Rob Gronkowski is 6’6″, 265 pounds, plays football for the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots and has been known to spend up to nine hours a day working out.
Many professionals have a hard time finding a few hours a week to hit the gym.
With the summer season quickly approaching, you’re probably starting to think about losing a little weight after the long, cold, windy New England winter. Thankfully, you don’t need to go all Gronkowski in order to get yourself back into swimsuit shape.
All you have to do is incorporate a few of these five quick summer workouts for busy professionals into your daily routine:
1. Crank Up the Cardio
If you don’t have time during the day to hit the gym, wake up 30 minutes early and crank out some quick cardio.
Hit the treadmill for five minutes at a steady pace, then get down and do five-minutes of planks, push ups and crunches … and repeat for 30 minutes.
Alternating between short periods of high-intensity anaerobic exercises and aerobic time on the treadmill keeps your heart rate elevated, builds core strength and develops muscles.
The nice thing about this type of workout is that you only need to do it three times a week to reap the benefits.
2. Practice In-Office Yoga
Just close the door, dim the lights and find your inner Namaste for a few minutes every day.
3. Take 10
Not every workout has to last as long as an episode of Cheers in order to be effective. Some workouts for busy professionals only take 10 minutes.
If you can find one-sixth of an hour, try doing these 10 exercises for 45 seconds each (giving yourself 15 seconds to rest between each move):
- left-side leg lifts
- right-side leg lifts
- reverse crunches
- alternating side lunges
- push ups
- planks
- skaters
- right-side hip extensions
- left-side hip extensions
- alternating Supermans
Taking 10 minutes three times a week to do these moves will help keep you fit and tone until you can find more time.
4. Do it at Your Desk
What if you didn’t have to leave your office in order to get in a workout? What if you could use your chair desk and walls to workout?
You can, if you follow these five easy moves:
- isometric shrugs – sit upright, grab the side of your chair and do an isometric contraction as if you’re trying to lift the seat of your chair while your sitting in it
- biceps curls – make a fist while your elbow is at 90-degrees and pushing against the bottom of your desk (as if you’re doing a hammer curl)
- isometric triceps pushdowns – move your chair close to your desk, make a fist and push down on your desk (as if you’re doing a hammer curl)
- horizontal shoulder abductions – put your chair next to an office wall, turning it 45-degrees to the right and extending your left arm against the wall–then pushing
- wall chairs – position yourself against the wall and slowly squat until your knees are parallel to the floor.
- These workouts might not make you sweat, but they’re perfect workouts for busy professionals who are stuck in the office.
5. Walk
Nowadays everyone wants to get their daily 10,000 steps, as measured by their Fitbits and Apple watches. In reality, you don’t need to count steps–you just need to get out and walk!
Find the Time
If you have specific goals in mind, connect with exercise experts at Derry Health & Wellness. They can design a workout plan just for you–and it won’t involve spending nine hours a day in the gym. For instance, the Derry Medical Fitness Center classes can be scheduled to fit into anyone’s busy schedule. The full list of available classes can be accessed here.
