By Joanne Chen
Your doc has said it all along: 30 minutes a day of moderate-intensity physical activity improves health and cardio fitness. But what if you barely have time to call your parents or squeeze in six hours of sleep? Here's what trainers — and sports-medicine experts — have realized: You don't have to do all 30 minutes in one stretch. Here, high-intensity 10-minute workouts that make the most of the time you've got. Do at least one each day, or if you’ve got time to spare, rotate up to four for maximum benefits.
HOMEBODY MOVES
The lowdown: No gym? No problem. With this total-body workout by Nick Kempen at Sports Club/L.A. in Miami, even the office makes for a good fitness space.
What you'll get in four weeks: Toned arms; jeans that fit better.
Special equipment: A pair of 5- to 8-pound weights.
How it works:
1 MINUTE Jog in place.
1 MINUTE Stand while holding weights vertically in your hands, arms stretched out. Now pretend you're sitting down on a chair, hold for three counts, then get back up, bringing the weights toward your chest. Repeat.
1 MINUTE Holding the weights, get in a semisquat position, spine at 45 degrees, back flat, arms hanging straight down, perpendicular to the floor. Now bend your elbows (so they're pointing up at the ceiling) and lift weights toward your chest; hold. Slowly lower weights to original position. Repeat.
3 MINUTES Take your hand weights, arms by your side. Step right foot forward into a lunge; hold as you slowly bring up your weights in a bicep curl; return to original position. Now, while pivoting, step to the left (still with your right foot); hold; return. Continue for two more rotations until you're back to where you started. Now repeat entire revolution with the left foot forward.
1 MINUTE Do push-ups on the floor or against the wall.
3 MINUTES Drop to the floor for a core hold: With forearms and toes on floor, keep spine straight and abs held in. Hold for one minute. Then release and stretch back into a yoga child's pose: Sit back on your shins and reach your arms to the floor in front of you. Repeat core hold.
GET 7 MORE 10-MINUTE EXERCISES
TRY: The Backyard Bootcamp, High Knee Training, Stretch and Crunch,
Tennis Training, Jump and Dance, NBA Drills, Boxing Challenge
link -
http://www.marieclaire.com/healt ... eclaire&mag=mar
Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.
