrive with customized 30-minute workouts for every harried athlete.
By Ryan Brandt
Strength and Cardio
They say you can't cheat on training, but this intense workout—from Vancouver-based personal trainer Shaun Karp, who's spent more than a decade building fitness programs for pros like NHL veteran Petr Nedved and 21-year-old snowboard sensation Simon Chamberlain—qualifies as a shortcut. All time-strapped athletes will benefit from this full-body workout, which Karp devised for maximum strength and cardio payoff with minimum equipment (little more than a pair of dumbbells and a Swiss ball), so you can get real exercise even when you can't leave the house. Begin with five minutes of cardio—jogging in place, doing step-ups on a chair, or jumping rope—to get your heart rate to 60 to 80 percent of your maximum range. Then complete two sets of the following exercises in succession, transitioning without rest between each exercise into a 30-second cardio interval (your exertion level for these should be high). Use a weight that is challenging but doesn't compromise form. If you can complete the cycle in less than 30 minutes, add 15 or 30 seconds to each cardio interval.  |  | | Illustration by Jason Lee
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1. Alternate Lunges: Stand with dumbbells at sides. Step into a full lunge, step back, and repeat, alternating legs. Don't let your front knee go beyond your toes. 15 reps per leg 2. Hamstring Dead Lifts: Stand with dumbbells at sides. Keep your back straight while hinging at the waist until your upper body is parallel with the floor. Return to starting position. 10 reps 3. Two-Arm Rows: With knees slightly bent and back angled at 70 degrees, hold dumbbells extended toward floor and pull them up to hips. 10 reps 4. Swiss-Ball Press: Lying back side down on a Swiss ball, with knees bent 90 degrees and dumbbells at chest, extend arms vertically in a bench press. 8 reps  | | | Illustration by Jason Lee
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5. Bent-Over Lateral Raises: Start in the same position as two-arm rows, but bend elbows so dumbbells are in front of your knees. Raise arms to the sides, away from your body, maintaining bent elbows and straight back throughout. 15 reps 6. Ball Roll-Outs: Kneel with your hands on a Swiss ball in front of you. Slowly roll out onto the ball until your body is a straight plank, then return to starting position. Keep butt in and torso straight. 8 reps 7. Hip Lifts: Lie on your back on the floor, with arms at sides and legs pointing straight up in the air. Push your hips and legs up two inches off the ground with your lower abs. 20 reps
The Ultimate 30-Minute Workoutby Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS Here's the scenario: Your day is nuts; you can't get to the gym (or if you can you can't spend much time there); you've got a meeting in two hours, a kid to get off to school, phone calls to return and a refrigerator to fill by dinnertime. You've got 30 minutes tops. What do you do? 1. Blow off your workout and feel bad about it 2. Blow off your workout and feel okay about it 3. Maximize the 30 minutes you have and feel great about it If number three interests you, read on. You'd be amazed at how often I've heard people tell me that they didn't bother to work out because they didn't have enough time to do their usual routine. I've even said it a few times myself. So out of necessity, I began thinking about the best way to use a short amount of time. And in the process, I discovered a few things. Here's the main thing I found: You can do a whole lot in 30 minutes. That goes for whether you're a complete beginner, in which case 30 minutes may actually seem like a lot, or an advanced exerciser. This week I'm going to give you an intermediate-to-advanced routine that you can do at the gym. In future weeks throughout the year, I'll give you other 30-minute routines that can be done at home, outside, with equipment, without equipment and for different fitness levels, including beginner and advanced.
Here's a good intermediate gym-based routine. Warm-up (2 minutes on treadmill) Treadmill: 8 minutes at best speed. If you're used to cruising at level 4, make this a level 5. If you're used to 6, go for 7. It's time-limited, so push yourself. Lat pull-down: 15 reps Incline press: 15 reps Lat pull-down: 15 reps Incline press: 15 reps Treadmill: 3 minutes; push yourself Dumbbell curls: 15 reps Dumbbell presses (over the head): 15 reps Dumbbell curls: 15 reps Dumbbell presses: 15 reps Treadmill: 3 minutes; push yourself Tricep press-down: 15 reps Lunges with light dumbbells: 15 reps (each leg) Tricep press-down: 15 reps Lunges with light dumbbells: 15 reps (each leg) Treadmill: 3 minutes, moderate to light intensity (cool down in last minute) Abdominal crunches: 2 sets of 20 reps Light stretching: 3-5 minutes You can make this harder in the obvious ways (faster on the treadmill, heavier weights during the sets), but I'm not sure you'll want to (it's pretty tough the way it is, especially if you don't rest between exercises). You can also make it easier by going slower on the treadmill, decreasing the weights and doing 10 reps per set. You can make it easier still (though still challenging) by not repeating each of the two-exercise sets that fall between the treadmill intervals, or, alternately, by changing the short treadmill runs to 2 or 2.5 minutes each. Your workout would be shorter but still pretty darn effective and efficient.
