Hello, everyone.
While I typically began past years by crafting New Year’s resolutions, this time around, I embraced a different approach, foregoing the tradition. Instead, I’ve set my sights on a singular objective for the year: prioritizing regular fitness routines to enhance my activity levels and overall well-being.
In 2021, I made a short list of my favorite fitness channels on Facebook, link below:
Although I’ve kept these channels in my subscription list, today, I took the initiative to update it, adding those I’ve recently started following since late last year. Balancing mommy duties, homeschooling my youngest while overseeing my eldest’s online classes, and managing my graduate studies and work kept me occupied last year. Unfortunately, amidst these responsibilities, maintaining a consistent routine proved challenging, leading to weight gain and finding myself unable to fit into my clothes.
This year, I made the decision to temporarily step away from my role as a geology museum researcher to dedicate my full attention to completing my thesis. Additionally, I’ve been actively participating in various training sessions aimed at propelling me towards my aspiration of becoming a Data Earth Scientist—a term I’ve just humorously coined. With the increasing demand for skills in Data Science, I’ve ventured beyond my comfort zone, actively seeking out classes to enhance my expertise and stay ahead in this rapidly evolving field.
In spite of my busy schedule, I know intuitively, that I can’t ignore my physical health, while I enrich my brain – so to speak. Hence, as a busy mom and student, I decided to look for short workouts. Today I’m sharing a short list of old and newly discovered channels that I followed recently. I allot 30-40 minutes of my day doing doing some of the workouts and if you’re curious how my routine goes, I’m also going to share tips at the end of this blog.
But first, why is short workouts good for us? Here’s ChatGPT’s answer to this question:
- Time Efficiency: One of the most significant advantages is that short workouts are time-efficient. Many people struggle to find time for longer exercise sessions amidst busy schedules. With short workouts, you can achieve significant results in as little as 10 to 30 minutes, making it easier to fit exercise into your day.
- Increased Fat Burning: HIIT workouts (aka short workouts like Tabata) often incorporate bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by short periods of rest or low-intensity activity. This pattern can lead to a higher calorie burn during the workout and an increased metabolic rate post-exercise, promoting fat loss.
- Improved Cardiovascular Health: Short, intense workouts can improve cardiovascular health by boosting heart rate and increasing oxygen consumption. Over time, this can lead to improvements in overall cardiovascular fitness, including lower resting heart rate and improved circulation.
- Muscle Building and Toning: While short workouts may not provide as much volume as longer sessions, they can still effectively target and engage muscle groups, leading to muscle building and toning. HIIT workouts often incorporate bodyweight exercises or resistance training, promoting muscle strength and endurance.
- Variety and Adaptability: Short workouts can easily be tailored to individual fitness levels and preferences. They can incorporate a variety of exercises, including bodyweight movements, plyometrics, cardio intervals, and resistance training. This variety helps keep workouts interesting and prevents boredom, making it more likely for individuals to stick with their exercise routine.
- Convenience: Short workouts can be done almost anywhere, with minimal equipment. Whether you’re at home, in a hotel room, or at the gym, you can squeeze in a quick workout without needing a lot of space or specialized equipment.
- Potential Health Benefits: Research suggests that even short bursts of exercise can offer numerous health benefits, including improved mood, reduced stress, better sleep, and enhanced cognitive function. Incorporating regular short workouts into your routine can contribute to overall well-being.
- Accessibility: Short workouts are accessible to people of various fitness levels and abilities. They can be modified to suit individual needs, allowing beginners to gradually increase intensity as they progress and providing challenging options for more advanced exercisers.
Overall, short fitness workouts offer a practical and effective way to improve fitness, burn calories, and achieve health goals, particularly for individuals with busy lifestyles or limited time for exercise.
Let me tell you, there are days when my schedule is so jam-packed that squeezing in a full 30-minute workout seems impossible. That’s why I’m passionate about sharing some of my go-to short workouts that can be completed in 10 minutes or less through this blog. Even on the busiest days, like mine, it’s possible to fit in these quick sessions—whether it’s squeezing in a couple of short workouts throughout the day or simply doing one to stay consistent with your fitness goals.
Speaking of goals, mine is to exercise at least four times a week. Surprisingly, I’ve managed to surpass that, exercising 5-6 times a week consistently since the year started. And you know what? Every now and then, I treat myself to a cheat meal (emphasis on meal, not a whole cheat day).
