30 Nov Four great 20-minute workout ideas

This time of year can be one of the busiest for many people, with time demands of the holidays adding to already hectic lives.
It can be more difficult than ever to get proper exercise.
Here are four 20-minute workout ideas to help you get a quick fix for exercise.
1. Vibration machine workout – Step onto a whole body vibration machine and improve your workout in a fraction of the time. In 20 minutes you can burn up to 90 percent of muscle fibers, compared to just 20-30 percent in traditional methods.
2. Home workout — If you’re so busy that you really can’t even leave your house, then get in a quick workout in your living room. You can do sit-ups/pushups, use a workout DVD, perform stretching exercises or abdominal workouts, etc.
3. Circuit training — Perform a home gym circuit in which you start by walking or running on your treadmill for 2 minutes. If you don’t have a treadmill you can even go up and down your steps to get the blood flowing. Then do a set of pushups for 15 seconds and then sit-ups for the same time. After that, run another 2 minutes and repeat pushup/sit-up circuit. After this, lift weights for preferred exercises for sets of 12 and take only 30-second breaks in between. Do as much as you can in 20 minutes and you’ll break a nice sweat.
4. Interval training — When running, start out with a jog for 3-5 minutes, then run at a faster pace for 5 minutes. Back off down to a slower speed for 1-2 minutes and then run at even faster speed for 3-5 minutes before finishing with a cool-down job. You could also use interval speeds for walking, alternating how fast your pace is.
At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com