If getting into a gym routine has been on your list of New Year’s resolutions for the last few years, and still you’ve only managed to darken the belt of a treadmill a couple times since, isn’t it high time we asked: who really wants to spend an hour or more at the gym, anyway?
Advice from your average “no pain, no gain” gym rat aside, the latest research shows being overweight and under-motivated for exercise is, quite literally, just a matter of time.
According to research recently published by the University of Copenhagen, which combined biomedical and ethnological data on the subjects’ experiences over a 12-week study, 30 minutes of moderate daily exercise is equally beneficial to weight loss as spending a full hour doing hard fitness training.
Even better, the study showed shorter workout sessions helped subjects lose up to 25 percent more flab than the longer sessions.
“We are thus seeing,” Professor Stallknecht says, “that a moderate amount of exercise will significantly impact the subjects’ daily practices.” The group that exercised the least experienced an increased energy level and had more motivation for exercising and making healthier meal choices; while those who exercised for an hour per day reported feeling exhausted, unmotivated, resistant to healthy lifestyle changes, and expressed dismay at how much time the workouts took.
Ready for some short workouts, no gym membership required? Try these ideas on for size:
Walking – Good, old-fashioned walking can help you enjoy weight loss, increased energy levels, better cardiovascular health, and even improve your daily mood.
Squat Thrusts – Also known as burpees, this full-body exercise targets every major muscle group. Easy to learn, though if you’ve never done them you’ll want to start off slow. Watch a beginner-level video demonstration here.
Yoga, Qi Gong, Tai Chi – Meditative arts and quasi-martial arts can get you into great shape while in the comfort of your own home. Everything you need to know about proper form is online or available from your cable or satellite-TV provider.
Don’t forget to check with your doctor before beginning any diet or exercise program.