Whether it's aerobic exercise, yoga or weight lifting workouts, exercising for as little as 30 minutes a day will change your life. Weight loss aside, exercise makes you feel better, look better and improves your health. You could consider is medicinal.
I promise.
All it takes is 30 minutes most days of the week. That's it. Really. In the time it takes you to watch half of "The Bachelor" or an old episode of "Sex and The City" you can squeeze in a workout and save your life.
If you're a relatively healthy adult, there is no excuse.
RELATED: Is there such a thing as "negative calorie foods"? An expert weighs in.
In a notable study from 2011, people of all ages who exercised very moderately, for about 15 minutes a day, or approximately half of your current regimen, reduced their risk of dying prematurely by about 14 percent, or the equivalent of three additional years of life. Those whose workouts were twice as long — like yours, 30 minutes per day — saw an additional drop in the risk of premature death, but only by 4 percent. Using that data, other scientists have estimated that people who go really big with their workouts, increasing their exercise time from 50 minutes per day to 120 minutes per day — a 140 percent increase — achieve only about a 5 percent added decrease in their risk of dying too young.
Exercise beyond a certain level may even be counterproductive. When researchers tracked 52,000 adults for 15 years, those who ran 5 to 20 miles a week at a fairly pokey pace of about 9 to 10 minutes a mile received the optimal mortality benefits, the study authors write. The fastest runners and those who completed the most miles every week did not live significantly longer, on average, than people who didn’t run at all.
Yes, You HAVE the Time to Exercise 30 Minutes a Day!
Every day, I meet women and men every who ask me how I squeeze in my workouts. I have made it clear that exercise is my "non-negotiable". I don't give those up. I get at least five workouts in a week. |
| Empower Weighted Hoop - LOVE this |
Recently, I was in a time crunch, so I walked 10 minutes to the park with my daughter and the dog. While she was playing, I jumped rope for about 20 minutes, on and off, and walked back home. That was a quick workout that also allowed me to spend time with the kid. She had fun watching me jump rope, as well.
The majority of us aren't professional athletes, models or actors. We don't need to "look a certain way" for the cameras or be able to dunk a basketball. But we DO need our bodies to work for us in every day life: lifting the kids, moving furniture, running up stairs, even getting in and out of chairs.
A simple 30-minute session of exercise will get the blood flowing, stretch and strengthen your muscles and make you feel better mentally, too.
Great 30-Minute Workout Options
- Popsugar Fitness Videos on YouTube - the do anywhere workout!
- The Nike Training Club App - LOVE LOVE LOVE
- Daily Yoga - just found this on iTunes. They have a great free back workout which is good for those of you who sit in a chair all day.
- The 7-minute workout
- A run or walk
- Hula hooping - I have become obsessed
- On-demand fitness classes like BeachBody.
When you're pressed for time, what is your favorite way to exercise?
Get The Real Skinny
Want more diet and fitness news? Click HERE to sign up for my weekly newsletter or just fill in the information in the box below. You will get an email, generally on Wednesday, full of simple diet and fitness tips like this one.
Shop Items That Can Help You Exercise In 30 Minutes
