I came across this article in the health section of the New York Times “Can You Get Fit in Six Minutes a Week?” and thought the answer was, duh, no you can’t get fit in 6 minutes a week. This stupid rushed culture….outrage…it takes time…blah blah blah.
Well, the researchers said that all-out intervals three times a week is as good as hours of training. This is good news for me. It’s not that I’m so busy that I can’t find time to work out. It’s just that making myself commit to being in the gym for a long boring workout is just hard to do lately.
They say the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. So why not try something new? Of course, the actual program takes more than six minutes. They did four to six cycles of 20-30 seconds intense (all out) and four minutes rest. That adds up between 17 and 24 minutes total per workout, not including warm up and cool down. Still that’s probably a total of 30 minutes three times a week. Not too daunting.
There are all kinds of caveats about this program, and I wonder if I’d hurt myself going all out on the elliptical trainer. They say biking and swimming work best. I haven’t swum since years before my shoulder surgery. Maybe it’s time to start again?
I have been missing swimming. Actually I’ve been thinking about it again, lately. Though swimming hard sprints when I was out of shape is what injured my shoulder in the first place. Then again, now that I’m doing a summer writing program at a college and have access to the pool, it’s not a bad idea to start again.
Swimming again would required the purchase of a new bathing suit. I’m considerably heavier than when I last swam. Also, as I remember, a number of my suits had become see through. My swim cap was permanently adhered to itself last time I found it so I threw that out. Also, who knows where my goggles might be.
Already I’m thinking of throwing in the towel? (Ha ha ha.) All of these items are available to me. Another article in the Times (old but for some reason I just found it today) was about motivation. (“With The Right Motivation, That Home Gym Makes Sense.”) It suggests why hanging around the house all day with the elliptical trainer, Nordic Trak, and canoeing erg upstairs making snarky remarks at me hasn’t made me fit so far.
Well you lightly dusty pieces of equipment, maybe I’ll go swimming.