We all know that engaging in physical exercise is good for the health, body and mind. Despite that, some find it hard to actually include it in their daily routine given a busy lifestyle. Thanks to science, researchers have come up with the scientific "seven-minute workout." I first found out about this in May 2013 from an article published by the The New York Times. Now you may be asking how can exercising for a very short period of time be relevant. It is simple: it consists of "12 exercises deploying only body weight, a chair and a wall but fulfills the latest mandates for high-intensity effort. It essentially combines a long run and a visit to the weight room into about seven minutes of steady discomfort — all of it based on science." Sequence and timing are important elements of the routine. "The exercises should be performed in rapid succession, allowing 30 seconds for each [with a 10-second rest between exercises]. Though it may sound easy, the intensity is at about an 8 on a discomfort scale of 1 to 10, Chris Jordan, director of exercise physiology at the Human Performance Institute in Orland, says. "Those seven minutes should be, in a word, unpleasant." And it is. (Note: For some who have health conditions, this may not be the best workout for you.) "There’s very good evidence that high-intensity interval training provides many of the fitness benefits of prolonged endurance training but in much less time." There are several videos in YouTube on the seven-minute workout that you can play and follow while doing the exercise. There are also downloadable "seven-minute workout" applications for smart phones. Some say though that one round is not enough exercise, so it is better to do repetitive rounds. Sometimes I repeat the routine two to three times and combine it with other physical exercises (e.g., Zumba, weights, running and other cardio exercises). I also find it useful to wake me up in the morning and sweat before hitting the shower.
If you find it too easy and want to progress, try to make variations using the advanced seven-minute workout: "a more technically demanding regimen that requires a couple of dumbbells but still takes only seven minutes." Enjoy!
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LifestyleArticles that aim to help you with day-to-day problems. About the AuthorA psychologist who is always mistaken to be a psychic. Archives
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