Multiple mini workouts instead of single long ones - personal experience?
Replies
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collectingblues wrote: »
But if your goal isn't to be an endurance runner.....1 -
collectingblues wrote: »
But if your goal isn't to be an endurance runner.....
A 30 minute walk will improve your cardio capacity more than a 3 minute run(even if you repeat the 3 minute run every hour)
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collectingblues wrote: »
But if your goal isn't to be an endurance runner.....
Even if you don't want to be an endurance runner or athlete, mini workouts are going to do little for your cardiovascular health. When I was diagnosed with high blood pressure years ago, my doctor put me on meds...the meds brought it down to some extent, but it was still elevated and he recommended at least 30-45 minutes of moderate cardiovascular work at least 3x per week, if not 4-5. That has done the trick...still on meds, but it's way better controlled now. My BP rises in the winter when I spend less time exercising.
I typically cycle 4x per week...sometimes 5. I also walk my dog for about 20 minutes most days.
Of course, you have to start somewhere...I wouldn't ever suggest someone just go out and start riding 50+ miles per week...I started out just walking and trying to get more movement into my day and things have just evolved from there over the past 5.5 years.4 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »collectingblues wrote: »
But if your goal isn't to be an endurance runner.....
Even if you don't want to be an endurance runner or athlete, mini workouts are going to do little for your cardiovascular health. When I was diagnosed with high blood pressure years ago, my doctor put me on meds...the meds brought it down to some extent, but it was still elevated and he recommended at least 30-45 minutes of moderate cardiovascular work at least 3x per week, if not 4-5. That has done the trick...still on meds, but it's way better controlled now. My BP rises in the winter when I spend less time exercising.
I typically cycle 4x per week...sometimes 5. I also walk my dog for about 20 minutes most days.
Of course, you have to start somewhere...I wouldn't ever suggest someone just go out and start riding 50+ miles per week...I started out just walking and trying to get more movement into my day and things have just evolved from there over the past 5.5 years.
The mini workouts I've mentioned are not something I expect to provide anything cardio. For the cardio, I have been walking 20-30 minutes @3.2mph 3-5 times per week. I will increase that as I'm able.1 -
YES mini workouts. 5 days week Now!
4am exercise: walking/jog- Water#3-8 oz with each meal or exercise.
7am Oatmeal-flaxseed 1/4 bowl, Buttermilk in oatmeal or buttermilk- Berries 1/4 bowl, Water#3
8am exercise- Walk 5 miles tn place with computer netflix, Water#1
9am Breakfast, Fruit Soup 1/4 bowl, Cabbage soup 3/4bowl, Steamed Veggies, Orange- Water#3
10am exercise- Everyday with Richard Simmons: Intro/ Diner, Water#1 z
11am Snack, Salad w Green Olives#3, Coby Cheese Sprinkle, Blue cheese Sprinkle on top.
12pm exercise- Lisa's Jazzercise youtube Water#1 z
1pm Lunch, Cabbage Soup 3/4bowl, Flatbread or Tortilla, Steamed Veggies,-Water#3
2pm exercise- Moving with Susan Powter (1994)/or Jane Fonda s Lean Routine file 1 of 2
3pm Snack (last meals 2:30-3:00pm). Grapefruit- Water#3 this is to flush out and digest food!
4pm-7pm- Meditation /Yoga/ Stretching/ Floor Exercising/ or Weight Lifting: Water#1
3 HOURS Relaxing Music "Evening Meditation" Background for Yoga, Massage, Spa0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »collectingblues wrote: »
But if your goal isn't to be an endurance runner.....
Even if you don't want to be an endurance runner or athlete, mini workouts are going to do little for your cardiovascular health. When I was diagnosed with high blood pressure years ago, my doctor put me on meds...the meds brought it down to some extent, but it was still elevated and he recommended at least 30-45 minutes of moderate cardiovascular work at least 3x per week, if not 4-5. That has done the trick...still on meds, but it's way better controlled now. My BP rises in the winter when I spend less time exercising.