BEGINNING A FITNESS WALKING PROGRAM
You know you want to begin a fitness program, but don't know where to start. It's easy! Walking is one of the easiest and most profitable forms of exercise. All you need is a good pair of shoes, comfortable clothing, and desire.
How to start: First of all, start out slow and easy. Just walk out the door. For most people this means head out the door, walk for 10 minutes, and walk back. That's it? Yes, that's it. Do this every day for a week. If this was easy for you, add five minutes to your walks next week (total walking time 25 minutes). Keep adding 5 minutes until you are walking as long as desired.
WATCH your posture. Walk tall. Think of elongating your body. Hold your head up and eyes forward. Your shoulders should be down, back and relaxed. Tighten your abdominal muscles and buttocks and fall into a natural stride.
Be sure to drink plenty of water before, during, and after walking. Incorporate a warm up, cool down and stretches into your routine. Start your walk at a slow warm up pace, stop and do a few warm up / flexibilty drills. Then walk for the desired length of time. End your walk with the slower cool down pace and stretch well after your walk. Stretching will make you feel great and assist in injury prevention.
The toughest thing about starting a fitness program is developing a habit. Walking daily will help (a minimum of 5 days a week is a good goal). You should walk fast enough to reach your target heart rate, but you should not be gasping for air.
After you have formed the habit you will want to evaluate your program and your goals. Here are some general guidelines:
If you are walking for the general health benefits try to walk 30 minutes a day, most days of the week, at a "talking" pace. (Talking pace means you have elevated breathing, but you can still carry a conversation.)
To improve cardiovascular fitness you should walk 3 to 4 days a week, 20 to 30 minutes at a very fast pace. At this pace you are breathing hard but not gasping for air.
If you are walking for weight loss you should walk a minimum of five days a week, 45 to 60 minutes at a brisk pace.
Once you can comfortably walk for 30 to 60 minutes 5 to 6 days a week you may want to put more "umpf" or speed into your routine. Follow these easy tips for walking faster (or for some real speed learn to racewalk).
Zero to Sixty in Twelve Weeks - An easy to follow schedule to get you walking 60 minutes in 12 weeks.
Notice: If you're new to walking, start off with slow, short sessions and build your way up gradually. If you have any health concerns or medical conditions, be sure to check with your doctor for advice before you begin a routine.
Walking Off Weight: Walking at a moderate pace for 30-60 minutes burns stored fat and can build muscle to speed up your metabolism. Walking an hour a day is also associated with cutting your risk of heart disease, breast cancer, colon cancer, diabetes and stroke. Isn't it time to work 1-hour walks into your busy lifestyle?
Burning Calories - How to Walk for Weight Control Weight is determined mostly by the balance of calories - how many you burn vs. how many you eat each day. To lose weight, you need to increase your activity to burn more and/or eat fewer calories each day. Calories and WeightA pound of fat equals 3500 calories. To lose 1 pound a week you will need to expend 3500 more calories than you eat that week, whether through increased activity or decreased eating or both. Losing 1-2 pounds of fat a week is a sensible goal, and so you will want to use the combination of increased activity and eating less that will total 3500 calories for 7 days. How You Burn CaloriesYour weight x distance = energy used walking. Time does not matter as much as distance. If you speed up to walking a mile in 13 minutes or less, you will be burning more calories per mile.
