Workout Wednesday Vol. 12: Why Bother with a Super Short Workout?

Q: What if I don't have time for even a half hour workout? Should I even bother?A: Yes, you should. Here's why:-Doing something, no matter how little, is always better than doing nothing. Think of every little bit you do as a few coins in your piggy bank. After a while you've saved up enough money to buy something awesome.- It's a whole lot easier to find your groove when you've maintained some degree of fitness, not just physically, but also mentally. It's that inertia thing. The first law of physics states: A body at rest stays at rest. A body in motion stays in motion. Newton never said, "A body in motion stays in motion as long as the motion lasts at least 30 minutes per day."- Even a 15-20 minute run is enough for you to break a sweat, elevate your mood, and boost your metabolism.- You can use your limited time to explore other efficient workouts you can do in your house, your hotel room, or even your office, including wall sits, lunges, jumping jacks, plyometrics, core work, pushups, etc. There is so much you can do with little or no equipment. If you think you can't do a worthwhile workout at home in a short time, I double dog dare you to alternate 15 burpees with one minute of plank, for 15 minutes.- Even a very short workout can still help with stress reduction and can elevate your mood. Bonus if you can get in even a mile or two outside- now you've gotten some fresh air.- Still not convinced? Do you have 20 minutes to press snooze, surf the web, catch up the shows you DVR'ed, or scroll through pictures of your friends' kids and meals on Facebook? If the answer to any of those is "yes," ask yourself what would make you feel better- 20 minutes of that or 20 minutes spent exercising?I would bet an entire uninterrupted 60 minute workout that you would feel better if you reserved 20 minutes for a quick workout.