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Finding time to workout can often be a difficult and daunting task. Between taking care of our families and going to work there is often little room to budget the time necessary for an aerobic activity. For women with even greater obligations – if, for example, you're taking radiography courses, have kids, or have recently joined a book club – scheduling a workout may seem all but impossible.
But an effective and beneficial workout can be had without detracting much time at all from your day. There is a misconception that you need to be at the gym for an hour, grinding away at the weights and on the elliptical machine, before enough calories can be lost and an aerobic benefit can be reached. To be sure, those women that you see walking on the treadmill while watching TV may need a full hour if they want to burn off their lunch. For the rest of us, though, a focus on the right exercise and environment can translate into workouts that are both shorter and more beneficial. Here are some tips for getting to this point:
Pick The Right Activity
There is a tremendous variation in the amount of calories burned for different types of exercise. A woman of average weight who works out for 30 minutes can expect to burn around 200 calories if she swims, 300 calories if she rides a stationary bike, and over 700 calories if she goes for a run – even if that run is done at no faster than 12 minute/mile pace. Running is, by far, the most effective and efficient way to burn calories, with the elliptical and a vigorous spinning session coming in a distant second (at around 400 calories per 30 minutes). If you're looking to be efficient in your workouts, you might want to start going for runs.
Do It At Home
Many people spend more time preparing for workouts than they do on the actual workout itself. They drive to the fitness club, stretch while watching television, work out for a few minutes, talk to a friend, and then drive home. The whole thing turns into a drawn-out process. For some women, this process is a necessary means of instilling motivation and making a workout happen. For others, it is simply not needed; these people are better suited being efficient with their time and working out from home. Instead of renewing your gym membership, you may be better off just buying a treadmill.
Know Where You Can Be Pushed
While running may be the most efficient workout, a person who runs slowly (slower than 14 minute/mile pace) will still burn fewer calories than someone of the same weight who cycles vigorously on a stationary bike. On this note, it is important to consider the exercises that are most efficient not for the general population – but for you. Using online calorie calculators to compare different activities (and different intensities) is probably the best place to start.
Hopefully these tips can provide some guidance for those women who seek more efficient exercise routines. While burning calories, losing weight, and getting fit requires a definite time commitment, there is no reason why that commitment needs to be a daunting and all-consuming one.
