During my 12 weeks of intense fitness contest, I did high intensity exercise 6 days a week. I had very little desire to continue that once the contest was over. I am just not a huge exercise fan. Never have been. I have to discipline myself to do it; it does not come naturally out of desire. There. I said it. I do not love to exercise. I would rather blog.

But I know I need to do it, so like all disciplines, I incorporate what I know I should do, whether I want to or not.  I knew I had to have a plan that fit my busy mom schedule and one that I liked just enough to actually keep me doing it. I found my secret sauce: MaxT3 DVD. Oh, the utter joy of only 12 minutes of intensity. I do that 3 days a week along with “6 minute abs”, and 2 more days are “easy” days of doing a walk/run for 30 minutes or more. Some weeks it’s only the DVD 3 days.

I know I could go back to 6 days/week high intensity and lose weight faster, but for me, I’d rather do what I know I will keep doing. And you need to figure that part out for yourself as well. If you’re a beginner, start with a routine that is doable for you, until you are in the habit of doing it, then you can challenge yourself more, after your habits are better established. (Journey concept here just like with food.) Get moving (fast) at least 3 days/week, and probably more if you want to lose weight. High intensity surge or burst training has lots of information on the web as to why it is so effective and such a healthy way to exercise. Don’t let a gym membership or lack of funds for equipment get in your way. The link above tells you what you can do at home. Plan a doable routine and start.

Updated note: please see Lindsay’s List for videos on exercise, including “tabatas”, which are short bursts of high intensity. You can do just 4 minutes at a time! Also, her blog makes me laugh out loud or say “awwww” every time I read it. She’s awesome.

Related articles

• HIIT High Intensity Interval Training (fitnessknowsnolimits.com)
• Get Moving! (dranitapetruzzelli.com)