Dear Quickie, You know that old sayingif it sounds to good to be true it probably is. Listen, Ive tried every gimmick and fad in the book, but sorry to say, nothing can take the place of good old-fashioned hard work. Yes, repeat after me: you have to work to get fit. I know ultra-quick workouts sound appealing, especially if youre pressed for time. It even sounds good to me too. There are some days when all Id like to do is a few pushups and be done with it. Even the Worlds Fittest Man has those kind of lazy days too. A quickie workout once in awhile is fine. In the long run, though, its not. What these quickie workouts dont have behind them is science. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is one of the leading centers of research on the health benefits of exercise and fitness. Founded in 1954, the ACSM has devised guidelines for how much and what type of fitness programs really get you fit, based on up-to-the-minute scientific research. Heres what they recommend: On most days of the week you need to do at least 30 minutes of "moderate-intensity" physical activity. That recommendation includes a combination of cardio and strength training activities. So in order to get the health benefits of working out, like reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes, you have to "work." Thats why its called "working out." Even though its 30 minutes, you dont have to do it all at once. Studies show that you can break up the 30 minutes into shorter workouts: two 15 minute sessions or three 10 minute sessions. The choice is yours. Of course some people might say, "Hey, 8 minutes of exercise is better than nothing." Well, I cant argue with that -- doing something is better than doing nothing. Earning $5 an hour is better than earning nothing. But why settle for less? If you want to burn off calories, theres not much burning that can take place in just 8 minutes. Cardio activities like running, walking, biking and swimming are great fat burners, but you have to put in the time to burn the calories. A half hour of moderate biking can burn about 150 calories. Plus, its more than just burning calories. The point is, dont mislead yourself into thinking there are shortcuts, whether its getting fit or anything else in life. But you can manage your time and change your routine to get those 30 minutes a day into your life. For one thing, many people I hear from think you have to go the gym to do your workout. Gyms are great, dont get me wrong, but sometimes they can eat up lots of time. You have to drive there, go to the locker room, change clothes, wait for a machine to become available, talk to your friends, look at the cute outfits. Come on, you know what I mean. Instead of relying on the gym for your workout, get a set of dumbbells, a bench, and a jump rope. If you dont want to buy dumbbells, use a pair of 1 gallon water jugs. Use the monkey bars at your kids playground for chin-ups or run in-place while watching TV. Be creative with your workouts, and even try something new like rollerblading or kayaking. For more information on the American College of Sport Medicine visit their website site: www.acsm.org © Joe Decker 2003 |