In our society, the need for physical labor is diminished due to a more psychologically and emotionally demanding lifestyle. This increases your risk for adverse health risks, as your busy schedule may leave little room for exercise. The good news is that quality exercise can be performed in as little as 15 minutes, and it can actually be much more effective than slaving away at the gym for hours.

The Powerful Benefits of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

High intensity interval training (HIIT) has become universally known for its beneficial properties and speedy completion. While at first scrutinized by health professionals, HIIT is now recommended by a large number of fitness experts across the globe. A number of peer-reviewed studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of HIIT, which health advocates are now beginning to realize. The largest perk? It can save you hours in the gym.

If the time saving characteristics aren’t enough, studies have shown that HIIT continues to burn fat for roughly 24 hours afterwards. HIIT is a great option if you are seeking an exercise routine that is the most effective and least time consuming. In fact, a lack of exercise could be upping your risk of serious disease.

Try the following beginner’s HIIT cardio workout and see how it works for you:

• Walk at a slow and steady pace for 1 minute
• Run for 1 minute
• Walk at a slow and steady pace for 2 minutes
• Run for 1 minute
• Repeat

Lack of exercise contributes to all forms of unwellness. Those who move less, do less, and walk less are all more likely to have significant health difficulties in their lifetime. The high time constraints of our daily routines, along with a lack of physical exertion within them, actually combine to create a greater need for regular exercise. In addition, the stress that builds up as a result of the daily grind is also damaging to your health. Luckily, exercise is a great method of melting away this stress.

A CDC report conducted in 2009 stated that from their results, 50% of men, and 60% of women did not engage in vigorous leisure-time physical activity lasting for more than 10 minutes. The percentages of inactive adults increased with the subsequent increase in the frequency of exercise, meaning even less people conducted exercise multiple times on a consistent weekly basis.

Regular exercise habits have been found promote healthy joints, lower blood pressure, reduce risk your for a host of diseases, strengthen bones and relieve chronic pain. The health benefits of consistent and varied exercise alone can weed out a number of growing health concerns, and serve as a preventative measure against all forms of affliction. In fact, just 10-15 minutes of exercise per day can make a real difference and boost your lifespan.

Once you begin to actively change your behaviors, you can expect to not only enter into a regular exercise routine, but to thoroughly enjoy your new fitness regimen. You may say that your schedule is too demanding, but in just 15 minutes you can still gain the benefits of a full-length exercise routine. Before you know it, you will be looking for extra time to devote to the practice. Take the initiative by creating a healthy exercise environment and embracing the responsibility of maintaining your physical health.

Convenience has certainly made its impression on the world we live in today. It seems that at the thought of saving time or even skipping a thinking process, people are more than willing to choose the convenience factor over anything else. This is especially true with the invent of elevators and escalators, so that people no longer need to walk up and down stairs. But a new study shows that people are giving up the extra movement while taking extra time doing so.

Elevators Save Time | A Widely Held Misconception

In one study carried on by researches at the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, doctors were told to take the stairs instead of the elevator in order to see if people actually save time by taking the stairs. The time it took to arrive to point B from point A was measured 14 different times via both stairs and the elevator. What the researchers found was that using the stairs actually saves time , putting the time-saving excuse of using the elevator to rest.

The researchers found that on average, it took 13 seconds to climb one floor when using the stairs, while using the elevator took about 37 seconds. The total amount of time saved using stairs was 10-15 minutes with travel via stairs totaling at about 10 minutes on average. Of course while these results exemplify a widely held misconception that elevators save time, the same test duplicated in a building with 50 floors would obviously yield different results.

The time saved using stairs can certainly make a difference in your day, especially if you feel like there is no time for breaks. But many people bypass the time factor and simply take the elevator or escalator  because it is easier and requires less movement. Changing the habit of using elevators to using stairs won’t make a dramatic difference when it comes to physical accomplishment to many people, but making that change will certainly put you on the right path to a new and improved mindset.

Instead of taking the elevator or escalator, take the stairs. Similarly, park far away and walk to where you’re going instead of looking for a close spot for 5 minutes. These kinds of alterations will  not only keep your mind and body working, but they will also keep energy flowing. With a conscious realization to the small changes you make in your life comes a sense mindful accomplishment. A sedentary lifestyle is all too common today, and a simple change in thinking is the cure.