newjerseynewsroom.com

BY MICHAEL W. SMITH, CPT, M.S.

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

The number one reason why we don't exercise is that, "We don't have time."

At least that's what we tell ourselves.

I know we are all busy, and all of my boot campers are super busy too. Between getting to and from work, doing the laundry, and balancing family responsibilities ... there's often little left over for workouts.

And we cannot forget that dreaded 'To-do list.' (ahhhhhh!)

Believe it or not, spring is fast approaching your busy schedule is sure to get even busier. So what can you do to get your body toned and tightened?

Escape the time crunch excuse in three easy steps:

Step One: Schedule Your Workouts: You've heard this before, and it makes so much sense. If you treat your exercise time with the importance of a work meeting then you'd never skip a workout and you'd be in amazing shape.

While the scheduling concept is brilliant in its simplicity, you have to put it into practice to reap the benefits. Pull out your calendar and a pen. Don't laugh, I'm serious! Just do it.

If you want to get into shape it starts with committing to a revised
schedule with a set exercise time.

Identify three 20-minute time slots and mark them on your calendar. That is when you'll exercise.

Once you begin to create exercise momentum that 20 minutes will turn into 25, and then 30, and then 40, and before you know it you'll be looking and feeling awesome.

Remember this: if the thought that you should exercise this week is floating around in your head, but you haven't anchored it down to a specific time and date, then it will quickly disappear.

Step Two: Get the Most from Each Minute: The days of endless, mind numbing cardio are over.

A great workout can take place in under an hour, when done correctly. The idea is to burn more calories each minute. This is done through short, intense bursts of exercise.

Use the following three tips to bring your routine up to the next level:

1. Be Unstable: Use your entire body, and target your core, by performing exercises that engage stabilizing muscles. To do this use an exercise ball, a balance board, a balance disk, or you could simply use your own bodyweight.
2. Add Resistance: The more resistance that you incorporate with your routine translates into higher intensity and more calories burned. Some ideas for adding resistance include: carrying dumbbells while doing lunges, wearing a weighted vest while walking or jogging, or putting a weight between your feet while doing leg raises.
3. Use Intervals: Interval training is an amazing tool for creating short yet effective workouts. Don't worry, it's not complicated. Interval training is simply alternating between different short bursts of activity.

Here's an example workout for you: Let's say you want to focus on your legs and abs and to also get an effective cardiovascular workout. This would be a great interval routine for your goals:

• Lunge while curling dumbbells, 15-20 repetitions
• 30 seconds of intense cardio: sprint, jump rope, or jumping jacks
• Squat while pressing dumbbells overhead, 15-20 repetitions
• 30 seconds of intense cardio: sprint, jump rope, or jumping jacks
• Crunches on an exercise ball, 15-20 repetitions
• 30 seconds of intense cardio: sprint, jump rope, or jumping jacks
• Leg raises off the end of an exercise bench, 15-20 repetitions

Step Three: Twice the Results in Half the Time: What if I told you that I have a proven way to deliver twice the fitness results in half the time? It's simple really...

Have a plan, workout with a friend, exercise with a group, seek guidance, and get support.

Your results will skyrocket and you'll achieve your goals in half the time. I've seen it time and time again with the hundreds of women who've attended my boot camps.

What's your success story? (I'd love to hear it)

Get out there and use this sample workout to rev up your metabolism!

Michael W. Smith is the author of SuperSkinnyMom.com and an expert fitness boot camp coach at NorthJerseyBootCamp.net