The 15-minute workout

Inconvenience is the key word preventing people from working out regularly, according to US fitness professional Rick Bradley. "People don’t like to change clothes or get sweaty. They don’t like to take time away from their desks. But I know that little moments of activity are better than none at all, so I came up with Quick Fit – tiny bits of exercise," Bradley explains.

The key to its success is enabling busy executives to exercise effectively and consistently. Results of new research from the Harvard School of Public Health support that shorter workouts are just as good for the heart as a single, longer workout. In fact, exercise physiologist Glenn A. Gaesser at the University of Virginia found that sedentary adults reap benefits from as little as 10-minute workout sessions.

No Sweat

At the US Department of Tourism where Bradley is the fitness director, workers go to the gym and are out in 15 minutes – without even changing into workout clothes!

Besides the passion of Bradley to convert 4,000 DOT workers into fitness enthusiasts, he successfully parried almost all-conceivable excuse. Time, clothing, and perspiration are the most common. Three years ago, having been with DOT for over two decades, he developed Quick Fit. How can you turn down a workout that will only eat up a quarter of your lunch break, fully clothed and without having to sweat!

"Quick Fit is designed that way," beams Bradley. "Walking at the pace we set – three miles an hour for 10 minutes – won’t induce perspiration in the vast majority of participants."

Observers note that men in ties and shirts and ladies in their office dresses rush back to their desks after finishing their workout, completely bypassing the locker room.

Does the workout work? Reports again claim that no other government office gym has such a high ratio of participants as Bradley’s (1,500 out of 4,000) and a 90 percent attendance. There are lots of testimonials such one by 44-year-old Jenny Donohue who lost 51 pounds in four months.

"I’ve been battling my weight for years, and this is the only thing that has worked for me," she says. "I am definitely not an exercise nut, but this I can handle. Rick has made me more enthusiastic about exercise than I ever thought possible."

The Quick Fit Regimen

There are four phases in a 15-minute Quick Fit session. These are cardiovascular, abdominal strength, upper body strength and total body flexibility. One begins with 10 minutes of brisk walking on the treadmill, then five minutes devoted to the following: 50 bent-knee half-sit-ups, one minute of stretching and 10 repetitions each of pull-ups, chin-ups and dips on a machine that can be adjusted to each person’s fitness level. Beginners start with fewer repetitions but quickly advance to the full Quick Fit regimen. For those of us who may never even get to personally meet the man to try his workout, he shared his program recently.

• Ten minutes of aerobic activity. Bradley finds walking to be the top choice of most people, but you can opt to spend the 10-minute aerobic activity on a stationary bike, elliptical, stair climber or even walking outside or in the building hallways. Start comfortably but work up a brisk pace or effort level – enough to cause noticeable breathing but a pace that will still allow you to talk.

• 50 half bent-knee sit-ups for one minute. Lay on an exercise mat or floor with your back flat, your knees bent to about a right angle, and your feet flat on the floor. Pull your chin to your chest and keep it there, and extend your arms and hands, with your fingers pointed towards the top of your knees. Now, slowly lift the shoulders off the mat four to six inches, bringing your hands to your knees, and come back down.

• Chest press, curls and shoulder raises in three minutes. Use dumbbells to do these strengthening moves. Select the weight so that 10 to 15 repetitions of each exercise are fatiguing. (My Nautilus friends though, guided by Dr. Wayne Westcott, say that if you can lift more than 12 times, it’s too light for you but if you cannot lift beyond eight, it’s too heavy. They recommend 10 to 12.)

For the chest press, lay with your back flat on the floor and arms extended out to your sides, bent at a right angle at the elbow, forearms pointed towards the ceiling, hands holding dumbbells. Press the weights up toward the ceiling, fully extending arms, then lower.

For the curls, stand with feet shoulder-width apart, arms straight down at your sides, palms facing the body, holding the dumbbells. Bend arms at the elbow, keeping upper arm still but raising the weight to the front of the shoulder. While lifting the weight, rotate so that the palm of your hand faces up during the curl; slowly lower weight. Do 10 to 15 times on each side, alternating.

For shoulder raises, stand with arms straight down in front of you, palms facing together, holding dumbbells. Keeping elbows slightly bent, raise your arms straight out to your sides, so you look like a larger "T." Slowly, lower weight. Note that you may use substantially less weight for this one than for the curls or chest press.

Bradley suggests advanced exercisers to include another three minutes of pull-ups, dips, and chin-ups. But since you will not be reading this if you are already a fitness enthusiast, I would rather not talk more Greek to a non-exerciser.

• Finally, a minute for flexibility. Do side bends by standing tall, feet shoulder-width apart with hands on hips. Reach up to the sky with the left hand, bend to the right from the waist, bringing the left hand and arm overhead and reaching to the right. Slowly return to start with hands on hips, then bring right hand up and lean and reach to the left. Continue alternating, reaching and leaning to the opposite side with each hand, with the arm fully extended for 30 seconds.

Then sit and reach. Sit upright on the floor with legs straight in front of you. Extend your arms straight, reaching towards your toes, and gently lean forward. You do not have to reach your toes – just stretch to the point that you feel a gentle tension, but no discomfort. Hold for 30 seconds and then relax.

Not More Than 15 Minutes

Ironically, Bradley has to caution against overcommitment that inevitably leads to burnout. "The most important aspect of an exercise session is completing it," he says. "A lot of very motivated people get put on programs to exercise for 45 minutes a day, but soon, they find they can’t break away for that long, that often. If they can work out for shorter periods more consistently, people get a great sense of accomplishment, and the next thing you know, they are watching their diets more carefully and picking up even more physical activity."

If you want to stick to the program you have started, don’t overdo it. If you are sedentary, 15 minutes is a good start. Experts warn that you should not increase the duration or intensity of your exercise program by more than 10 percent each week.

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You can reach me at mylene@golds gymmanila.com.