Just thinking of trying to lose weight for a woman with a busy schedule can be rather stressful. Although we know that exercise is a crucial part of reaching your weight loss goals and efforts, it’s very easy to get stuck on trying to figure out where to begin. Questions that sometimes come up are: how often should I exercise? What kind of exercise should I try? How hard should I be working out? Should I incorporate strength training into my workout?
Although all of these are reputable questions, be assured that you are not the only one with these same questions. Starting an exercise regimen is something that many busy women struggle with. Sweat and sacrifice sessions (aka… exercise) can actually be fun with the right information and attitude. These easy to follow steps will answer all your questions and offer you so much more. The following steps will offer cardio ideas as well as how to balance your cardio sessions with key strength moves plus additional tips to help keep women who wear many hats motivated.
Day 1 – 30 minutes of cardio – This is a great time to warm up and get the body going and back in action. Try taking a brisk walk, walking fast enough to get your heart rate up.
Day 2- Strength Training – Do 3 sets of 15 reps of squats: Stand with feet hip-width apart, toes pointed forward and arms at sides. Bend from your knees and hips as if you are sitting back in a chair. Be careful not to allow your knees to extend past your toes when you are in the squatting position.
Day 3 – 30 minutes of cardio – Find a line dance class at your local park. If it’s longer than 30 minutes, that’s even better.
Day 4 – Strength Training – Do 3 sets of 15 reps of planks: Laying face down, place hands under shoulders and toes on the floor with your legs straight and body in a straight line. Push entire body up and hold for 30 seconds and work up to 1 to 3 minutes for each “plank”.
Day 5 – 30 minutes of cardio – Grab a jump rope and jump forward…then jump backward. You can even try some of the jump rope chants that we used to say during jump rope time on the playground as a child.
Day 6 – 30 minutes of cardio – Jump on your bike. Instead of driving your child to school or driving to the local store, ride your bike. If the school or the store is too far, try riding it around the block where you live.
Day 7 – REST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It takes approximately 250 minutes of cardio per week to see a significant weight loss. Typically, that’s 30 to 40 minutes of exercise per day. Always challenge yourself and try to gradually increase your workouts over time to reach the same amount of minutes or more. For those extremely busy women, try shorter workout sessions. Those offer the same health benefits as longer periods of exercise. Try a few 10 minute workouts throughout the day instead of one long session. So, busy ladies, there’s something for everyone.