The other day, I was emailed the following question: I only have about 20-30 minutes a day to exercise. What can I do in that amount of time? Not wanting to limit the answer to - just a few pushups and situps - I set out to prove how much you could do in such a little amount of time. My goal is to prove that you do not need several hours to maintain a fitness program - just minutes a day.
Though the transition time may add to the total time invested in your workout, here is a list of 20-30 minute workouts you can do in your home, office, lunch time, or local gym:
The superset is a great way to workout if you have limited time. Each cycle should take you two minutes. If you can do ten cycles of this you will total 300 pushups and 400 crunches. Not bad for 20 minutes! No resting in between sets! You basically rest by doing crunches. The two supersets you see below are great to alternate every other day.
Pushup/Crunch superset:
Repeat 10 cycles of:
regular pushup 10
crunches 10
wide pushup 10
crunches 10
tricep pushup 10
Left/Right crunches 10 / 10
Leg / ab superset:
Repeat 5 cycles of:
Squats 20
crunches - 20
Lunges 10 / leg
crunches - 20
Calf raise 20
crunches 20
Running or walking! How much running or walking can you do in 20-30 minutes? Some people can run 3-6 miles or walk 2-3 miles in that time period. Try this one if you want to run.
Running
4 Mile Track Work:
Jog - 1 mile in 7:00
Three sets of:
Sprint-1/4 mile in
Jog - 1/4 mile
Six sets of:
Sprint-1/8 mile
Jog - 1/8 mile
Or you can mix the two types of exercise together and do what I call a Spartan Run.
Spartan run
run 1 mile
100 pushups
100 crunches
run 1 mile
75 pushups
75 crunches
run 1 mile
50 pushups
50 crunches
Swimming? how much swimming can I do in 20-30 minutes? Some people can swim a mile in that time. Here is a great workout though if you want to mix a little PT with swimming.
Swim PT
Repeat 5-10 times
swim 100-200 yards
pushups 10-20
abs - 20-30
Or you can swim with fins. This is great for the legs and heart.
Swim with fins - 500 yards
500 yards without fins using the swim stroke of choice
As you can see, you can do quite a bit in as little as 20-30 minutes. These workouts are a little advanced and you should consult your doctor before starting an exercise program, especially if you have not exercised in several years.