Micro-Workouts To Boost Fitness, Increase Daily Activity, And Prevent Burnout

The Primal Kitchen Podcast

Host Brad Kearns discusses what could be the fitness breakthrough of the century: Micro-workouts! These are brief bursts of explosive effort that you can sprinkle into your daily routine. Examples include a set of deep squats right there at your work desk, a single set of pull-ups as you pass under the closet door, a sprint up two flights of stairs in the office building, pulling Stretch Cordz or TRX bands for a couple of quick sets, and so on. The benefits of micro-workouts are numerous. First, they are accessible to anyone no matter how busy your daily routine is. Second, the cumulative fitness benefits over time are phenomenal - you launch your formal workouts from a much high platform. Third, these workouts are brief enough that you don't risk the common problem of overly stressful workout patterns that lead to breakdown, burnout, illness, and injury. Perhaps most beneficial is how these little forays help break up prolonged periods of stillness that are so common in modern life and have now been identified as a huge health hazard. A minute or two of effort gets the blood and oxygen circulating throughout the body to enhance fat burning and cognitive function when you return to your screen. Perhaps the best way to get started with micro-workouts is to design a brief sequence of movements to execute first thing in the morning? Watch Brad's YouTube video, "Dynamic Stretching Routine To Start Your Day" for some ideas. Create a sequence that's simple and brief enough that you can commit to it every single day and mold it into a habit.