Image: iStock.
Last Saturday was a bit of a manic day for me. Priorities were pretty much: Lou-walk, spray tan, inordinate amount of washing, pedicure then mad dash to a wedding (spectacular wedding by the way, but that’s a story for another day).
Anyway, I knew I wouldn’t have time for a proper workout, but I also knew that I really needed to do something. Situations like this are tough, and the easy way out is just to skip your workout altogether. But we all know that the easy way usually isn’t the best way, right? Right.
So, knowing I’d feel about a thousand time better after a workout, I whipped up this little 12-minute session that I could do in the backyard with Lou nearby and minimal equipment necessary. (Stretching before working out is essential. Check out Paper Tiger’s yogi stretch below. Post continues after video.)
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) sessions like this are fantastic when you’re time-poor, but if you want to get the most out of them you need to ensure you keep the intensity way up during your ‘work’ periods and equally, make the most of those precious ‘rest’ periods to help your heart rate drop back down as quickly as possible.
You can substitute pretty much any exercises in, but my preference is always for big, compound movements that are going to give you the most bang for your buck. Save this one to your phone and whip it out next time you find yourself pressed for time but keen to get the blood pumping.
This post originally appeared on Lazy Girl Fitness and has been republished here with full permission. You can also follow Jess on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.