Micro-workouts

Have you heard of micro-workouts?

If you hate going to the gym, don't appreciate exercise classes, don't have time for hour-long workouts, or are facing another lockdown, keep reading! 

Micro-workouts can be done anywhere, at any time, with little or no equipment. You can tailor these tiny workouts to your own needs and schedule. Perfect for busy people, stay-at-home moms or dads, people returning to exercise after an injury, those who have been sedentary, or those who want to up their exercise even AFTER going to the gym!

A micro-workout can target a problem area, a muscle group that needs strengthening, a tight area that needs stretching, or all of the above. You can incorporate cardio, strength, stretching, balance, or a combination.

You can perform your micro workouts in between (or during!) all your other daily activities. Because a micro-workout takes only seconds (or possibly minutes) to accomplish, you can insert these into your routine without having to carve out an hour or more for exercise. 

Some examples of micro-workouts:

* 2-minute wall sit

* 10 push-ups

* 10 air squats

* walk, jog, sprint up a flight of stairs

* 10 jumping jacks

* warrior 1 pose (hold for 30 seconds)

* stand on one leg (hold for 10 seconds)

In order to make your micro-workouts into a habit, simply attach workouts to the activities you already perform throughout your day. For example, every time you make a cup of coffee or tea, perform 10 push-ups. (These can be done against the countertop or even against a wall, if regular push-ups are too challenging.) Every time you check your email, do 10 air squats. While you brush your teeth, stand on one leg. Switch halfway through.

For avid athletes, micro-workouts can be used on rest days. For those recovering from injury, micro-workouts can be used to strengthen muscles which have atrophied. For those stuck at home, micro-workouts can take the place of full-length classes.

I've been inserting micro-workouts into my daily routine to strengthen my quads and better support an injured knee. Do you think you will try micro-workouts? Let me know!