Optimizing your limited workout time

Ever skip the gym because there is not enough time to get a "real" work-out in? Try some high-intensity interval training (HIIT), an increasingly popular option for getting the most out of your limited time. A HIIT routine involves short bursts of near maximal exercise bouts followed by a short recovery period, repeated for a set period of time, usually lasting less than 30 minutes. The HIIT style has proven to be an effective and timely means of exercise, and if done correctly has been shown to be as beneficial as sustained exercise over a longer duration in terms of oxygen consumption, metebolic rate, insulin sensitivity, among other benefits.

One simple HIIT protocol is the Tabata, a series of exercises performed in 20 second bursts followed by a 10 second rest, for a period of 4 minutes. Below are several examples, try one or all of them:

Complete 8 rounds:
20 second bike sprint
10 second rest

Complete 2 rounds:
20 seconds push-ups
10 seconds rest
20 seconds lunges
10 seconds rest
20 seconds sit-ups
10 seconds rest
20 seconds squats
10 seconds rest

Complete 2 rounds (a little more challenging):
20 seconds Burpees
10 seconds rest
20 seconds jump lunges
10 seconds rest
20 seconds flutter kicks (lying on back)
10 seconds rest
20 seconds mountain climbers
10 seconds rest

* REMEMBER -  to get the full benefit, exercises should be done at near-maximal intensity, don't be afriad to push yourself a little bit!