I typically cycle 4x per week...sometimes 5. I also walk my dog for about 20 minutes most days.
Of course, you have to start somewhere...I wouldn't ever suggest someone just go out and start riding 50+ miles per week...I started out just walking and trying to get more movement into my day and things have just evolved from there over the past 5.5 years.
that is good that worked for you, and is what your dr suggested. Not everyone falls into that category or would have the same dr suggestions. I don't do any steady state cardio and haven't for y ears. I get all my exercise from my weight lifting program and i'm totally healthy at 51 years old, never been on any meds, never any physical issues. I'm just saying everyone is different, everyone's goals are different. Not everyone needs to do extended steady state cardio to be healthy or reach their goals. Some do, some dont, its all about what you like to do and your goals and obviously Dr recommendations. I've been reaching all my fitness goals for many years with zero steady state cardio. I hate cardio , i have very short attention span and 30 minutes cardio would be pure torture. If someone is staying active throughout the day with mini workouts and this is their lifestyle, odds are very high its gonna be enough for them to lead a healthy life3 -
serindipte wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »Mini workouts AKA grease the groove(GTG) are great for exercise where strength is a minor component. Pushups/pullups are a great example. If you can do 1 or 2, doing 1 or 2 every hour or half hour is a great bridge activity and allows you to increase capacity without over stressing CNS, because the individual load of each session is low and recoverable. It would work for other strength based exercises as well.
I'm SO glad you said 1 or 2!!!!!! I can push out 5 several times per day, but I have not been able to get a 6th. Pull ups are a no go for me right now, but maybe one day.
you can put a broom stick across two chairs or tables, lay on the floor and just try to pull your upper body off the ground, then try to get the butt off the floor, Eventually you try to get to full body weight rows, to pull ups w/ assist band, etc.5 -
mutantspicy wrote: »serindipte wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »Mini workouts AKA grease the groove(GTG) are great for exercise where strength is a minor component. Pushups/pullups are a great example. If you can do 1 or 2, doing 1 or 2 every hour or half hour is a great bridge activity and allows you to increase capacity without over stressing CNS, because the individual load of each session is low and recoverable. It would work for other strength based exercises as well.
I'm SO glad you said 1 or 2!!!!!! I can push out 5 several times per day, but I have not been able to get a 6th. Pull ups are a no go for me right now, but maybe one day.
you can put a broom stick across two chairs or tables, lay on the floor and just try to pull your upper body off the ground, then try to get the butt off the floor, Eventually you try to get to full body weight rows, to pull ups w/ assist band, etc.
Super duper helpful.0 -
serindipte wrote: »fitoverfortymom wrote: »I'm a big proponent of doing what you CAN do. I feel like that's what has contributed the most to my success. For me that was just grabbing extra steps and movement throughout the day without explicitly working out. Over time, I was able to do more, so I did, but that little added bits definitely added up over time.
I still try to get in extra steps or extra movement time, but it is no longer the bulk of my exercise regimen.
As time goes on, I do intend to add longer workouts. I am just starting (over) and was mainly wondering if anyone had success with the shorter workouts vs trying to push an exhausted self through one longer one.
I absolutely have had success starting small. I took short walks (around 10 minutes) several times a day, then added a short run (10-15 minutes) in the AM, then added short sets of bodyweight exercises into my runs, then started doing a short (20 minutes) bodyweight workout 2-3 times a week. All of this together made noticeable improvements in my strength, stamina, and ability to keep on doing a little bit more than I'd done the day before. Which is maybe the same as stamina, but whatever.
I did cardio videos over the winter, usually 20-40 minutes three times a week, and started a strength training program that took about 25-30 minutes including warmup and cool down. Now it's taking just over an hour three days a week. I've started running again too, about a half hour twice a week and an hour once a week. If you'd told me to do that last year, I would have laughed in your face, but now I have to make sure to give myself rest days so I don't overdo it!
