Will this work? Anyone tried it?

[RhiannonW]

If I have several 10 minute segments of free time(time away from the kids)each day, is it productive to work 1 body part for that 10 minutes, then say 3 hours later work another body part for 10 min? I know anything is better than nothing, but I'd like opinions from Cathe and the educated crowd because I know you're all advanced exercisers.
Thank you all for your time.

 

[hippahips]

Hi Rhiannon, I've read in various magazines about splicing your workouts into 10- or 20-minute segments if you're pressed for time. As you say, every little bit helps. However, as an advanced exerciser I would opt for an hour in which to do my workouts. I like to do a good warm-up before exercising, and once I start working out, I like to keep the intensity that I have worked up to. If I have 10 minutes for biceps, I'd have to take time to warm up my biceps; and if I have another 10 minutes for legs, I'll have to warm up my legs. I don't think it's safe to just jump in and do an exercise. Just my 2 cents...

I know how hard it is to work out when there are other people who need you 24/7. I have "trained" my 3-year-old to sit on my bed and watch me workout. He likes watching Cathe, and if he gets bored, he has learned to take some toys and books from the living room and amuse himself. There have been times when he actually fell asleep watching Cathe! "Training" him to understand that Mama needs to exercise took a long time. It was difficult to struggle with a child who is still basically egocentric. (When he was one, he used to bite my butt if I left him in the living room so I could wash dishes in the kitchen.) But by some miracle he just got it. He's also in jr. pre-K now, so I do my workouts when he's in school.

Pinky

 

[Carol_is_fit]

Rhiannon I have to agree with Pinky here. I'm sure it would work overall doing your workout in 10 minute segments, but I don't think it's very healthy for your joints and muscles in the long run. Warming up muscles and joints is very important, as is stretching them out after a workout. I'm concerned you could get some damage without proper warm-up or cool-down time. How old are your kids? Is there a family member or neighbor who could trade time with you so you could have an hour in which to workout, then you could watch her kids for an hour? When my daughter was little I used to sneak in a workout when she napped. Sometimes I'd only have half an hour, then I would put her in her playpen near me or her swing and finish the workout. She wasn't happy about it, but at least she could see me. Eventually, she would try to workout with me! In fact, I have pictures of her wearing leg warmers (WAY too big on her back then!), trying to do a Denise Austin step routine! It's adorable!!

Carol

 

[brenda21]

Pinky- You made me laugh cause I do the same thing - my 2 1/2 yr old is allowed to play in his brothers room only at this time during the day (when he's at school of course) if he won't nap or play on the bed for an extended period of time. Fortunately, I have others that like to sleep during excercise time (like right now - gotta go change since the clock is ticking!)
Brenda

 

[Soosan]

I have also "trained" my 3-yr-old to either watch me work out or go find something else to do. I'd get her set up with books, toys, etc before I started and I would just be (age-appropriately) firm with her when she interrupted me. Now she almost never does and even does her own "Elmo-cize" video almost every day! It took a lot of interruptions to get to this point but it was worth it!

When my boys were younger, I hired a 4th grader to come after school and keep them busy while I worked out. 4th graders are grateful for any kind of money, so I didn't pay regular baby-sitting wages. Plus, I was there the whole time.

 

[Connie1]

Rhiannon,
Yes yes yes! Do everything you can, don't go too heavy though! Keep your joints moving and stay as active as you can!
This time in your baby's life is very short-lived. Soon you will be able to indulge in longer workouts with proper warm up and cool downs. Keep yourself warmed up with whatever you can steal in ten-minute segments! The other posters are right, your child will eventually come to love Cathe's face as much as you!

I do grab my 5's and do quick sets of hammer curls or what have you from time to time. Experiment and repeat what leaves you feeling good.
-Connie

 

[Bobbi]

It can be done and done effectively. Here's an about.com article on the subject:

http://exercise.about.com/cs/cardioworkouts/a/10minute_p.htm

When my son was a toddler he used to see me on my bench doing a chest press with a barbell and he could never resist joining me and pushing the bar up and down to add a little more resistance. He also loved to plop down on my stomach making it soo hard to breath and impossible to do my workout properly. And he loved to lick me because I was salty! Yuck.



Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/nosmile/peacesign.gif
http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/person/smilejap.gif

 

[roe]

Yes, as this is how I trained my sister (long distance) to get back to her pre-pregnancy weight after her third child.

Because she couldn't find an hour, or even a half hour, in her day to exercise, she would skip it. I encouraged her to use any available to time to move, suggesting she do mini circuits throughout the day - but she mostly just did whatever she could.

For strength training, multi-joint exercises work best when you have minimal time. squats, lunges, leg presses, chest presses, push-ups, dips, rows... being careful not to overdo. You can do a lot in 10 minutes so rather than burn out a muscle group, do some circuits similar to what Cathe does in Boot Camp which will maximize your overall calorie burn. You can do compound movements with lighter weights (squats with a shoulder press), followed by heavier shoulder presses without squats. The possibilities are endless!

-Roe