Why Exercise Is WiseYou've probably heard countless times how exercise is "good for you" but did you know that it can actually help you feel good, too? Getting the right amount of exercise can rev up your energy levels and even help you to feel better emotionally. Experts recommend that adults get more than 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. There are three components to a well-balanced exercise routine: aerobic exercise, strength training, and flexibility training. Rewards and BenefitsExercise benefits every part of the body, including the mind. Exercising causes the body to produce endorphins, chemicals that lead a person to feel peaceful and happy. Exercise can help some people sleep better. It can also help with mental health issues such as mild depression and self-esteem: If you feel strong and powerful, it can help you see yourself in a better light. Plus, exercise can give people a real sense of accomplishment and pride at having achieved a certain goal - like beating an old time in the 100-meter dash. Exercising can help you look better, too. People who exercise burn calories and look more toned than those who don't. In fact, exercise is one of the most important parts of keeping your body at a healthy weight. When you exercise, you burn food calories as fuel. If a person eats more calories than he or she burns, the body stores them away as fat. Exercise can help burn these stored calories. Exercising to maintain a healthy weight also decreases a person's risk of developing certain diseases, including type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. These diseases, which used to be found mostly in adults, are becoming more common in teens. Finally, it may not seem important now, but exercise can help a person age well. Women are especially prone to a condition called osteoporosis (a weakening of the bones) as they get older. Studies have found that weight-bearing exercise, like running or brisk walking, can help girls (and guys!) keep their bones strong. Aerobic ExerciseLike other muscles, the heart likes a good workout. You can provide it with one in the form of aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise is any type of exercise that gets the heart pumping and the muscles using oxygen (you'll notice your body using oxygen as you breathe faster). When you give your heart this kind of workout on a regular basis, your heart will get stronger and more efficient in delivering oxygen (in the form of oxygen-carrying blood cells) to all parts of your body. In addition to being active every day, experts recommend that teens get at least three 20-minute sessions a week of vigorous activity. If you play team sports, you're probably doing more than that recommendation, which is great! Some team sports that give you a great aerobic workout are swimming, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, hockey, and rowing. But if you don't play team sports, don't worry; there are plenty of ways to get aerobic exercise on your own or with friends. These include biking, running, swimming, dancing, in-line skating, cross-country skiing, hiking, and walking quickly. In fact, the types of exercise that you do on your own are easier to continue when you leave high school and go on to work or college, making it easier to stay fit later in life as well. Strength TrainingThe heart isn't the only muscle to benefit from regular exercise - most of the other muscles in your body enjoy exercise, too. When you use your muscles and they become stronger, it allows you to be active for longer periods of time without getting worn out. Strong muscles are also a plus because they actually help protect you when you exercise by supporting your joints and helping to prevent injuries. Muscle also burns more energy when a person's at rest than fat does, so building your muscles will help you burn more calories and maintain a healthy weight. Different types of exercise strengthen different muscle groups, for example: - For arms, try rowing or cross-country skiing. Pull-ups and push-ups, those old gym class standbys, are also good for building arm muscles.
- For strong legs, try running, biking, rowing, or skating.
- For shapely abs, you can't beat rowing, bike riding, and crunches.
Flexibility TrainingStrengthening the heart and other muscles isn't the only important goal of exercise. Exercise also helps the body stay flexible, meaning that your muscles and joints stretch and bend easily. People who are flexible can worry less about strained muscles and sprains. Flexibility can also help improve a person's sports performance. Some activities, like dance or martial arts, obviously require great flexibility, but increased flexibility can also help people perform better at other sports, such as soccer or lacrosse. Sports and activities that encourage flexibility are easy to find. Many high schools have gymnastics programs. Martial arts like karate also help a person stay flexible. Ballet, pilates, and yoga are other good choices. Warming up for a workout and doing simple stretching exercises after your workout also help you develop flexibility. What's Right for Me?One of the biggest reasons people drop an exercise program is lack of interest: If what you're doing isn't fun, it's hard to keep it up. The good news is that there are tons of different sports and activities that you can try out to see which one inspires you. When picking the right type of exercise for you it can help to consider your workout personality. For example, do you like to work out alone and on your own schedule (in which case solo sports like biking or snowboarding may be for you), or do you like the shared motivation and companionship that comes from being part of a team? You also need to factor in practical considerations, such as whether your chosen activity is affordable and accessible to you (activities like horse riding are harder for people who live in cities, for example) and how much time you can set aside for your sport. Too Much of a Good ThingLike all good things, it's possible to overdose on exercise. Although exercising is a great way to maintain a healthy weight, exercising too much to lose weight isn't healthy. The body needs enough calories to function properly. Remember that you're still growing and will continue to do so throughout your teen years. You'll need the energy to fuel the growth. Exercising too much in an effort to burn calories and lose weight can be a sign of an eating disorder. If you have any doubts about how much you should be exercising, talk with a school nurse or family doctor. And if you ever get the feeling that your exercise is in charge of you rather than the other way around, talk with your doctor, a parent, or another adult you trust. Some girls who overexercise may stop getting their periods, a condition known as amenorrhea (pronounced: a-meh-nuh-ree-uh). Girls who regularly miss periods are less able to incorporate calcium into their bones, which can lead to the decreased bone density and increased risk of injury that goes with osteoporosis. The combination of amenorrhea, disordered eating, and osteoporosis is a condition called female athlete triad. Considering the benefits to the heart, muscles, joints, and mind, it's easy to see why exercise is wise. If you exercise now, keep it up as you become an adult (this is often the biggest exercise challenge for people as they get busy with college and careers). One of the great things about exercise is that it's never too late to start. And don't forget that even small things can count as exercise when you're starting out - like taking a short bike ride or raking leaves. Even walking your dog counts as part of your 60 minutes a day of exercise (and your vet will tell you that animals need workouts just like humans do, so if your family pooch is portly, he'll benefit from your dedication, too). Updated and reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: February 2005
Originally reviewed by: Heidi Kecskemethy, RD, CSP
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