Life is getting busier and stressful. The mix of very demanding working hours is combined with a sedentary leisure offer that is more complete and attractive every day, and at the end of the day, we have found so many good excuses for not exercising that it is very easy to be tempted to leave it for the morning.
However, healthy life requires sacrifices, and virtually anyone can spend 30 minutes exercising. And if you don’t believe it, take a look at how much time you spend looking at your mobile every day.
Don’t have an hour or two to carry out your weekly training? It is not a problem. Workouts of half an hour or less can be very complete and beneficial, whether you want to gain muscle mass, lose weight or work your mobility.
In this article, we are going to see how you can take advantage of those gaps of 30 minutes or less in your schedules to make your routine a little healthier.
How to organize a 30-minute workout at the gym
It is very common to end up not going to the gym when you have less than 60 or 90 minutes. And although it is true that most activities directed in the gym and sessions last one hour, it is not all.
Many gyms today offer 30-minute directed sessions. They are usually high-intensity activities that involve large muscle groups, such as GAP or HIIT. In fact, the sessions of the latter can be even less than 10 minutes, still being very beneficial.
If even so, the times of these sessions do not coincide with yours or you do not like them, in 30 minutes you can prepare your own routine. In this case, it is important that you maintain a structure with 5 minutes of warm-up, 20 minutes of exercises, and 5 minutes of stretching.
Remember that even if your time is short, stretching is essential for injury prevention and recovery, so don’t skip it. Similarly, 5 minutes of treadmill or other cardio before you start will help kick-start your metabolism.
With the exercises, the repetitions and intensity will depend on your own goals, but the important thing is that you work large muscle groups and multi-joint exercises. The greater muscular involvement of these exercises helps to work more in less time, allowing us to burn energy and activate the body more quickly.
Pull-ups, sit-ups, push-ups all these exercises will be your best allies. If you work with weight, always do it with free dumbbells, not on machines. Bench press, deadlift, or incline row are also great options for a quick weight session.
How to train at home in just 30 minutes
If you want to further optimize your time and not waste minutes traveling, training at home is a good option. You don’t need to have a fully equipped gym: a room with space to move is enough.
In fact, it’s best to start without spending money on weights and equipment – start with the basics. As you bite, the treats will arrive.
Therefore, to train at home the best is the isometric circuits and exercises in which you work with your own weight. Again squats, sit-ups, and push-ups will be very good options, without neglecting classic exercises such as jumping jacks and steps.
If you look fit or want something a little more intense, don’t hesitate and try HIIT. These are high-intensity interval workouts made to perform very large efforts in a short time. Demanding so much from the body has benefits such as a high caloric expenditure and a great gain in strength. Their downside, however, is that they are very demanding, and they are not suitable for beginners or people with heart problems.
Don’t forget stretching even if you train at home, no matter what routine you follow. It’s better to spend 5 minutes stretching than injuring yourself and not being able to exercise for 3 months.
