Trainer: Don't believe the hype. You can't get a good workout in 5 minutes.
Believe you can get a great workout in 5 minutes? Not so fast.
There is plenty of literature -- online and in magazines -- that say it's possible to get a great workout in less time than it takes to get dressed in the morning. But one personal trainer says that's not the case. If you are pressed for time, you should take 10-15 minutes a day for high interval training.
TAMPA, Fla. - Can you get a great workout in less time than it takes to get dressed in the morning? Tons of online articles promise lightning-fast workouts with amazing results. Some even going as low as five minutes.
Not so fast, said personal trainer Nicole Race.
"It's frustrating to me because women in particular see those things and that is now their expectation," she added.
Race said people need to understand there needs to be a certain level of work put in to achieve goals and sustain them long-term. However, she said it's possible to get a full workout in the 10 to 15 minute-range doing high-intensity interval training.
That means maximum effort for short periods of time, like 30 seconds, followed by longer periods of rest. You then repeat the exercise several times. Race said it should completely drain your body.
A good 15-minute workout using high-intensity training could include squats, dynamic pushups, planks and crunches.
"I think when people begin to experience those feelings of fatigue, soreness, and being out of breath, they get scared of it because they don't expect it," said Race. "The magazine cover said it would be super simple in seven minutes and it’s not."
Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting any workout program.