Train for 30 Minutes a Day 3 Times a Week? That’s Easy!
It is recommended that you do 30 minutes of moderate to intense activity at least 3 times a week to get the full benefits of exercise. Is this difficult with my busy schedule? Not really! I’m organising myself to succeed in this challenge, taking into account my physical condition, and I’m finding out which exercises to choose to stay in shape in 3 x 30-minute sessions!
How Can I Make Room in My Schedule for Exercise?
Despite my busy weekly schedule, I find ways to free up time for three 30-minute sessions of exercise per week. I do this in several steps to make room for exercise in my schedule.
I list everything I have done in a week: work, shopping, housework, commuting, sleeping, eating, going out, etc. I mainly target the grey areas in this list: perhaps this time was spent on less essential activities, such as playing games, surfing social networks, and so on. I can then make more informed choices based on my priorities.
At this point, I determine the areas in which it’s possible to save some time or improve my daily planning:
- I schedule my errands and household chores at set times to be more efficient. For example, I can start batch cooking to prepare all my meals for the week at once and free up half an hour a day for the rest of the week!
- I integrate exercise into other daily activities: I walk to the office, I ride my bike to the shops, I turn my household chores into cardio dance sessions, I do squats in my bathroom or toilet, I do timed steps while going up and down the stairs with my laundry baskets, I work out discreetly at work or on public transport, etc.
- I can get up a little earlier in the morning (and go to bed a little earlier at night) to do a workout.
Whatever I do to find solutions that fit my lifestyle and desires is fine. Once my schedule has been fixed, I will quickly see the benefits of my new arrangement, and I’ll be proud to have achieved my goals!
My 3 Cardio Exercises: 30 Minute Challenge 3 Times a Week
How do I choose which exercises to do during my 3 half hours of exercise each week? To improve my general fitness, I turn to cardio exercises. I select at least 3 to start with, for example:
- Reverse crunches to strengthen my abs: it’s not my shoulders that come off the ground, but my legs. Lying on my back with my arms behind my head, I bend my knees, then bring them up to my chest in rhythm.
- Star jumps: I jump with my feet apart while raising my hands above my head without locking my shoulders. I return to my initial position with a second jump.
- Jumping lunges: I make a forward lunge (I move one leg forward, leaving the other behind, then lower my chest) and finish with a jump.
I warm up for 10 minutes by jogging on the spot and doing knee lifts, and then I do a series of these movements in the form of circuit training. I finish by stretching, and I don’t forget to hydrate.
How Can I Succeed in My Challenge and Adapt it to My Level of Fitness?
To make sure I succeed in my cardio challenge, I follow the advice of the #ProFormTeam:
- I learn how to do each movement properly by watching videos: I can dedicate my first session to this. It’s crucial to stay with it and not get injured.
- To adapt the challenge to my level, I start with fairly slow sets. The effort must increase my heart rate without exhausting me: I don’t hesitate to adjust the length of the sets or the speed of repetition of the exercises along the way. It’s normal to look for your own rhythm at the beginning!
- As the sessions progress, I feel more comfortable, and I accelerate the pace of the sets. After a while, I can even do my circuit twice or more in the 15-20 minutes allotted for the exercises!
- If I’m already an experienced athlete, I can start HIIT (high-intensity interval training), i.e. doing a series of very intense movements, with a short recovery time after each set! This type of training allows you to burn more calories, even after the workout is over!
- I try to plan my sessions at the same time of the week or day if I can, to create a sustainable exercise routine.
- If I miss a session, I don’t feel guilty: it’s only a postponement. I persevere, and I will succeed!
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