I resisted anything that looked like exercise for a long time until I realized that I didn't have to do the "best" or "optimal" workout to see benefits of my time - I just had to do something a little bit more than I was already doing. When you're not doing much, move doesn't look like very much either, but if you stick with it it definitely adds up. Good luck!3 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »collectingblues wrote: »
But if your goal isn't to be an endurance runner.....
Even if you don't want to be an endurance runner or athlete, mini workouts are going to do little for your cardiovascular health. When I was diagnosed with high blood pressure years ago, my doctor put me on meds...the meds brought it down to some extent, but it was still elevated and he recommended at least 30-45 minutes of moderate cardiovascular work at least 3x per week, if not 4-5. That has done the trick...still on meds, but it's way better controlled now. My BP rises in the winter when I spend less time exercising.
I typically cycle 4x per week...sometimes 5. I also walk my dog for about 20 minutes most days.
Of course, you have to start somewhere...I wouldn't ever suggest someone just go out and start riding 50+ miles per week...I started out just walking and trying to get more movement into my day and things have just evolved from there over the past 5.5 years.
that is good that worked for you, and is what your dr suggested. Not everyone falls into that category or would have the same dr suggestions. I don't do any steady state cardio and haven't for y ears. I get all my exercise from my weight lifting program and i'm totally healthy at 51 years old, never been on any meds, never any physical issues. I'm just saying everyone is different, everyone's goals are different. Not everyone needs to do extended steady state cardio to be healthy or reach their goals. Some do, some dont, its all about what you like to do and your goals and obviously Dr recommendations. I've been reaching all my fitness goals for many years with zero steady state cardio. I hate cardio , i have very short attention span and 30 minutes cardio would be pure torture. If someone is staying active throughout the day with mini workouts and this is their lifestyle, odds are very high its gonna be enough for them to lead a healthy life
That part is important. I have a two hour round trip daily commute and then I sit at a desk all day. I've had days where I leave work and I've taken all of 2300 steps so dedicated cardiovascular work is not only beneficial, but pretty much essential to my health. Humans are meant to move and not moving can be pretty detrimental to your cardiovascular health. I would agree that someone who is more generally active in life, dedicated cardio probably wouldn't be necessary...but the vast majority of the population sits on their *kitten* most of the day and then goes home and does more *kitten* sitting.
When I was in my 20s I worked in a big liquor store during the school year and did landscape construction in the summers and didn't own a car most of the time so walked or road my bike everywhere. I was active enough then that I didn't have to worry about doing anything deliberate cardio wise...not so much these days.
I would be bored with cardio if it was stationary...but being out on my bike on the road and riding through my sleepy little village along the Rio Grande is an amazing way to start the day, particularly when the sun is just starting to peak out over the Sandia Mountains.
ETA: I think most doctors would recommend more light to moderate physical activity to help combat hypertension...mine works out of the NM Heart Institute, but I'd think most doctors would recommend regular cardiovascular exercise to combat certain heart conditions.2 -
There was a large study quite recently which found that short bursts of exercise were as effective for health as longer ones, if they added up to the same amount. Based on this study they are changing the government recommendations which previously were based on the belief that you had to do ten minutes or more before it had a real effect.
In terms of blood glucose control, studies have found that three ten minute walks following meals were more effective than one thirty minute walk.
Most posters here are quoting outdated advice. Of course short bursts will not get you running marathons, but that isn't your goal. It's simply incorrect that short bursts accomplish little or nothing, as several people have said here.4 -
rheddmobile wrote: »There was a large study quite recently which found that short bursts of exercise were as effective for health as longer ones, if they added up to the same amount. Based on this study they are changing the government recommendations which previously were based on the belief that you had to do ten minutes or more before it had a real effect.
For weight loss. Not for fitness.
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rheddmobile wrote: »There was a large study quite recently which found that short bursts of exercise were as effective for health as longer ones, if they added up to the same amount. Based on this study they are changing the government recommendations which previously were based on the belief that you had to do ten minutes or more before it had a real effect.
