Are you struggling to find time to work out? With our time-saving gym hacks, you can get active even when you only have a few minutes in your busy schedule. Even when you’re short on time, you can achieve your fitness goals by working smart and efficiently. Here’s how to stay on track — however hectic life gets.
Prepare your bag the night before
Streamlining your workout routine can help you jump out of bed, get dressed and go. The night before a workout, take a few minutes to pack your gym bag basics, like your water bottle, and have your workout kit ready to go.
You’ll be surprised how much time you’ll save when you’re not hunting for your headphones or deciding what to wear.
Prepare a post-gym meal ahead of time
Good nutrition and recovery are essential for your fitness journey. Post-gym meal prepping can prevent you from making unhealthy choices after your workout.
To refuel and aid recovery, you can whip up nutritious smoothies, protein shakes, and overnight oats in advance.
Use your gym commute as part of your workout
Warm-ups require little energy and deliver oxygen-rich blood to your muscles to prepare them for effort. Skipping your warm-up and cool-down can lead to sports injuries that can keep you out of action and set back your fitness progress.
Using your gym commute as part of your workout ensures you arrive ready to go. Build a brisk walk or run into your routine to save minutes and prepare your body for targeted exercise.
Or why not harness the power of your commute to build endurance by cycling? Work in some traffic light sprints to up your heart rate and book in for our bike fit physio to reduce your injury risk.
Get to the gym early
Getting stuck in traffic or waiting for your favourite equipment can be a real time-waster. One of our favourite gym hacks is setting the alarm an hour earlier so you’re through the doors as soon as they open. You’ll get through your routine faster and set yourself up for the day.
Create a circuit and repeat
Planning is key to making the most of your gym time. Creating your own circuit is a great way to train effectively.
You can put together a plan yourself or try our 1:1 training options for safe, effective workouts with a personal trainer. Aim to complete as many circuits as possible in 30 minutes with minimal rest periods.
Alternate training and recovery
Training body parts alternately is another great time-saving gym hack when you want to get the most out of your next session.
Here’s how it works: start by targeting your legs in one circuit, then prioritise the upper body in the next. Your legs get the chance to rest and recover without taking lengthy breaks.
Maximise results with HIIT
Short on time but craving an exercise boost? Head for a HIIT class. High Intensity Interval Training packs a punch when it comes to burning calories and building cardio fitness, alternating periods of low-key activity with bursts of high-intensity exercise.
Better yet, you can incorporate HIIT into any type of exercise, including strength training, running and cycling. For optimal fitness, make sure you incorporate periods of rest and low-intensity exercise.
Complement your workouts with physiotherapy services in Leeds
Being busy doesn’t mean sacrificing your health and fitness goals. And it’s important to always ensure you’re supporting your body with the right workout aftercare, including proper cool-downs and physiotherapy sessions. We can help you maximise your results with a range of excellent sports-focused physio services to support your fitness journey.
For expert physiotherapy in Leeds and across Yorkshire, feel free to get in touch with the Physio Action team today.