So often we hear people say that they do not have time to do any exercise. Whether it is a working mother or a student with school, extra curriluclar activities and homework to complete, people from all walks of life claim to have no time to exercise. Well, this is nonsense. Sorry.

If you are one of the people that think that you do not have time to exercise then this is for you. If you worked for a large corporation and said that you had no time your manager would send you on a Time Management course so that you can learn to manage your time better. It is not that you do not have enough time, it is simply that you are not managing your time well.

How Long Do You Need For Exercise?

OK, lets assume that you really are very busy every day of the week. If this is the case, then you need to follow an exercise regime that involves short and intensive workouts. As it happens, this type of exercise is considered by sports scientists to be the best way to exercise to get fit and lose weight quickest.

A 15 minute workout is enough to help you to lose weight and get fit. It is enough time to increase your heart rate and work your whole body, the key is to perform a set of exercises that provide the best workouts for your body. These are the ones that get you moving most. So, you still think you do not have time to exercise for 15 minutes?

Exercise Takes Just 1% Of Your Day

There are 1,440 minutes each day, so 15 minutes is just over 1% of your entire day. If you watch any television, you probably spend 15 minutes watching adverts or flicking between channels each day. You can fit 15 minutes into your daily routine – you just need to manage your time a little bit better.

Here is our 15 minute workout to get you started:

• 0-2 minutes: Bodyweight squats. These work the thighs, legs, glutes and act as a warm up. Do as many as you can in 2 minutes. It’s OK to slow down, try not to stop.
• 2-3 minutes: Push ups. Works the arms, shoulders, chest and stabilizes the core. Perform as many as you can in 1 minute.
• 3-4 minutes: Crunches. Classic abs exercise, again, as many as you can.
• 4-5 minutes: Burpees. These are a more intense exercise. Perform as many as possibly in 1 minute. Your legs should ache at the end of this, the squats, push ups and crunches all act as a warm up to the burpees.
• 5-6 minutes: Lie down on your back, do some leg raises. Works the lower abs and hip flexors. Go slow to get your breath back.
• 7-8 minutes: Back extensions. Roll over, perform back extensions. Simply raise your torso up using your core muscles, with your arms always off the floor.
• 8-9 minutes: Squats again.
• 9-10 minutes: Push ups again.
• 10-11 minutes: Mountain Climbers. From a push up position bringing one leg forward under your torso at a time.
• 11-12 minutes: Crunches again.
• 12-13 minutes: Jumping jacks. These act as a more intensive cardio exercise, if you have a skipping rope you can skip instead.
• 13-14 minutes: Burpees again! Feel the burn, keep pushing, you are almost there.
• 14-15 minutes: Push ups. End.

This 15 minute workout is intense. The harder you work, the harder it is, so it is really possibly for anyone of any fitness level to gain from this workout. You can of course do this anywhere, any time. The space next to your bed is probably enough, or between your sofa and the television.

Compare this to a workout that someone may do at a gym:

• 0-15 minutes. Drive to gym, park, go to changing room, get changed.
• 15-17 minutes. Walk to gym area, find some equipment not in use.
• 17-37 minutes. Do so light exercise on the treadmill or elliptical, chat to some regulars. Get a drink, hydrate….
• 30-50 minutes. Do some weight training on the resistance machines, work those arms by pushing out those 30 pound chest presses!
• 50-60 minutes, cool down
• 60-90 minutes. Shower, change. Drive home.

OK, so you probably do not have time to go to the gym and exercise. But you do have time to exercise at home with a quick fitness workout. Check out these related articles below for more ideas on short and intensive workouts.