In terms of blood glucose control, studies have found that three ten minute walks following meals were more effective than one thirty minute walk.
Most posters here are quoting outdated advice. Of course short bursts will not get you running marathons, but that isn't your goal. It's simply incorrect that short bursts accomplish little or nothing, as several people have said here.
@rheddmobile
Can you post that...I'd be interested. Even when I was just doing a lot of walking I couldn't get my BP down to normal even with meds. I didn't get my BP down to normal until I started cycling regularly. When I was doing a lot of walking, on average it was 135/88 (which wasn't horrible and better than it was sedentary)...my average with regular cycling is 117/78 but still have to take meds.0 -
yes for fitness, too.0
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mutantspicy wrote: »serindipte wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »Mini workouts AKA grease the groove(GTG) are great for exercise where strength is a minor component. Pushups/pullups are a great example. If you can do 1 or 2, doing 1 or 2 every hour or half hour is a great bridge activity and allows you to increase capacity without over stressing CNS, because the individual load of each session is low and recoverable. It would work for other strength based exercises as well.
I'm SO glad you said 1 or 2!!!!!! I can push out 5 several times per day, but I have not been able to get a 6th. Pull ups are a no go for me right now, but maybe one day.
you can put a broom stick across two chairs or tables, lay on the floor and just try to pull your upper body off the ground, then try to get the butt off the floor, Eventually you try to get to full body weight rows, to pull ups w/ assist band, etc.
That's an easy alternative to my table pull ups with the advantage of something you can close your hand around; I like that idea.1 -
just a quick google search and this is what the CDC says:
"10 minutes at a time is fine
We know 150 minutes each week sounds like a lot of time, but it's not. That's 2 hours and 30 minutes, about the same amount of time you might spend watching a movie. The good news is that you can spread your activity out during the week, so you don't have to do it all at once. You can even break it up into smaller chunks of time during the day. It's about what works best for you, as long as you're doing physical activity at a moderate or vigorous effort for at least 10 minutes at a time."
https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm3 -
here is what Livestrong says:
Several Short Workouts
Contrary to what you might think, putting a little time and effort here and there into exercising is enough when you look at the larger picture of health and fitness. The more vigorous your exercise, the more calories you will burn, even if you increase intensity for just a few minutes at a time. Whether you aim for multiple 10-minute sessions or a couple 30-minute workout sessions throughout the day. You can benefit from every moment of exercise. Just remember to accumulate at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week. Your short workouts should always be, at the very least, segments of 10 minutes. For instance, during your lunch break, by waking up 15 minutes early or even when you are watching television you can perform a short workout with exercises like jump squats, jumping jacks, lunges, pushups and crunches. Also, remember to incorporate both aerobic and resistance training into your weekly physical activity.1 -
and the AHA:
Being physically active is important to prevent heart disease and stroke, the nation’s No. 1 and No. 5 killers. To improve overall cardiovascular health, we suggest at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise (or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity). Thirty minutes a day, five times a week is an easy goal to remember. You will also experience benefits even if you divide your time into two or three segments of 10 to 15 minutes per day.0 -
From the AHA...AHA Recommendation
For Overall Cardiovascular Health:
At least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity at least 5 days per week for a total of 150
OR
At least 25 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity at least 3 days per week for a total of 75 minutes; or a combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity
AND
Moderate- to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activity at least 2 days per week for additional health benefits.
For Lowering Blood Pressure and Cholesterol
An average 40 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic activity 3 or 4 times per week
Which would go along with my experience treating an existing condition.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »From the AHA...AHA Recommendation
For Overall Cardiovascular Health:
At least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity at least 5 days per week for a total of 150
OR
At least 25 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity at least 3 days per week for a total of 75 minutes; or a combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity
AND
Moderate- to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activity at least 2 days per week for additional health benefits.
For Lowering Blood Pressure and Cholesterol
An average 40 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic activity 3 or 4 times per week
Which would go along with my experience treating an existing condition.
