When it comes to exercise, you don’t always have to play by the rules. Try these shortcuts from some of the UK’s top trainers to get results fast.
The cheat: train for just 15 minutes
Gym sessions don’t have to be long. A study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that short periods of aerobic exercise (three 10-minute sessions or two 15-minute sessions) have the same benefits as longer sessions, plus they’re much easier to fit into a busier schedule. ‘Do one 15-minute session in the morning and one at lunch or in the evening,’ says personal trainer and sports coach Jo Lothian. ‘But make those 15 minutes count. When using weights, make sure they’re heavy enough so you’re struggling by the end of the set, and instead of resting between sets do a run on the spot or star jumps. Splitting your sessions up throughout the day means you can train more intensely than you might in one long session.’
The cheat: make a game of it
Exercise should be a way of life, not a burden. If you dread going to the gym, find a different approach, suggests Lothian. ‘Instead of your usual treadmill session, try out a team sport such as volleyball, football, netball or hockey,’ he says. ‘A team game takes you out of your comfort zone, puts you in a competitive environment and gets you fit at the same time. You don’t realise you’re exercising the same way as being in a gym, as you are too busy trying to win. Take along a friend for the fun.’
The cheat: do short squats
‘Squats are one of the best ways to target your glutes,’ says personal trainer to the stars Nick Finney, ‘But you can make them more effective by stopping short at the top of the movement and changing your start position so your feet are wider apart. This keeps the tension on the glutes, so they don’t get a rest and have to work really hard.’
The cheat: flip between upper-body and lower-body moves
Peripheral Heart Action (PHA) training is a circuit in which upper body and lower body exercises are alternated back and forth. ‘This forces your heart and lungs to work at a larger capacity because they’re not just allowed to pump blood to one area of your body,’ saysFinney. ‘This results in a more demanding workout for the cardiovascular system because the blood flow isn’t able to get into an established pattern as it would if you were just working the same muscle groups. Alternating body parts also gives both your upper and lower body time to recover while you exercise the opposing area, meaning your heart rate never has time to drop – et voila, you burn tons of calories in one workout!’
