If you’re job or business is online and you’re concerned about how your sedentary lifestyle is affecting your body, you’re not alone. Try intermittent workouts.

I started this routine after I found out that the cause of my calf burn was the lack of blood flow in my legs. Yes, you guessed it -excessive sitting. So basically intermittent workouts, are mini-sessions performed periodically throughout your day. You can set a timer or use a trigger to signal when to engage in the workout.

How it works

You can do one exercise or a variety of exercises at a time. Try to choose a mixture throughout the day to target both your upper and lower body. An example would be a 10min yoga in the morning, a few minutes of core exercises in the afternoon, or a 10-minute bodyweight workout in the evening. Even taking short walks in between- as long as your moving. Mix and match the exercises and the reps and see what works for you. Consistency is the key.

Research shows that shorter bouts of exercise may actually be more beneficial than one continuous bout. The point is to develop long-term fitness habits. Generally, an individual needs to exercise for at least 150 minutes a week. If you spread it to 5 days, it’s just 30 minutes a day. People who struggle to find 30 minutes can do three 10-min workouts spread evenly with a properly structured plan. 

BUT… IS INTERMITTENT EXERCISE AS EFFECTIVE AS CONTINUOUS EXERCISE?

The short answer is “No,” but it’s about 1000% more effective than not exercising at all, which is (realistically) the alternative for most busy people.

To be realistic the choice really isn’t between 60-minute workouts and intermittent workouts. It’s between not exercising and exercising at all.

So just imagine, if you’re going from not exercising to racking up 420 minutes of intermittent exercise per week, you can already predict the changes it will do to your overall health and wellness. Of course, don’t forget to couple it with appropriate nutrition.

The nice thing about a plan like this is that it is realistic and doable especially when we’re talking about your schedule and needs. The takeaway is that because it’s easy and short it’s can develop into a regular fitness routine.

“If you don’t make time for exercise, you’ll probably have to make time for illness.” Robin Sharma

Immediate benefits from intermittent exercise

• Small bouts of exercise can help offset some of the harmful effects of sitting down for too long
• Sitting down for hours at a time can also make it harder to burn fat
• Exercise normally improves metabolism

So the next time you find yourself sitting around wondering if you have enough time for a workout, ask yourself if you have 5 minutes.