Something is ALWAYS better than nothing!!
Do you procrastinate, thinking about doing some exercise, weighing up whether there is time to fit it in- plus shower after. Do you then find more time has gone by and think “oh damn I haven’t got time to do a 30 min run now” & end up doing nothing??
If that is you – it is time to change your mindset. You honestly can benefit from 10 – 15 minutes of exercise & if it isn’t a sweaty 15 minutes you don’t need to have a shower maybe??
My advise is to always start basic – to get a good range of movement you need to move. You can do a whole body mobilisation session in 5 minutes. Here is a quick movement video:
Then think about how strong your core & glutes are – think about doing 2 or 3 abs and glutes exericses: do try to think about the abs muscles and make sure you focus on breath work ‘Exhale on the effort’ & breathe deep into the diaphragm then move on the exhale and engagement.
- Single leg extensions
- obliques – bicycle (elbow to opposite knee)
- 1/2 plank / full plank – but focus on deep breaths
- Glute kickbacks & side kicks – again focus on thinking about the bum muscles, tap your bum to get the connections
- Bridge – push up through the bum, add a weight over the hips
- lunges & side lunges – again think about squeezing the bum when you can.
Research into the benefits of any movement workouts
There is now so much research into the benefits of just moving and doing a short amount of exercise. It not only helps your body it also helps your mind and can improve your mood & even Alzheimers prevention – just from walking. The Zoe Research also looks at different types of exercise and how beneficial it is to split your workouts up through the week.
It is important to stay mobile and active, rather than just sitting for a lot of your day. You can split the day up – maybe you start with a 15 – 20 minute yoga session, maybe you walk to work – even 10 minutes is good or maybe you choose 2 whole body exercises – do 3 – 4 rounds of alternating the exercises with a quick warm up and cool down.
Research has shown that it is important to keep moving through the day. EVEN if you did a 4 mile run or good workout in the morning, it is important to not then totally collapse on the sofa all day – make sure you keep getting up & moving (it will also help you not to stiffen up too much!)
Examples of short workouts
- Walk (at a good pace) to the supermarket rather than take the car – obviously if you live close enough to. Get a good ruck sack and use that to even out the weight
- Even a 10 – 15 minute lunch time walk will do you good – maybe find a local route or a hill you can go up and down!
- Choose 2 body parts you want to work on. Spend 15 – 20 minutes doing 3 – 4 sets (rounds) alternating between the 2 exercises eg: Squat to press & press ups – aim for 15 – 20 reps (depending on what weight you are lifting) OR step ups & back lunges OR burpees & deadlifts.
- You may find it easier to do a small circuit – 1 minute on each exercise – always think about trying to have some sort of the following movement patterns: Squats (narrow, wide, plie, push (shoulder press, press ups, chest press), pull (different types of rows with bands or weights), abs – deep abs (single leg lifts or knee lifts, hovers, elbow to knee) & lunges (back, side, angled)
- You can choose 2 main muscle groups and just do 3 or 4 sets of 2 exercises with heavier weights (always warm up 1st)
- Static bike – do a few minutes warm up then hard as you can for 20 – 30 seconds, then easy for 30 seconds – do this 6 – 10 times & then cool down
- Quick cardio – run / power march on the spot for 30 – 45 seconds, recover then go again x 10 or try skipping (if pelvic floor ok) or ANY cardio exercise: burpees, ice skaters, step ups, squat jumps. Warm up and cool down and hey presto done in 15 minutes max
Honestly – the only thing stopping you is you making excuses!!! For most you don’t even need to be in gym kit!!!
IMPORTANT
- always choose the right exercise for your body. Choose something that will not put pressure on your pelvic floor or if you have a diastasis.
- If you are starting out – start with a shorter time or less intense exercise
- Always check the techniques, here is a video of upper body examples https://vimeo.com/779277242/f14836a4eb
- If you are tight – spend time releasing and mobilising your body – it is an effective workout in itself
- Finally – have a look at my online membership where I have short, strength, cardio, abs and glutes or mobiliser videos as well as a section on techniques and how to do exercises properly and safely.
