CORONAVIRUS restrictions have lifted and for some of us, that means back to commuting and socialising more than usual in order to make up for lost time.
It could also mean that your workout routine has fallen by the wayside, but one trainer has revealed a simple workout that can help you keep your fitness levels in check.
Personal trainer Hayley Madigan created a simple yet effective 7-minute workout that you can squeeze into your packed schedule, whilst still achieving results you want.
Whether you're looking to build muscle, or add workouts into your weight loss journey, Hayley's workout promises to be time efficient – meaning you can easily fit the workout into your jam-packed schedule.
Hayley, who is an ambassador for Bulk explained that it's really important to keep up your body movement – particularly if you've built up a good fitness routine during lockdown.
She said: "7-minute workouts are a great way to do this, whether you’re short on time because you’re back at the office, have a jam-packed weekend full of plans, or simply don’t have the motivation to work out after all those pub days!
"A quick workout is also much easier on the mind than an hour-long workout, and still gets the blood pumping."
Hayley's workout is split into two parts, three minutes each, with a 60 second rest in-between.
ROUND ONE
The first round consists of three exercises, and Hayley said this is an AMRAP (as many rounds as possible).
Exercise one – squat pulses: The first exercise is a squat pulse and you should do 15 of these.
To do a squat pulse bend your knees, hips and ankles, as you would to go into a squat position.
Then push your feet into the ground and do a little jump, just enough so your body comes off the floor a couple of inches – then repeat.
Exercise two – up downs: Next is up downs and you need to do ten of these.
An up down is taking you from kneeling to standing to kneeling again. So start on your knees then stand up, before getting back down to your knees and then up again.
This works your entire body and once you feel more comfortable with the exercise you can even add weights to make it harder.
Exercise three – lunge into knee drive: You need to do five of these on each leg.
To do this put one leg behind the other and lunge down, as you come up bring your knee up.
After doing as many rounds as possible of each exercise you can rest for 60 seconds.
ROUND TWO
Exercise one – push ups: The first exercise is a push up and you should do eight of these. There are different levels of a push up, with the hardest being a full push up.
To do this get down on all fours and place your hands slightly wider than your shoulders.
Straighten your arms and legs and lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor, once there push yourself up.
For an easier version you can do this on your knees instead.
Exercise two – crab knee marches: You need to do eight of these and to start your should sit on the floor with your hands behind you then push yourself up into a crab position.
From here lift your legs up one by one, this is the march.
Exercise three – pop squats: A pop squat is similar to a squat pulse but instead of coming a couple of inches off the floor you should try and jump.
With each jump you should alternative between a narrow and wide stance.
This targets the lower body muscles including the quads, glutes and hamstrings.
But can such a short workout actually help you lose weight and get fit?
You can't target the areas you lose weight in, but working out does help burn calories and can put you in a calorie deficit if you're trying to lose weight.
Hayley said the seven minute workout can help you – but it depends on your goal.
She said: "If you’re looking for particular results, you may need to incorporate further movement – whether that’s weight training, yoga, or running.
"But, in a post-lockdown world, 7 minutes is certainly better than nothing! As you get fitter, you can always add an extra round of 7 minutes, to ensure that you’re challenging yourself, and continuously improving your fitness levels."
Besides the time saving benefits, Hayley explained why these workouts are good for us.
She added: "High intensity short bursts of exercise have been shown to improve insulin resistance, and therefore benefit women with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) as well as helping prevent Type 2 Diabetes.
"Additionally, when performed correctly, high intensity 7-minute workouts can improve our VO2 max (aka our maximal oxygen consumption) and overall heart and lung health.
"The best way to ensure you’re getting the most out of your short, sharp workouts, is to incorporate more protein into your diet – as this helps with recovery and maximises results.
"The best and easiest way to do this is to have a protein shake after your workout", she added.
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