20 Minute Workout Required!

Your Doc has said Exercise! The easiest way is a 20 minute workout to get and stay fit!

We cannot read a magazine, watch television or visit our doctor without some smart aleck pointing out the virtues of regular exercise. We know they're right, but the very thought is anathema to a lot of people. Why we gasp in horror, mentally fleeing from the idea, is another question. It's really just simple psychology.

It's like a Mom enjoining her reluctant child to eat a few forkfuls of green beans. My Mom spent quite a lot of time and effort at this healthful pursuit. I spent as much time rearranging those green beans so that they might not be visible on the plate. When I became a Mom, I did just what my Mom did, with my own daughter. The point is, that a 5 minute period of actually getting down to eating the beans stretched into, possibly hundreds of hours over a childhood. It's the same with exercise.

A diligent and consistent 20 minute workout takes how long? Just 20 minutes, once you begin. Most women spend at least that much time each morning with toiletries, makeup and dressing. Anyone can find 20 minutes to talk on their cellphone or kick back for a cup of coffee. So, when some authoritative person, like your doctor, has ordered you to exercise, or else, dispel those gruesome ideas of exercise torment and just get on with it. Here are some easy, painless and effective ways to crunch that 20 minute workout for all it's worth.

If you enjoy walking, you've got it in the bag. Choose a time of day that's convenient to your schedule and stick to it, unfailingly. Start off as slowly as you need to, gradually picking up the pace in a way that's comfortable and enjoyable. If you can get another family member or friend to join you, your 20 minute workout can do double duty as chat time. You'll do a world of good for your body, burn a few calories and have a good time doing it!

Your 20 minute workout can consist of anything where you're moving and using your muscles. Your custom 20 minute workout is most effective when you switch one day of walking with one day of doing sit-ups and another swimming or biking. The idea is to use all of your muscles in the course of a single week. Over time, sit-up day begins to show up on your tummy in positive ways. The one day you spend swimming or biking produces a nice toning of all your muscles and a notable disappearance of fat, always a good thing.

Maybe one day, your schedule is so tight and you simply can't bear to look at the accumulation of pet hair on the living room carpet. Use your 20 minute workout to give the vacuum the thrill of its life. Your arms, legs and back muscles will get a little toning, you won't have to look at Rover's fur on the floor and you've done your 20 minute workout. Mission accomplished.

Let's face it. Twenty minutes is not a long time. Fitting your 20 minute workout into all but the worst of bad hair days is doable. When you mentally falter, just think of the health conditions you may avoid by following the Doc's orders.