So, without further delay, here’s an updated list of fitness channels for this year:
Burpee Girl boasts an impressive following of over 800,000 subscribers on YouTube! I stumbled upon her channel while searching for a low-impact Zumba routine to incorporate into my fitness regimen. Zumba holds a special place in my heart as one of my favorite dance workouts, thanks to its energetic fusion of Latin moves and invigorating song selections, which never fail to lift my spirits. These series of videos are just some of the ones I have tried:
What I love best about the channel so far:
The channel offers basic workouts that are mostly low impact. The ones I’ve tried have a lot of arm movements that at the end of each, I could not draw a straight line with my pencil (yes, I tried). Haha. Other than the temporary arm injury (I’m kidding!), I love how the movements also target the core. I recommend this channel for absolute beginners because the steps are quite easy to follow.
You read that right. I’m putting her channel again on this list because she is that awesome and thus, deserves another post in this blog. So why do I and the rest of her >2 million followers love her? She’s very active in her channel and social media that she posts constantly and would have new routines every week or so. On top of that, she has several short HIIT workouts that are great on those days when it’s hard to squeeze in even a half-hour exercise. I also like that she has been around for a long time and hasn’t gotten tired of posting free routines all those years. Here are just some of my favorite short routines:
3. His Dream
This might not be your regular channel for workout but I’m putting this here because I really like doing his face yoga routines. Once we hit 40, our muscle and skin start to sag and it is quite noticeable particularly on the face. His Dream gives tips on how to keep our muscles and skin tight and lean. Here is my daily face yoga routine from this channel:
Keoni’s dance and walk routines are not only enjoyable but also remarkably easy to follow. What sets him apart is his silent approach during the exercises; he seamlessly transitions between moves with non-verbal cues, making the workout flow effortlessly. For beginners or those new to limbering up, Keoni’s videos offer a fantastic starting point. Each workout is designed to be low-impact, with step estimates provided for those who like to track their progress.
Lately though he has been adding high intensity routines, fast-paced walking and dance moves that are better suited to those who have been following his channel for a while like me. My personal favorites now are one where he dances and walk with his mom. That’s just so adorable.
If you prefer high-intensity workouts, you may find most of Keoni’s routines too gentle for your liking. However, I still recommend incorporating his workouts into your routine, particularly for warm-ups or on days when you’re seeking a lighter workout session. On some days, I even have his videos playing on my phone and my AirPods on my ears while walking around my university campus. I just make sure that I have it on low volume for safety especially at nights. I also enjoy watching his cats! Here are some of his recent videos:
Conclusion:
What has proven effective for me thus far is scheduling my exercise routine approximately two hours after breakfast, usually around 8 or 9 AM. I prefer to kickstart my day with early morning workouts. However, since I also have breakfast and potentially prepare lunch during this time, I ensure that these tasks are completed beforehand. By prioritizing and completing these morning responsibilities, I can fully dedicate myself to my exercise regimen without any distractions.
On days when my schedule feels overwhelming, I rely on a structured workout plan to kickstart my day. I begin with Keoni Tamayo’s energizing walking routine, lasting approximately 16 minutes, followed by two sets of Lucy Wyndham’s quick 7-minute workouts, concluding with a soothing cool down. However, on days when I manage to tackle my tasks and find myself with spare time in the afternoon, I treat myself to a more extended 30-minute session led by Burpee Girl, ensuring to incorporate a thorough cool down afterward. To complete my workout routine, I integrate a session of face yoga from His Dream channel, although there are occasions when I opt to move this practice to bedtime for relaxation.
I’ve adopted a more mindful approach to my eating habits, although I don’t adhere to a strict diet regimen. Recently, I’ve made a conscious effort to steer clear of fast food options, opting instead to prepare homemade meals more frequently—a practice I’ve always enjoyed but had neglected due to work demands. Additionally, I’ve cut down my coffee intake from two mugs to just one, and I’ve minimized snacking, usually eating three meals a day.
During particularly stressful days, such as when troubleshooting my machine learning model, I find it challenging to muster the energy for my usual workout routine (admittedly, even the ones I recommend!). Instead, I’ve devised a coping mechanism where I hop on my stationary bike, plug in my iPad, and indulge in episodes of Friends or The Big Bang Theory. The key for me is maintaining consistency with my fitness goals, even during challenging times, ensuring that I remain committed regardless of the circumstances.
What are your fitness goals for this year? Do share in the comments section.
Cheers,
The Fabulous Scientist 