HIIT it!

If you can spare five minutes, you can get a decent workout in. I will show you how, just stay with me here.

Here's the truth.  You don't have to exercise for hours on end, or an hour, or a half hour to get results, but you do have to be consistent.  High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has become my favorite method of exercise.  It increases resting metabolic rate, it takes less time to get the same effect as longer cardio workouts, it's not even close to boring, your whole body gets a workout, and you're done before you know it.  You don't need a gym or equipment for the ones I've put together, so it's also free.

Have kids?  Get them involved.  Not only is it a good time in their life to get them into healthy habits, but it will keep them doing something constructive and burn up some of that excess energy they have (while giving you the extra energy you need to keep up with them!).

No time to exercise is the number one excuse I hear, which is why I've put together five minute routines.  Get your five minutes in 3-5 days a week.  Build up your strength.  Start getting your energy back.  You might find you want more!  Repeat the routines for a more intense workout that will give you results you can see.  Go through them three times in a row, and you'll feel like you've gotten a real workout!

So here's how they work.  Some of my HIIT routines consist of 30 seconds of an exercise followed by a 5 or 10 second rest.  The Tabata routines (which is a specific form of HIIT) consist of 20 seconds exercise followed by 10 seconds rest.  These are especially good for beginners.

During the exercise period, you want to do as many of the exercise as you can while maintaining proper form.  If you can't do very many,  it's okay, just keep trying.  Keep moving.  Don't stop until the rest period.  During the rest period, catch your breath and get ready for the next exercise. 

If you see an exercise and don't know what it is, Google it before you begin.  Remember that most exercises can be modified if they are too difficult at first. Pushups can be done against a wall or counter to make them easier, or on your knees if you prefer.  When I do jumping jacks, I keep my hands at the base of my neck, not moving them as in a traditional jumping jack.  The reason for this is not because of difficulty but because rotator cuff tears have been associated with the arm movements of traditional jumping jacks.  If you don't have a jump rope - fake it!  Just be sure to do something in the exercise time, even if you have to march in place. If you need some padding for your bottom to do the crunches, get a towel if you don't have a special mat.

There are free timer apps that make it easier than watching the second hand on a clock, or they may be necessary if you don't have a clock with a second hand.  In your app store, search for "interval training timer".  Several should come up. Choose which one suits you.  For the Tabata routine today, your timer needs to be set like this:

Round -    00:20
Rest -        00:10
Rounds -  10

That will add up to 5 minutes on your timer. Your timer will beep when to begin, beep when it's time to rest, then beep when it's time to get moving again. If you are just beginning or only have five minutes, then at the end you are done.  If you're ready for more, catch your breath and start your timer again.  Feeling extra frisky? Three times through will give you a better workout than a forty minute cardio workout - in just 15 minutes.  These routines are versatile in that they can be as light as you need or extremely intense.  The main thing is just to do them and (try to) have fun!

By the way, I've seen advertisements for routines based on the exact same methods I will be showing you, and they are ridiculously high priced.  Mine are free and will give you results so long as you do them. Don't forget to cut down on the sugar.  You can't out exercise a poor diet.

Remember it takes more than a day to see results - so stick with it!

Here's your first HIIT, Tabata style- enjoy!