Are you someone who finds it really tough to find out enough time to work out? Well, you are not alone, most people are either too time-strapped or are too lazy to workout. But, time-strapped or not, you have to make time for exercise if you want to be fit and healthy for the most part of your life. Well, if you do not have an hour you can try a 7-minute workout.
The latest research has some tremendous news for busy people who don’t have time to workout. 29 people between the age group of 18 and 30 participated in the 7-minute workout challenge and combined aerobic and resistance exercises every day for six weeks. After the six weeks time frame got over, the researchers found that people who indulged in this workout boasted of a lower BMI, had a reduced waist and hip circumference, and also lower fat mass before they began.
7-minute workout weight loss – Does it Work?
The 7-minute workout, also known as High-Intensity Circuit Training (HICT), is a workout that alternates between an intense bout of high and low intensity exercises, and it includes very short intervals of rest. A combination of regular aerobic and resistance training is the best strategy to help people expend the physical energy and prevent excessive fatigue. But how can we do that in a short time? Nowadays, our lives are terribly fast paced and the very thought of fitting in a workout at a short time is hectic and tiring. So, we need to simplify our workout concepts. Shorten it, yet it should be as effective as an hour-long workout, if not more. Also, it must be a workout that we can do everywhere without special equipment. It offers maximum health benefits in a very short time.
Seven minutes of exercise, wow, that sounds so easy! Well, it isn’t really. The effectiveness of this workout is mainly because you push yourself to the maximum limit during every single rep. Well, imagine yourself working hard at something, going all out. Well, it isn’t easy by any standards and you need to give yourself a pep talk every single rep, that you can do it.
The 7-minute workouts maximize your results because you simultaneously tap into your body’s aerobic and anaerobic (phosphagen and glycolytic) energy systems. You combine the benefits of both cardio and strength benefits and in very less time when compared to following a solid strength-training workout followed by steady-state cardio such as running.
The 7-minute workout also helps maximize your post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), the thing more commonly known as the afterburn effect. The more you push it, the more your aerobic system works it; so you take in oxygen at a higher rate than you would otherwise have taken, so you continue to burn calories even when you are not working out.
The 7-Minute Workout – All about 7-minute Workout Exercises
Here are exercises which you can do. Perform each exercise listed below at a high-intensity effort for 30 seconds. If you are doing exercises such as wall sit and plank, hold the position for at least 30 seconds. For exercises which are apt for your legs, alternate each side for another 30 seconds. Rest for the next 5 seconds between each exercise to rejuvenate. Repeat this 2-3 times if you so desire.
1. Jumping Jack
This is every gym-goer’s delight as it brings back those ‘PT’ days at the school.
Stand with your feet hip-distance apart. Jump feet wide and raise your arms to form an X. Jump feet back together as you bring your arms down to your sides.
2. Wall Sit
Stand your back to the wall. Walk your feet away from the wall as you continue to slide down the wall while you lower your body until your hips, knees, and ankles are at 90-degree angles. Brace your core as you lower your back pressing against the wall.
3. Push-Up
This is a workout that works most of the major muscle groups.
Move into a high plank with your wrists under your shoulders, keeping your core engaged. Bring your chest to the floor and keep your legs, hips, and back in a straight line. Press your palms to the floor and lift your back up.
4. Crunch
Work your stomach muscles with the super effective crunch exercise.
Lie face up on floor with your knees bent and your arms reaching straight out. Keep your lower back pressed into the floor and brace your core to lift your shoulder blades up off the floor and move it slightly forward.
5. Step-Up
Boost your cardio endurance with the step-up the exercise.
Stand before a chair (or stool) and lift your right foot onto the seat. Press right into the heel of the right foot and lift your body weight onto the chair, balancing on your right leg. Slowly, you can lower your back down to the floor. Switch your legs and repeat. Continue to do it alternately.
6. Squat
Work your entire body with this full body workout move.
Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, keep your hips stacked over your knees and your knees over your ankles. Bring your hips down and then send your hips back and bend your knees toward your lower body. Keep your chest lifted and straight and lower it at 90 degrees. Rise from your position and repeat the move.
