I started a fitness company, then didn’t have time to workout! Yikes! So that led me to creating more My Trainer Fitness workouts for fast fitness as a way to maintain a reasonably fit life, even when you don’t have time.
My Story in Short – Age was Setting in
In my late 40’s, I needed help getting more fit. I had chronic back pain and osteopenia, the precursor to osteoporosis. Age was setting in. I was working out at home doing Tae Bo exercise DVDs but needed more.
So I joined a gym, hired a personal trainer, (because I was clueless how to use the machines and the best exercises to do).
As a result of getting more fit, resolving chronic back pain and reversing osteopenia, I collaborated with my then personal trainer to create the My Trainer Fitness line of fitness products. If you want to know more about that story, here’s more.
Finding Passion and Purpose
Fast forward a few years on this journey, and I became a certified personal trainer. I took the ISSA PT training to feel more confident as a fitness pro with a fitness website, and because I love learning and growth, but I never trained clients for pay.
As a part of growing and building this website, I discovered more of what I love to do: write, create products, grow businesses and help others build their businesses. So I, along with my family, are building our media publishing company, which include a creativity brand with a focus on personal development through daily practice, and a gardening website.
These three areas encompass a lot of our interests: health and fitness, organic gardening and healthy foods, and also creativity.
Don’t Know Your Passion? Don’t Worry!
So if you don’t yet know your purpose or passion, don’t worry. Just start with what interests you most and head in that direction. You will soon discover more open doors of opportunity along the way.
It is in the journey that the way becomes more clear.
~LeAura Alderson, iCreateDaily.com®
Fitness Pro – But no Time to Workout!
So what does that have to do with exercises for when you don’t have time?
I love my work. But… it requires me to sit at a computer all day long. And we’re talking an average 12 hour day, so that’s way too much sitting! I can sit there writing, creating, ideating, and helping people for hours on end. I would keep on going if I didn’t have to sleep. But… it’s definitely not healthy for the body.
So while I love my work, I also need to be vigorously active throughout the day. It’s a conundrum. How to keep fit when you just don’t have the time??? First, you must prioritize it. It’s about your health, after all.
Your body is designed to move.
How to Exercise When You Don’t Have the Time
On my wishlist is a stand up treadmill desk, (but we don’t have the space for that yet). If you can get one of those (or already have one, that’s the way to go). My dream office for when we relocate, includes a treadmill desk and also a bicycle desk or under desk pedal exerciser.
While I may not as fit today as when I had a couple hours a day dedicated to exercise and fitness, doing shorter workouts and moving more throughout the day makes all the difference. Now, in my early 60’s, my biometric calculations are 25-30 years younger than my biological age.
Most all of us are fighting the greatest health risks of the 21st century: sitting too much and eating refined and lifeless foods. However, most of us also don’t have an hour or two each day for exercise, so it’s gratifying to know that you can be as healthy in half the time.
When your work requires sitting all day, fit in 1-5 minutes exercise circuits.
~MyTrainerFitness.com
The Good News
Your body needs daily exercise. BUT… the good news is that you don’t have to be a fitness fanatic, physique pro or gym rat to maintain a healthy body. You don’t even have to workout an hour or more each day.
Moving more often throughout each day is better for your body than exercising for an hour but sitting all the rest of the day.
Fast Fitness for When You Don’t Have Time
So here’s how I break up my day to add in fitness, even when I don’t have time. AND it makes a difference. It shows in my skin, in my weight and in toning, and it shows on the scale.
Each day when I do these simple exercises, even if only for THREE MINUTES, the next morning, my Tanita body scan scale shows increased muscle mass, decreased fat percentage and a reduced biometric age.
These may take you a minute or two more or less than 3 minutes, but this is the average length of time. I try to do one set of something like this with every bathroom or water break to energize my system, and it works!
Fast Fitness Breaks
We call these fast fitness breaks, “Brawn Breaks”.
3 Minute Set – Squats & Push-ups Set
Body weight exercise only:
- 10 Squats
- 10 Close grip push-ups from desk, chair or wall
- 10 Jump Squats
- 10 Push-ups (from toes or knees; or from desk, chair or wall if you can’t go to the floor)
If you have more time, rest 30 seconds in between this set, then repeat for a full circuit of 3 sets.
3 Minute Set – Squat with Rows Set
Use dumbbells that are a medium weight for you, e.g. 5-12lbs; if you’re at work and don’t have weights, you can do it without, or grab a couple books instead of dumbbells.
- 10 Squats, no weights
- 10 Squats w/ dumbbell front rows
- 10 Bent-over rows w/dumbbells
- 10 squats with rows w/dumbbells
If you have more time, rest 30 seconds in between this set, then repeat for a full circuit of 3 sets.
3 Minute Set – Standing Abs & Core
- 10 Knee ups (bring knees to chest, one at a time, while standing; keeping back straight)
- 20 Elbow to Knee (lifting left knee toward chest, bring right elbow to knee; reverse to right side (10 each side; 20 total)
- 10 Side Bend-Right – lean torso to right side as far as you can comfortably go; raise and repeat
- 10 Side Bends-Left – lean torso to left side as far as you can comfortably go; raise and repeat
If you have more time, rest 30 seconds in between this set, then repeat for a full circuit of 3 sets.
MORE…
Squat jumps and push-ups are my favorites because they recruit the most and largest muscle groups for each exercise, plus cardio. When I have only two minutes, that’s what I do:
2 Minute Set – Squat Jumps & Push-ups
- 20 Squat Jumps
- 20 Push-ups
If you can yet do 20 of each, start with whatever you can do, even if it’s only three.
“The goal is to challenge yourself, not compare yourself.”
~MyTrainerFitness.com
So it’s easy to think that exercise only counts if we’re at the gym for an hour. Not so. Every move you make, counts. The more you move the more it counts. The more you move, the more you’re stimulating your circulatory system, and the healthier you will be.
Just as the calories and junk foods add up to harm you, so too does daily movement and adding in healthy habits add up to help you.
If you’re a visual person and need photos to help you identify the exercises and how to do them, here are a few other sample workouts for you from the My Trainer Fitness for at Work 6 pack:
And here’s a free download of the first half of the My Trainer Fitness for at Home 6 pack workouts:
3 Free 30 minute workouts in 2, 15 minutes circuits each:
Printable PDFs:
My Trainer Fitness for At Home 6 pack – Day 1 card, lower body
My Trainer Fitness 100 Calorie Workouts 6 pack, Day 2, upper body
My Trainer Fitness for At Work & 100 Calorie Workouts 6 pack – full body + cardio
Don’t make exercise a big deal, just a big priority. ~LeAura Alderson
Every move you make, counts. The more you move the more it counts.
~LeAura Alderson, MyTrainerFitness.com
Hello! I’m LeAura, a former homeschooling mom, fitness professional, entrepreneur, author, ideator, web publisher, and podcaster, passionate about helping others achieve their best possible life! I’m the owner of this site and a few others that I run along with my entrepreneurial family in areas that interest us, because we love to create and we love to share! If you really want to know more about me, you can check our ‘About’ page. (And while you’re there, please tell me about you)!
We haven’t created our family publishing company site yet, but as soon as we do we’ll link that here. Meanwhile, if you’re into gardening, you can see our gardening site, And, if you’re into creating anything, please visit our creators site, iCreateDaily.com.
Thanks for reading… take care and be fit!
LeAura Alderson, owner, MyTrainerFitness.com
Want to submit your photos, videos and/or article content for publication? We love to share! info@mytrainerfitness.com
