One of the biggest hurdles to overcome when sticking with consistent exercise is finding TIME!  You know it, I know it, we all live it, this busy life with so many demands, responsibilities and pressures.   It can be virtually impossible to make room in our schedules for effective, fun, challenging workouts.  What we’ve done at 30 Minute Hit is shorten the workouts but increased the intensity, making them unbelievably productive and realistic to fit into your day!  You can take the same principles we use and incorporate them into your own workouts.  A few shorter, intense workouts, coupled with just moving more in your day (taking the stairs, parking a long way from the entrance, playing outside with the kids, etc.) and clean eating equals all around health.

What we’re talking about is not rocket science and therefore I will avoid the science explanation part of it.  Just trust me when I tell you it works.  Take your current workout (for many women its about 45 minutes of cardio often on a treadmill, a stationary bike or elliptical machine.)  Instead of keeping a moderate pace for the full 45 minutes, shorten the duration of your workout (say to 30 minutes)  and add in harder work periods.  Start with a 4 to 1 ratio. Run, ride or whatever for 2 minutes then bust your butt for 30 seconds.  I mean GO HARD.  Make sure you crank the tension up on your bike, run stairs or increase the incline on your treadmill.  When you think you’re going your maximum, that means you can still go a little faster and a little harder.  At the end of 30 seconds, go back to your moderate pace (but don’t stop!), let yourself recover for the next two minutes (run on flat ground, release the tension on the bike etc.) and then go for it when the next interval comes.  Higher intensity training is also a fast track to endorphins and who doesn’t love some feel good hormones? By stepping up the intensity of your workouts, you’re going to gain all the benefits and more of a longer workout and you’ll be able to fit it into your hectic day!  As you improve, you can change the ratio of moderate work periods to intense ones, increasing the length of the hard work and shortening your recovery time.  Just remember, you’ve got more than you think you do.  Push your limits.

The biggest thing missing in women’s workouts is intensity.  Maybe it’s because we have less testosterone.  Maybe its because we’re unsure of testing our boundaries.  Maybe we don’t give ourselves enough credit with what we can endure or accomplish.  Nonetheless, most women happily cruise through moderate exercise, never fully realizing their capabilities and enjoying the benefits of higher levels of health.  The challenge arises when it comes time to bring it.  At the outset of an intense workout, you need to become focused.  Don’t let anything cloud your mind.  Decide that you are going to make the next 30 minutes the best they can be and get motivated!

Do what you gotta do.  Watch Biggest Loser.  Listen to Eye of the Tiger and think about Rocky.  Take a page out of Lance Armstrong’s book or some other athlete or individual who has persevered through serious obstacles and achieved great things.  Refuse to settle for anything less than amazing for yourself.  Has anything really awesome in life come easily?  Probably not.  It takes some sacrifice, dedication and perseverance but, boy, is the pay off INCREDIBLE.

Questions?  Post them here or email me at Edmonton@30minutehit.com.  Thanks!