Long, involved workouts have become more and more challenging for many of us as our unending personal and professional responsibilities shift attention away from the gym and more towards checking errands off lists.
While it can be hard to maintain commitment to our own self-care, including time to move our bodies, it’s crucial to find ways to prioritize daily movement in whatever manner is sustainable for our lifestyles.
Many of us have believed that we need hours at the gym to see results from our workout routines, but this does not need to be true. In fact, shorter and more intense workouts can actually be more beneficial in many ways. Shorter workouts are easier to fit into our busy schedules, likelier to keep our interest and motivation, and can help boost metabolism if they are done consistently.
In addition, shorter workouts can be highly effective in terms of calorie burn and building lean muscle. The key is intensity. A typical HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout can burn up to nine times more calories than traditional, moderate-intensity cardio while taking up much less of your time. You push yourself harder and get your heart rate up to its fat-burning zone more quickly by focusing on compound movements and full body exercises, resulting in higher calorie burn in a shorter amount of time. Also, this forces your body to use stored energy, leading to the development of leaner muscles.
At Chuze Fitness, we understand that one of your most valuable assets is your time, so we’ve made participation in our full body, heart rate based Team Training workouts even easier through the introduction of 30 minute sessions. These power-packed, half hour Team Training sessions allow you to experience the motivating energy of a group setting while receiving one-on-one attention from our dynamic, professional coaches. Each session focuses on either Strength, Power or Endurance and allows you to maximize the health effects of even a small segment of time that you are able to dedicate to exercise.
The versatility afforded by participating in shorter length classes is incredibly valuable for those with active lifestyles. If you truly have only an hour to carve out for exercise, a 30-minute workout allows for travel time to and from the gym or time to workout, shower and get back to work. Another great benefit of a shorter class is that it can be tacked on to the front or end of a different modality, like a run or strength training session, allowing for more diversity in your workout routine.
Next time you feel yourself falling back on excuses or time constraints, consider trying a 30 minute class or session. It may be just what you need to get inspired, feel energized and get back on track to accomplishing your health and fitness goals.
Ani Oksayan
VP of Fitness, Chuze Fitness