The holidays are here and from now to January, you'll be on the endless merry-go-round of parties, shopping and, of course, eating. Most people gain a few pounds this time of year because they don't have time to exercise and they're eating more than ever. Keeping up an exercise routine is crucial for staving off those extra pounds and keeping you stress free. If you're busy, circuit training may be the answer.
Circuit Training
In circuit training, you do strength training and/or cardio exercises one right after the other for a certain period of time or certain number of reps. It makes for a fast workout that targets all your muscle groups and helps you stay fit no matter how busy you are. To create your own workout, here are some guidelines:
- Choose 6-10 different exercises. You have several choices: a) alternate between strength training and cardio, b) stick with just strength training exercises, c) do just cardio exercises, or d) some combination of all of the above...see how flexible this is?
- Don't rest between exercises. The point is to keep your heart pumping, so move quickly from one exercise to another.
- Write your exercises down so there are no pauses between moves.
- Determine how long you want to do each exercise, using either a time limit (i.e., 30 seconds) or a specified number of reps (i.e., 25 repetitions).
- Decide how many circuits you'll do. Beginners do one circuit and intermediate/advanced exercisers can do 2-3 more circuits.
- Always warm up, cool down and stretch after your workout.
To get started try these workouts and videos:
- Quick Circuit Workout is a 34-minute workout using compound strength training exercises to work more than one muscle group at a time.
- Strength and Power Circuit is a 10-minute routine alternating a strength move with a high impact power exercise for int/adv exercisers.
- Beginner Circuit Training Workout alternates between strength training and cardio exercises and includes two different circuits.
- Fat Burning Circuit includes challenging strength moves along with high intensity cardio of your choice for an all-around workout.
- More Workouts
Making the most of your exercise time, even if it's only a few minutes, is just one way to manage your weight this holiday season and still have some fun.
