Short on time? Work smart.

Not all of us have hours and hours to spend working out. In fact, the thought of hitting the road for a whole hour puts off most of us, what, with our demanding schedules, family life and other commitments, finding the time to workout can be challenging.

However, there is always time for what you consider to be the most important things in your life. There will always be time for you to have a meal, or for you to have a conversation with your beloved, or have a giggle with your children. That is because you make time for these things, you have to make time for fitness, otherwise you will never have time.

Here are some tips I have picked along the way to ensure you get the most out of your workout sessions squeezed in between deadlines and wiping  runny noses.

1. Schedule it! There is a friend I have who, having three children, one being a boisterous toddler and a full time job wakes up at 4 am faithfully (I was corrected, 3:45am...who wakes up at that time?)  in order to have her "alone time". And what is this alone time? Yoga, cardio, some resistance....This is the only time she has to herself. She prioritized her body, sacrificing sleep when it is at its sweetest in order to get a workout in. I loud her.

2. Time and time again research has shown that short bursts of intense cardio coupled with plyometric exercises is the most effective for fat burning without compromising muscle building. Don't worry if you do not have two hours to get your cardio in. You can work smart by working out high intensity with short rests for an overall shorter workout but keep your body burning fat for longer. You have to work at your max, there are no shortcuts if you choose this route. Ladies, you need to look unlady like by the end of the first set, you need to be breathing hard, your heart should be pounding by the time you get to the short rests, if you work out this way, 20 minutes should be as effective as an hour long workout in slow steady state cardio. This is not for beginners though.

3. Lift something, lift heavy, lift consistently. Weight/resistance training builds and maintains muscle, it also maintains and has been shown to build new bone mass. Muscle is heavier than fat, but it is what gives you that definition that you desire. No time to spend two hours lifting? No problem! Fewer repetitions for heavier weights are more effective in muscle building anyway! Structure your workouts so that you hit every muscle group in a week. No gym close by? No problem! Use your own bodyweight with exercises such as push ups, dips, and pull ups.

4. Watch what goes into your mouth....You might have all the time to exercise but you cannot compete with what you put into your mouth. Eating healthy is 80% of the journey. It means getting your nutrition from whole foods and watching your portions. It means avoiding processed foods and sugar. It means getting intimately acquainted with your kitchen, and getting accustomed to drinking water and not fizzy drinks. It also means eating....not starving yourself, setting yourself up for weight gain later by slowing down your metabolism. Step 1 is surrounding yourself with healthy food. Get rid of the junk around you, we tend to eat what we see closest to us.

It does not have to be a strain to be healthy, but sometimes it seems everything around us is conspiring to get us off track. Be prepared, be consistent, keep healthy, be happy.
Have an active afternoon!