It has long been known that we should take part in around 45 minutes of exercise every day. However, most of us simply do not have that amount of time available consecutively. Hence, we often fail to get enough exercise. What we don’t realize, however, is that we can also break up those 45 minutes blocks of time that are much easier to manage. Indeed, research has shown that if a woman splits up the time in 10 minute increments, she is far more likely to exercise sufficiently each day, and the weight loss and strength building results are far more impressive.

One recent study completed by the University of Virginia‘s Glenn Gaesser, Ph.D. demonstrated this by asking a group of participants to perform 15 sets of 10 minute exercises each week.

“After just 21 days, the volunteers’ aerobic fitness was equal to that of people 10 to 15 years younger. Their strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility were equal to those of people up to 20 years their junior.”

What this demonstrates is that it isn’t a case of all or nothing. Quite the contrary in fact. When you break up your exercise routines so that they fit in a busy day, you will remain motivated and build up your confidence. No more need to feel depressed or guilty, in other words. So how do you fit in five or six sets of 10 minute exercises in your daily routine?

Walk to Work

The first thing you can do is walk to work, or at least drive less.

“Plan an extra 20 minutes (or more if you live further away) and enjoy the scenery. This also gives you a chance to clear your head and mentally prepare for the day before you get to the office.”

A 10-minute walk going to the office and another 10-minute walk back equates to two sets. Plus, you can make things harder for yourself by putting weights around your ankles or wrists, for instance. That way, you are even doing a little bit of strength training.

Use Your Couch

You know those moments at night, after you have had your meal and the kids have gone to bed? Those moments when you sprawl out on your couch and just vegetate until you go to bed? Why not use that time to do some crunches instead?

“Lie flat on your back with your knees bent. Place your hands behind your head with elbows pointing outwards. Support your neck with your hands. Keep your neck in a straight line with your spine.”

This is a great way to combine two fantastic activities: working out and relaxing. You can make your crunches harder by placing something heavy on your abdominal area. Additionally, you can change your crunches by going up for two/three counts, holding and then going down for one count, and then reversing it. Your couch does not have to be the antithesis of all that is fitness related. Instead, it can be a fitness tool. Another thing you an use your couch for, for instance, is by doing leg exercises.

“Do leg exercises and lifts with small weights while you watch The Weather Channel, cooking shows, movies, or the news.”

Work Out While Doing Housework

It is easy to fit in little blocks of 10 minutes if you combine it with something else. While you are ironing, for instance, you can do squats, using your iron as a weight held away from your body. That last detail is hugely important. Not only is it hard to squat with your hands away from your chest holding something heavy, it will also stop you from getting burned.

If you have to hoover up your home, do it with lunges. Every time you push the hoover forward, you can do a lunge. Or, you can do side to side runs with your broomstick, dropping it down to the floor and lifting it back up before sliding to the other side.

Finally, have some fun. Turn the music on loudly and dance like you’ve never danced before. Your mop stick, for instance, can make a fantastic dancing partner that you can swirl and twirl all over the ground.

Fitting in different blocks of 10 minutes each and every day is incredibly easy. Remember to have fun with it and to think outside of the box. Any time that your body is moving, you can turn it into a workout so long as you stop yourself from getting stagnant.

Strength training is such a fantastic form of exercise that more and more people are becoming interested in it. This is also a very important part of achieving your weight loss goals. Plus, it is a key component of excellent overall health. However, just how do you get started? And just what is strength training?

“Strength training is one of the oldest disciplines. Legend has it Milo of Croton trained for strength in Ancient Greece by carrying a newborn calf on his back daily until it was fully grown.”

Before you reach for the nearest calf, you will be happy to know that things are considerably easier these days. Let’s take a look, therefore, at everything you need to know to get started with strength training. Good luck and enjoy!

How Do You Train?

There are different types of strength training and choosing the right one depends on your goals and the equipment you have available. The first option you could choose is bodyweight training. This requires almost no equipment and you can do it anywhere. The difficulties to be encountered with this type of training are staying motivated and setting the bar higher as you progress.

Then, there is dumbbells training. You will usually be able to find an array of dumbbells in any gym, or you can purchase some yourself. The great thing is that you can build up your resistance as you go along and it is great for beginners as well.

One step up from dumbbells training is barbell training. This really builds some tremendous strength. Plus, you can do certain things like presses, squats and deadlifts and adjust the weight as you see fit. However, you will struggle to do this at home unless you have a lot of space available.

