Here are various ways to make the most of your all-too-fleeting minutes so you can fit in those reps.
1. Stop wasting time on hold with automated phone systems.
Log on to gethuman.com, a database of secret phone numbers and codes that will immediately lead you to an actual, live person on the line for customer service at nearly 1,000 major companies.
TIME SAVED: 15 minutes
2. Download your favorite TV shows to your iPod.
That way you can watch them while waiting at the grocery store or subway stop, or while on the treadmill or stationary bike. You’ll be less tempted to skip the gym in favor of the latest live episode.
TIME SAVED: Up to 1 hour
3. Minimize your morning reading.
Instead of slowly fumbling through all of your daily newspapers, save time and go to assignmenteditor.com, where you’ll find major global, national and local papers in one place.
TIME SAVED: 20 minutes
4. Avoid long lines at the mall.
Go to shopittome.com, and select your favorite apparel brands and sizes. The site will scour the Websites of leading retailers and send you a daily or weekly e-mail summary when items in your size go on sale.
TIME SAVED: 15 minute
5. Finally, sign up for online billing.
You’ll spend less time sorting through (and shredding) the paper that clogs your mailbox. Plus you won’t spend all that time — time you could be spending on the treadmill — signing checks and looking for stamps.
TIME SAVED: 10 minutes
Save Time Inside the Gym
Think you need to put in a full hour to see results? Think again. “You can squeeze in a comprehensive, total-body workout in just 20 to 30 minutes,” says Robert Reames, a Gold’s Gym Fitness Institute member and personal trainer. Here are his four speedy steps.
1. Devote four to five minutes of your workout to your normal warm-up routine.
Do some basic stretches followed by cardio: Try jumping jacks, jogging in place or a few minutes on your favorite cardio machine.
2. Set aside 10 minutes for weight training.
“You get more out of a workout by focusing on building muscle first,” says Reames. “Zone in on three pieces of equipment, and do two to three sets of eight to 12 reps on each machine, with a 45-second break between reps. Ideally, you want a mix of machines so you’ll work a variety of muscle groups.”
3. Find your cardio equipment of choice.
Be it the stationary bike, treadmill, elliptical or step machine. “Then, knock out 10 to 12 high-intensity minutes of cardio on the machine, whether that means doing sprints or upping the incline or resistance,” says Reames.
4. Cool down.
Cool down for a few minutes with a quick, comprehensive total body stretch, focusing on all major muscle groups.
