I did a HIIT workout last week that not only kicked my butt, but my butt was still sore the next day. Which means it worked.
I haven’t written a post on fitness in a while, probably because I am not a peak performance. I’m not as consumed with working out as I was a few years ago. I no longer want to spend two hours at the gym five or six or seven days a week.
Plus, all those hardcore, if-you-can-do-it-I-can-do-it, workouts I was doing regularly were raising my cortisol levels.
High cortisol levels = faster aging.
So I stopped.
One hour five days a week is all I’m willing to devote to working out, and that has to include both cardio and strength training.
I accept that in this season of my life I have to incorporate more cardio into my routine if I want to keep the weight off. But since it can’t be super high intensity because of the cortisol, and because I really really really (get the point?) hate cardio, I was like, Then wtf am I supposed to do?
I got my answer. I love how the universe always provides.
One day last week knowing that I wouldn’t make it to the gym, I looked online for a quick, at-home workout. I was just going to do some core exercises, but I stumbled across a 10-minute HIIT routine and did that instead.
I’ve reincorporated HIIT workouts into my routine before, but they were always around 20 minutes. This one was just as hard, just as effective, but before I could hate my life and the fact that I have to do this: It’s not fair. Why can’t my body stay fit and toned without having to do this crap? Why can’t I just be happy letting myself go? Why can’t I get in shape by sitting on the couch watching Netflix? This is torture. I hate this. I want a cupcake —
It’s over.
I loved it.
I was huffing and puffing and feeling slightly out of shape, but I felt great. Like maybe if I do this 3 times a day, I can be a super-charged fat-burning machine.
I’m seriously considering this idea.
Another reason to incorporate this short HIIT routine is that no matter how often you work out, muscles need to be surprised now and then to get stronger. It’s like a marriage, now and then you need to spice things up. Even these short sessions will reset your metabolism and help you burn fat.
There’s no reason not to do this. None. Not if you want to look younger, be healthier, live longer, feel confident…all the things.
It’s fast, and it’s effective, and you can do it anywhere, anytime. You could even do it on your lunch break. At an airport? Hmm. (I’m thinking of other places I could do this.)
Look, love it or hate it we all need to exercise for our physical health and our mental health. But if you’re a wiser Chickie (you know what I mean by that), then you need to exercise to look and feel younger.
It’s a non-negotiable.
Everyone has 10 minutes.
Everyone.
So enough rambling already. Time to work out.
Here are the links to the routines I’ve done. I’ve talked about this YouTube channel before. I do her abdominal workouts. They’re amazing and you can adjust to your level of fitness.
Full Body Cardio Strength HIIT Workout
Try it and let me know if you liked it and if you too felt like it kicked your butt.
xoxo