A 20 minute workout is a bit of a race against time to get everything done in the minimum period possible and while this is ok perhaps once or twice a week, it really is not ideal for your body or mindset.
However, if you are moderately fit and are looking for tips on hiit, go to
high intensity interval training
for some information and workout advice.
Your mind and body really deserve and need more time than 20 minutes a day to be spent on their maintenance.
This amount of time gives both your muscles and mind the time they need to switch to exercise mode.
You may even find yourself forgetting your water or sweat bands or towel in your rush to get your workout over and done with.
Honestly, if you see your workout as something to do in as quick a time as possible, then perhaps you are not giving exercise the importance it needs to have in your daily life in order for you to embrace it.
However, if 20 minutes is all the time you can afford, then you have to ensure that you exercise intensely to get the results you crave.
If you are undertaking
aerobic or cardio exercise
, crank up the pressure throughout your brief workout.
For a walk, jog or bike ride in the open air, find some hills or sets of stairs and set a cracking pace.
If you take the stairs 2 at a time, you will really work your glutes (you'll soon feel what I mean).
Interval workouts
are useful, where you alternate a fast pace with a more moderate one.
In the gym
, your treadmill or elliptical trainer or exercise bike should be set to a high resistance. Put the treadmill on a steep slope for maximum benefit.
For weight training, a 20 minute workout is very intense. It can come totally unstuck if the gym is busy, because you should be doing your 20 minute workout with no rest between muscle group exercises.
If you want muscle mass, try lifting your heaviest set of weights first, then cut down the weight for your second set and lower again for your third set.
For lean muscle, just keep the weight low and concentrate on moving without pause between the machines.
A high intensity workout will
raise metabolism
. Cardio workouts done at this level will move into the anaerobic sphere, meaning that you will create an oxygen debt and increase your metabolism.
Your body will keep burning calories at an increased rate well after your 20 minute workout is over - assuming of course, that you put intense effort into your precious 20 minutes.
Weight lifting will also raise metabolism because by lifting weights, you are building muscle and muscle chews up more calories at rest than fat.
A 20 minute workout is not a high time commitment, but a big commitment in expending energy if you do it properly (and what's the point of doing it, if you don't do it properly?).
This type of exercise routine may suit you, but you may well end up somehow finding the time for longer workouts once you have experienced the intensity of this workout.
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Go to High Intensity Interval Training
High intensity interval training or hiit is a short, sharp workout style of cardio interval training to burn the most fat in a 15-20 minute workout.