7. Triceps Dip
This workout, yes you have guessed it works on your triceps.
Sit on the edge of a chair and place your hands on the edge just outside of your hips. Walk your feet out a few steps and slide your butt off the chair, and straighten your arms. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your arms are bent at about 90 degrees. Press down into a chair and return to the starting position.
8. Plank
This is a great isometric workout that works your torso.
Place your hands directly under shoulders. Brace your core and squeeze your glutes to stabilize the body. Keep your neck and spine into a neutral position. Your head should be in line with your back. Hold this position. Relax.
9. High Knees
Another fully intensive workout that gives you full cardiovascular benefits.
Stand tall with your feet-distance apart. Engage your core and use your lower abs to lift as you lower one knee at a time as if you are running in one place. Bring your knees to the height of your hips. Keep your thighs parallel to the floor, and do not lean back. Stay on the balls of your feet and keep alternating your legs as fast as you can.
10. Lunge
This is a great exercise to work your legs.
Stand straight. Take a big step forward with your right leg and your lower body until the right thigh is parallel to the floor and the right shin is vertical (ensure your knee to go past right toe). Press into the right heel to drive back up to the starting position. Repeat on the other side. Continue to alternate legs.
11. Push-Up With Rotation
This is another torso workout which works your major muscles.
Start in a high plank position and lower your body then press back up to get back into a push-up position. From the position of a high plank, shift your weight to the left arm and rotate your torso to the left side. Repeat the same to the other side.
12. Bicycle Crunch
This is another great workout that works your abs and obliques. It works all major core muscles, rectus abdominis, the external obliques, and internal obliques.
Lie on your back. Cradle your head with your hands. Now bring your hands towards your opposite knees and then keep alternating with the other hand and the knees. Bend one knee as you stretch the other.
13. Air Squats
The deeper you do your squats the greater you will feel the burn.
Ensure your thighs are parallel with the ground. Keep your arms right in front of you, keep your back straight and keep your butt back. Drop down and then get up again. Ensure that you maintain proper form. Once you perfect your form, you can get better results.
14. Walking Lunge
A walking lunge is not an easy workout to master, especially if you have weights in your hands.
Take a few paces forward and then return back to one pace and step out to get back to your starting position, alternating the sides as you go.
15. Tuck Jump
This is an intermediate level workout; practice it more to make your move perfect.
If you aren’t comfortable doing a full tuck jump (grabbing your knees in mid-air), you can moderate your move and do just a basic squat jump; it all depends on your fitness level. Jump as high as you feel you can confidently land; it may be just a couple feet or inches, just ensure you have the feet-in-the-air feeling for some time.
16. Side Plank (each side)
This is a great workout to work your obliques; you take turns in firing up your oblique muscles on each side.
Include 30 seconds of this workout on either side. This fits in perfectly into the 7-minute workout slot. Get into a plank position and move into one side by stacking your arms on one side, balancing your body weight on one hand, with another one outstretched above.
Modify the intensity, the pace, and your effort as you continue to work at it and improve your fitness level. Try these 7-minute workout exercises at least 3 times a week. Don’t overdo the 7-minute workout challenge as you will end up tiring out your muscles and hence won’t get the desired results; instead you may even injure yourselves.
So, does the 7-Minute Workout work? Yes, it does work your cardiovascular system, but if you want to get the best results you will have to include different types of workouts, such as moderate-intensity cardio, so you are able to train your body in other ways. So, you should include workouts that improve strength, flexibility, aerobic prowess, cardiovascular endurance, and muscular endurance.
If you do strength training, this workout can work as a perfect metabolic finisher. Also known as exercise finishers, these are short, high-intensity workouts when you place them at the end of your workouts to give out the maximum output. If you haven’t tried it out yet, it is time to give the 7-minute workout exercises a chance. It works wonderfully for those days when you just have 7 minutes on your hand to do the workout-of-the-day!
Disclaimer: All exercise should be done under the supervision of certified professionals or if any medical condition exists, please do seek the advice of the physician to proceed with this exercise.