If you work out on a regular basis, you probably know what it feels like to not have enough time to work out. Maybe you don’t work out on a regular basis because you don’t think you have enough time.
So, if you only have a half hour or so, what can you do to maximize your benefit? Aerobic activity is fine whether it be brisk walking, running, swimming, etc, but remember that 30 minutes is looked at as a minimum time period for the beneficial effect.
How about strength training? The first thing I may do, if I only have a short amount of time, is to pick exercises which involve multiple muscle groups like squats, lunges, bench press, rows, olympic lifts. This enables me to train more muscles at once. Then, I will alternate upper and lower body – this requires less time for resting between exercises. For instance, instead of going from squats to lunges, I may go from squats to bench press to lunges, giving my legs a rest in between.
Another option when you only have a half hour is to do a core workout – believe me, you’ll feel it after a half hour. Yet another option is to do a dynamic workout of plyometrics and/or speed endurance training – the intensity of these types of workouts means a shorter time period. So you see, if you only have a half hour, you do not have an excuse.