Time-Saving Routines

Finding time to work out during the holidays is almost as hard as finding time to work out when you travel. The job is crazy, shopping is insanity and the social calendar is booked beyond your control. You don’t have time to go to the gym for an hour, and rather than waste your time on a stationary bike for the 30 minutes that you do have, you decide to cross a few more holiday cards off your list, make some cookies or do a little online shopping. We’re right there with ‘ya.

That’s why we like to keep a few go-to calorie-burning routines in our back pockets at all times. It’s the one way to guarantee you’ll get a good workout in a very short period of time. No thinking or overanalyzing involved. We promise that these will come in handy during the holidays or your next trip!

1. The Ladder: The concept of this is that you climb up in speed and/or intensity as you climb down in time. You can make this routine as long or short as you like, just make sure to incorporate a recovery jog or walk between each interval. We like to use it when running on the treadmill, but you could easily apply this routine to almost any type of cardio you wish. Here’s an example…

5 minutes: Warm up

*5 minutes: Run at a steady, easy-moderate pace

2 minutes: Cool down (walk or jog)

*4 minutes: Run at a slightly faster pace than your last interval (moderate)

2 minutes: Cool down (walk or jog)

*3 minutes: Run at a slightly faster pace than your last interval (moderate-hard)

2 minutes: Cool down (walk or jog)

*2 minutes: Run at a slightly faster pace than your last interval (hard)

2 minutes: Cool down (walk or jog)

*1 minute: Run as hard as possible

5 minutes: Cool down walk or jog

2. Run-Walk Intervals: This workout is just as it sounds. You start with a walk (or any cardio at an easy pace), then speed up to a run (or an intensified version of your warm-up cardio) for a few minutes, and continue alternating between the two until your minutes are up. By not going at a steady pace, you’re burning more calories and challenging your muscles more than usual.

3. Beat It: Head to the gym with your iPod in tow. Hop on a Spin bike, the Elliptical or the treadmill, and turn on your favorite playlist. Warm up for the first song, and then increase intensity or resistance after each song that follows. Feel free to hit whatever buttons you choose (besides stop!) when the music’s up. As long as you mix it up every few minutes, you’ll feel the burn and beat boredom.