Choosing between the different types of training depends on your own preferences and abilities.

“Choosing the right exercise is a matter of finding an activity that helps people achieve their fitness goals and is safe, sustainable, and enjoyable (or at least tolerable). Exercise should also offer some degree of challenge so that the exercise increases or sustains fitness levels.”

Also, you can mix and match the types of strength training that you do as you see fit. If you have a gym membership, working with barbells one day and dumbbells on another day is a great way to keep things varied. And then you can do bodyweight training when you can’t go to the gym. There are also other options out there, including yoga, rock climbing and parkour to name but a few. However, these are more advanced forms that require instruction and equipment.

How to Pick a Program

If you are completely new to the world of strength training, you need to choose a program that is suitable for beginners. Set the bar too high, and you will set yourself up for disappointment. Additionally, it means you will be less likely to keep going with a program that is too difficult because you will lose your motivation. There are many programs available online that you can download for free, but do make sure they come from reputable sources so that you know you will actually see some results.

Learn the Moves

Next, you need to know how to actually do the moves. Once you know that, you can actually start to build your own program to keep your routine varied. Do make sure that you practice the movements without any actual weight first. This is because you need to get to know which muscles you engage as you are doing the movement before you put too much pressure on them.

Form is crucial to all your moves, or you risk injury. Hence, practice your deadlifts, squats, bench presses, pull ups and more before you actually do them with any weights. Practice them at home if you don’t want to lose face and compare yourself in the mirror to video images, for instance. If you’re still not sure, look around you in the gym or ask a personal trainer for a demonstration. You have to be completely safe with your movements before you push yourself to new limits.

What Equipment Should You Bring?

Firstly, you need to be fully comfortable in your clothes when you do strength training, regardless of what anyone else is wearing. Make sure your shoe is light and non-restrictive and that the sole is non-compressable. You also need to bring a water bottle to make sure you stay hydrated during your workout.

“A 2% drop in body water can cause a small but critical shrinkage of the brain, which can impair neuromuscular coordination, decrease concentration, and slow thinking. Dehydration can also reduce endurance, decrease strength, cause cramping, and slow muscular response.”

Next, you may want to bring some showering gear and a change of clothes. To keep your mind focused, consider bringing an mp3 player with a good playlist as well. Other than that, you are good to go.

Most of us understand how important it is to have good quality workout shoes before we engage in any physical activity. However, as much as we know this, we do not spend enough time thinking about which shoes we actually need. Choosing the wrong one could be detrimental to how well you are able to perform your workout and even to your overall health. So let’s take a look at the biggest mistakes we can make when choosing our shoes.

1 – We simply grab what is available.

Many of us simply look in our cupboard and grab the first pair of sports shoes we find. These are often old and don’t actually give us the support we need anymore. Unfortunately, although this may be convenient, it is also a very poor choice.

“The biggest mistake people make when they start running, jogging, or some other exercise program is just reaching into the closet and pulling out an old pair of sneakers.”

2 – We don’t consider our workout when making our choice.

The second mistake we can make is that we often choose a very high quality shoe, but our choice is based on fashion and our own personal likes and dislikes, rather than on the actual sport we want to play. For instance, if you purchase a pair of high quality tennis shoes, they won’t benefit you if you actually want to play basketball.

3 – We use our shoes for everyday wear.

Sport shoes manufacturers create items that are not just good for sports, but that are fashionable as well. For instance, if you look around you, it is likely that you will see quite a number of people walking around in Nike Air Max shoes. These shoes are incredibly stylish and fashionable, but they are still sports shoes. Make sure that you do not use your shoes for everyday wear, but only use them for your workout. If you must wear them as a fashion statement as well, then purchase a second pair for that purpose.

4 – We don’t get rid of them at the appropriate time.

Shoes are expensive investments and they should serve you for a long time. However, there comes a point when you need to get rid of you. Depending on the type of shoe, the brand and how often you actually use them, you will need to replace your shoes at different times.

“Your running shoes lose shock absorption, cushioning and stability over time. Continuing to run in worn-out running shoes increases the stress and impact on your legs and joints, which can lead to overuse injuries.”

5 – Forgetting to get good advice.

Unless you are a sports specialist or shoe developer yourself, you do not know which shoe is best for you. You may have used a certain make or brand of shoe for a long period of time, but that doesn’t mean you should simply purchase the same ones again and again. As technology and sports awareness increases, shoes change as well. You should always get advice not just from a personal trainer, but also from a shoe specialist before purchasing your next pair.