As the CoreFitnessByJana mantra says:

Time is precious but so is your body.

Most of us think of working out as a significant time commitment.  And, lack of time is one of the most common reasons people give for not incorporating exercise into their lives.

Recent research shows however that shorter but more intense cardio workouts can be more effective for weight loss and battling metabolic disease.

Jeff Behar of My Best Health Portal provides great detail about the how and why of short intense workouts for combating metabolic syndrome.

While long duration cardio work is essential for endurance athletes,  for those participating in sports such as tennis, golf, biking, skiing, basketball and other activities, as well as those just trying to maintain their figures, 30, 20 and even 10-15 minute high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts can be more effective.

Intense bursts of exercise followed by active recovery activate fast twitch muscle fibers and better replicate the physical requirements on our bodies during sports like tennis & other racquet sports, basketball and even some hiking and biking.  In addition, high intensity short duration cardio can enhance muscle growth while burning more energy from carbs and fat whereas endurance training can actually atrophy and diminish the effectiveness of fast twitch muscles.

Beyond the metabolic and sports conditioning benefits, we’re more likely to find or make the time for a shorter workout and to stick with it because 20 minutes is a lot less daunting than doing cardio for an hour!

So don’t let lack of time hold you back from being the fit person you want to be. Only takes 20 minutes or less for a fitter, healthier you!

See the hour glass as half full!

Coming Soon:  We just filmed new Cardio Boot Camp, Ski Conditioning, and Tabata workout videos.  Look for these to be added to our CoreFitnessByJana.com online fitness video library this winter!