Of course that is ideal, but not everyone can do that (nor needs to do that). if you continue reading that page, it says 10-15 minute sessions a few times a day is also beneficial0 -
Is it any wonder I love this community? Thanks everyone! You've been great.
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YES!!! Thanks for mentioning this.stanmann571 wrote: »Mini workouts AKA grease the groove(GTG) are great for exercise where strength is a minor component. Pushups/pullups are a great example. If you can do 1 or 2, doing 1 or 2 every hour or half hour is a great bridge activity and allows you to increase capacity without over stressing CNS, because the individual load of each session is low and recoverable. It would work for other strength based exercises as well.
This is a great distinction. The goal with these mini-workouts isn't to burn the same number of calories as a single longer workout. Rather, it's training the CNS without overstressing it or the required muscles. It's why I try to do multiple small sets of pull-ups over the course of a day.
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I think it is great what you are doing. Don't let anyone tell you that you won't get results. You are being creative and very smart by incorporating muscle building into everyday tasks. I guarantee you'll get results. I'm sure your aim is not to get to bodybuilder status. You just want to lose weight and get some toning definition. But the more you keep doing this, the better you will feel and eventually, just naturally, will want to take on more. You know what's right for you and what works for you. All of us here on mfp are on different paths w different goals, if you are like me, it's better to start slow and build up so you won't get burnt out or overwhelmed. For others, they may say go hard or go home. But YOU do YOU and i think it sounds fantastic.4
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Five- to fifteen-minute circuits can certainly help somewhat with stamina. That pretty much requires going all out for those periods though, and one will tend to reach the point of diminishing returns fairly quickly.
For endurance training, there is really no substitute for long periods of hard exercise.
Also, while the two words are often used interchangeably, stamina generally refers to the ability to use one's muscles (including the heart) at maximum capacity, whereas endurance refers to the ability to exert one's self over longer periods of time. https://www.livestrong.com/article/370329-the-differences-between-stamina-strength-endurance/
Thanks —the link gave a bit of clarity to different ways of programming. I followed the link into “muscular endurance” which I believe was described as heavy sets of 10-25 reps. When you reach max, increase weights for the sets and work up to more reps. I usually do 4x10-15 push/pull, core, step-up or lunge variations in my short circuits. It helps with my “stamina” for short sprints and quick rebounds in tennis.
OP: You may want to consider a beginner program. I began with Strong Curves. I learned about programming and variety of exercises. My focus was mainly physique. Then I ran the faster more linear StrongLifts 5x5 program and realized the power missing from my life. A linear strength-training program like Strong Lifts or Starting Strength can help develop that super-hero “power” that has you slamming a ball cross-court or flinging a door open with a brush of a pinky finger. Any of these programs can all help with strength and definition. Compound lifts are the staple of the programs. Strong Curves adds more variety.
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It is a fine way to get started. Do what works for you now. When you need s change, you will know it. Minis can be a stepping stone to more extensive workouts.
The challenge is this: you won’t build significant cardio or muscular endurance in shorts bursts because you need longer workouts to build endurance. Strength gains will be minimal long term because you will always be working from a cold state. You need warmed up muscles for progressive gains.
Nonetheless it’s a great way to get yourself started2 -
I got significantly stronger by doing 15-30 minute workouts with body weight and resistance bands.2
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stanmann571 wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »There was a large study quite recently which found that short bursts of exercise were as effective for health as longer ones, if they added up to the same amount. Based on this study they are changing the government recommendations which previously were based on the belief that you had to do ten minutes or more before it had a real effect.
For weight loss. Not for fitness.
Incorrect. The study examined all-cause mortality. It's brand new, literally just published. This is the AHA, not some fly-by-night study. The CDC is reconsidering its recommendations as we speak in light of this study.
@cwolfman13 - here ya go.
http://jaha.ahajournals.org/content/7/6/e0076781 -
Mortality and fitness (or lack thereof) are not the same thing.
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