should this be enough

[smartyjonesc2s]

i am trying to find a way to fit cathe videos into my daily routine, and i have come to the conclusion that i can only realistically fit in 30 minutes or so a day. i am going to try doing 30 minutes of cardio 3 days a week and 30 minutes of total body work 3 times a week. i hate not being able to do full hour long workouts with cathe, but at this point in my life, it just isn't happening.

i am not a morning exerciser. i have tried, but i just have no energy or time in the morning to work out. i get my best energy when i get home, however, i don't get home until about 6:30. in order to fit in exercise and eating before 8 pm, i can only do 30 minutes.

my question is, should this be enough? at this point, i don't feel that i can allow the time to really build strength, so i am trying to tone what i have. i am about 5'6" and 125 lbs. i have the intensity series, and really need to add some more cardio variety to my dvds. i am thinking about buying step blast/step, pump, jump and low max to my small collection (i just started using cathe about 3 months ago).

any advice on how to make the most of my 30 minutes 6 days a week would be so appreciated. i really enjoy reading all of the advice and conversations on this forum, and i have really enjoyed hearing about the road trip. as a new member, i would have never had the guts to go this year, but maybe next year. you girls are really inspirational to keep trying to stay fit.

 

[candi]

Smarty,

Anything exercise you can get in is valuable. My workout times vary. Sometimes I exercise an hour, sometimes 40-45 minutes. It really depends on my schedule.

For cardio, I love Low Max. In the premixes, there is a split routine, I believe 1-4 and 4-7 and each of them are approximately 45 minutes with warm-up and cool down. But...because they're on DVD, you have the flexibility of ending your session a little earlier. Step, Pump and Jump is also very flexible. In the future you may want to consider Cross Train Express or CTX. Cathe formated these DVD's perfectly for people on the go. This DVD also includes Leaner Legs and Upper Body Split which would be perfect 3 weight training days per week.

And, yes, you can get results with only 30 minutes a day!

 

[Timber99]

I think that if you can fit 30 minutes, than that is what you do! As time goes on, maybe you can find more time in your day for additional exercise or morning workouts or whatever but for now, I say do what you can.

Good Luck
Christine

 

[pink_fortitude]

30 min sounds great! It is 100% better than nothing, and working out 6 days is 600% better than nothing!

I would recommend alternating upper and lower body workouts on your strength days. 30 minutes really isn't long enough to really work your whole body and make a difference, but it is plenty for a split.

The videos you mentioned are fun and perfect for time constraints.

Have fun! IS is my favorite.

 

[red_mct]

I think it's important to be realistic about what you can and can't do. Otherwise it's too easy to get frustrated and just say, forget it altogether.

I think if you want to maximize your workout time, use the premixes on the DVDs you have (awesome premixes) and for future workouts maybe consider circuit workouts where there are many logical break points so you can figure out where to start and stop each time.

Good luck!
Marie

 

[smartyjonesc2s]

thanks for the suggestions and thoughts. i am trying hard to deal with only having 30 minutes, as i have been exercising for years, and 1 hours has always been the standard. the mental may be the toughest for me. i agree with you, pink fortitude, regarding the upper body and lower body split. i didn't really think about trying to do total body in 30 minutes. that really isn't enough time. thanks for making that point. i really can't wait until the ctx express series is available again because i REALLY want that for these times in my life.

anyways, i will work on a program of 3 days cardio and splitting the upper and lower body and see how that goes.