Quick Workouts for Busy People

            One of the more common reasons people cite for not working out is simply “I don’t have time”.  Now I could write a whole other article about how working out will actually save you time in the long run- the energy boosts you get from it alone increases your productivity ten fold- but instead I’m just going to go over a few ways to workout in a short period of time.  If you can find 45 minutes, or even 15 minutes in your schedule to fit in a quick workout you will see results. 

Full Body Weight Training Routine (45 minutes)

          One of the easiest ways to gain muscle is to weight train, and while people who want to put on serious muscle will work a different muscle group every day and workout 4 or more times a week, you do not have to.  This method, although very effective, takes about 45 minutes to an hour a day to complete, which adds up to about 3 hours a week.  This is a big time commitment for someone with a hectic schedule.  You can easily make a full body routine that you can do 3, or even two times a week  and still get good results.  What you want to do is choose 2 exercises for your back, chest, arms, and legs, and complete all 8 exercises in one session.  3 reps of each exercise with 3 minute breaks in between reps.  This should take no more than 45 minutes a day, and you only need to do it two times a week! No matter how busy you are, you can find 2 hours a week to dedicate to your health and well being. 

Push ups, Sit ups, and Pull ups (15-30 minutes)

            If you are really strapped for time, there are no easier exercises to do than simple pushups and sit-ups.  Pushups will build and define your chest and arms, and sit-ups do build your back muscles.  The beauty of these exercises is that they can be done anywhere, at anytime.  I work at a hospital, cleaning up operating rooms part time, and one of my coworkers would stop and do a set of pushups between rooms.  You can easily get in a quick set between commercial breaks while watching tv at home, every time you need a break from sitting at a desk, every time you finish a chapter in a book etc.  it really doesn’t get any easier.  Or you can set aside half an hour, and do 3 sets of each.  I would also recommend doing pull ups, as they work multiple muscles on your arms, chest and back.  You can buy a pull up bar (called a home gym) from Walmart for about $20. If you don’t have a pull up bar you can do pull ups on tree branches, I have found this to be quite effective. Just make sure there strong enough to support your incredible muscle mass 

Running/Walking (NA)

          Running and walking are the easiest exercises you can do, and can take as little or as much time as you want them to.  You do not need any equipment (besides running shoes or shoes that you can comfortably walk in), and you can do them anywhere.  I would recommend devoting half an hour a day, as many days as you want to, to running or power walking.  If you do this, assuming you have a decent diet, you will lose weight guaranteed.  You will also likely get toned leg muscles as an added benefit.  And if you don’t have time to commit yourself solely to walking, you can multitask.  It is fairly easy to hold a phone conversation, or listen to a book/speech/ etc on your ipod while walking.  My brother used to read while walking- while I can't recommend this (people would yell at me after walking into trees/lightpoles/small animals), it is a good example of how you can multi task.

Insanity Month One (30 minutes)

          I put this one last because, quite frankly, if you're having trouble finding the time to work out your probably not ready for this workout! I had to add it though, it is an incredible workout that only takes about half an hour to complete.  It is a video too, which means you can work at your own pace, you don’t have to pretend you can keep up with Shaun T.  The whole program is $120, but you can buy the month one discs off of ebay for about half of that.  Even if the workouts initially seem really hard, if you keep at it they get easier, and even begin to get fun.  You do not have to follow the schedule, just pop in one of the cds any time you have half an hour to spare.  I highly recommend this option. 

            I know how hard it can be to work out sometimes.  I go to college and work two part time jobs, so finding the time and motivation to fit in a workout is even a challenge for me sometimes.  The important thing is to do something.  Run a mile. Do some pushups. Check out your local gym.  Doing something is a million times better than doing nothing, and once you make working out a habit, even if your only running 20 minutes a day, you will start to see real improvements in a matter of months.