Making Time For Cardio, Even At Your Busiest!

by Kelsey Coccimiglio
Making Time For Cardio, Even At Your Busiest!

To live a happy, healthy life all you need to do is: wake up at 6 AM, stretch & meditate often, meal plan & prep, have a good knowledge of human health and nutrition, keep your life as stress-free as possible, workout regularly, sleep 8-10 hours...

But who the heck has time for all that?!

Life is busy.

Here are 3 EASY ways to make time and space for cardio throughout your day.

#1: ADD A WALK TO YOUR DAY

It can be difficult to make time for a capital-W workout.

So what about some sneaky, functional exercise peppered throughout the day to get the heart rate up?

Walking, for example, is a great option. When it comes to walking, experts say even a little is good, but more is better. And, bonus, most of the time you can go for a walk without needing a shower after; so finding time to go for a walk without being required to clean yourself up after makes it a great option for before, during, or after work!

Some ways you can put this into practice include:

  • Parking further away from the entrance of work, the grocery store, etc. so you create an opportunity to walk;
  • Take the stairs instead of the elevator;
  • Get off public transit 1 stop early to let yourself walk the extra block or two to your destination.

#2: BE PREPARED WITH SHORT, NO EQUIPMENT WORKOUTS!

Most days, when I get home from work, I have about 20 minutes worth of time and energy that I can put towards working out.

BUT, the longer I take to decide which workout to do or set up for said workout, the more my motivation wanes and the less likely I am to make it happen.

That is, if I can make that gap between arriving at home and starting my work out as short as possible, I’m increasing my likelihood to succeed! I find it is extremely helpful to have a list of 5 workouts on hand that require little to no equipment and are 15-20 minutes to make this transition as quick and seamless as possible.

Here are 3 workouts to get you started on your Failproof Cache of No Equipment, High Intensity, Get ‘Er Done Workouts!!

  • 3 rounds (12 Lunges, 30 Half Burpees*), REST 2 MIN, 3 rounds (12 Lunges, 30 Half Burpees) *A Half Burpee means a Burpee without the pushup portion*
  • 4 ROUNDS: 3 min AMRAP (5 Push Ups, 10 Burpees, 15 Air Squats), 1 min REST
  • 5 rounds: 200 m Run, Hold Plank for as long as Run took you, 1 min REST

#3: MAKE IT THE FIRST THING YOU DO!

Set the right tone for your day by performing 10 Burpees as soon as you wake up!

It may not sound like a lot, but starting your day with 10 burpees creates momentum that will be easier to sustain through the day, and possibly result in more exercise to happen later!

Set the tone and keep it going. Plus, starting your day with 10 burpees can wake you up quicker than any coffee can! Get your blood pumping and start your day strong.