We all want to invest in our health to give our bodies the best chance at thriving. Eating healthy and nutritious food, exercising regularly, and getting a sufficient amount of sleep are some of the cornerstones of maintaining a healthy body and mind. Yet, in our busy modern lives, it is often difficult to find the time and energy to cook a proper meal, work out three times a week, and clock in eight hours of sleep per night.
Luckily, we can help you in one of these areas! You don’t need to spend hours at the gym weekly to stay healthy and strong. Here are some of the best exercises for busy people.
Walking
The easiest way to incorporate more physical movement into your daily routine is simply by making the conscious choice to walk more often. Depending on where you live, this may be easier said than done. However, if you can, go for a quick walk at least once a day — maybe before work or during your lunch break. You don’t need to walk far or for a very long time. You don’t even need any special workout wear or fancy walking shoes.
If you’re just getting started on your health and fitness journey, walking is a non-intimidating way to enhance your workout programme with a gradual increase in cardio exercise. Beyond the physical health benefits of regular walking or jogging, this is also a highly relaxing activity that you can do by yourself or with someone else for added support and accountability. Besides, walking is the perfect way to clear your head if you’re having a busy or stressful day. Take 20 minutes, walk around the block, breathe in the fresh air, and you’ll return feeling instantly more energised and centred.
Yoga, pilates and stretching
Adding a quick yoga or pilates session to your daily routine can help strengthen your muscles, improve flexibility, help with pain management, and contribute to overall better physical and mental well-being. If exercises like yoga and pilates aren’t your scene, don’t worry. Start your day with a quick stretching routine to help your body wake up and prepare your muscles for the busy day ahead. Mild stretching exercises can be done throughout the day. Since you don’t need any fancy equipment or sportswear, you can do quick stretching sessions in between meetings or during your coffee breaks to avoid getting muscle cramps. Stretching is particularly beneficial for people who spend many hours per day sitting at a desk, which may cause general discomfort and muscle fatigue.
Keep in mind that you need to be attentive to doing any stretching and muscle exercises correctly from the start. Otherwise, you may put your body at risk of injury. If you are trying a workout like yoga or pilates for the first time, make sure you learn the basic principles from a professional before attempting to do it by yourself at home.
Home HIIT workouts
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is one of the most popular exercises for people who don’t have a lot of time to work out. HIIT refers to short bursts of high-intensity exercises that are alternated with low-intensity resting periods. HIIT workouts typically last 10-30 minutes and include exercises such as sprinting, spinning, jumping rope and bodyweight training. HIIT is a great option for busy people since you can pack a proper workout in a small window of time. The benefits of HIIT include the potential to burn a lot of calories in a short period of time, continuing to burn calories after the workout thanks to an increased metabolic rate, losing body fat while gaining muscle mass, improving the body’s oxygen consumption, and lowering heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
EMS training
Electric Muscle Stimulation (EMS) training is the best workout for busy people. By making use of low-frequency electric pulses that initiate contractions in targeted muscles via electrodes applied to the skin, EMS training has been proven to efficiently reduce body fat and build muscle in a series of ultra-short workout sessions. During EMS training sessions, participants wear comfortable full-body EMS suits that are equipped with electrodes and controlled by the trainer. An EMS session, which consists of four-second intervals of muscle contractions alternated with four-second recovery periods, typically lasts for 20 minutes. The progress made during 20 minutes of EMS training is equivalent to4 hours of training in a traditional gym.
EMS training is customisable according to your distinct needs and fitness capabilities. This training method can be used to improve muscle strength, lose body fat, or rehabilitate after an injury. If you want to achieve sustainable fitness results through a workout routine that accommodates your busy schedule, EMS training is the way to go. The EMS studio will provide you with the necessary training gear and equipment while a professional EMS trainer will guide you through the entire session. All you have to do is show up!
Volt Fitness is a luxury EMS studio in Melbourne that offers short, intensive training sessions with maximum efficiency and sustainable results in a feel-good atmosphere. 20 minutes at Volt Fitness are as good as 4 hours of sweating it out at a traditional gym.
Ready to start working on your fitness goals? Take a look at our training options or chat with us on (03) 8393 5131.