“It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.” -George Washington
I refuse to believe that anyone can’t carve out 15-30 minutes of time in a day in order to preserve their health and well-being. I’m willing to bet if someone told you they would give you a daily anti-aging pill, but only if you drove 15 minutes out of your way to pick it up, you’d do it. Skipping your cardio is essentially giving up the same opportunity. We always manage to make time for the things we truly care about. Committing to regular aerobic activity must first be a priority in order for you to realize that lack of time is not an acceptable excuse. For noticeable change in your appearance, you should perform at least 30 minutes of challenging activity daily. Examples include: Brisk walking at 3-4 MPH, jogging, upright cycling at 70 RPM, step aerobics, or kickboxing. Keep in mind, your level of fitness will increase rapidly, so you should continually challenge yourself and vary your workouts. For maximum fat-burning, your cardio sessions should extend beyond twenty minutes and be done in the morning. Who can’t squeeze twenty minutes in? One need not be a marathon runner or triathlete to derive measureable benefits from consistent exercise. In “Getting Better,” Kathy Smith reminds us that “all the research indicates that you get the same health benefits by doing say, three ten minute bouts of exercise as you would from doing a single thirty minute workout.” Don’t wait, start today. Make no more excuses. If you fall off, get back on, and when you don’t feel like doing it, do it anyway!
Wishing you health,
HLJ
Holly Lowe Jones is a media professional, fitness expert, and personal trainer. A member of the National Association for Health and Fitness, Jones is also a seasoned triathlete who competes in her spare time.
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