With busy schedules it can be difficult to find time to get a good workout in. These high-intensity workouts might be just the thing to help you get and stay healthy, all in less than an hour. 

Cycling 

Soulcycle is the the company that jump started the indoor cycling craze several years ago, also known as spinning. An average spin classis 45-60 minutes long and is a high intensity workout where you can burn between 300-600 calories. 

In a gym setting, the lights are off, there is high tempo music playing and an instructor is leading the class. Each rider gets to pick their own resistance so someone just starting off can choose a lower resistance, while an experienced cyclist may prefer a higher setting The workout typically starts off with a warm up, which is low intensity, and then shifts to more intense hills and a faster pace, ultimately ending with a cooldown and stretch. The mixture of sharp bursts of hills and sprints are aimed at burning calories while still building muscle. The great thing about indoor cycling is that you can change the resistance on the bike to whatever you are comfortable with. 

It mixes seasoned cyclers with beginners so both groups can still get a great workout. It may be the perfect cardio workout to throw into your gym routine a few times a week.

HIIT

Many people don’t have a lot of time in their schedule for long workouts so HIIT, high-intensity interval training, can be the perfect alternative to spending hours in the gym. HIIT is a mixture of workouts that have short resting times in between exercises. A HIIT workout usually lasts around 30 minutes, it may be the most time efficient way to exercise in terms of burning a lot of calories. 

A typical workout involves sprinting on a treadmill, biking, jumping rope and using various weights. Each type of workout is done for about 20-30 seconds with about 10 seconds rest for 4 to 6 rounds repeating each exercise. Sounds like a lot, but it only totals 30 minutes of your time. This can be done in a gym or even outside, so it is convenient for those with busy schedules can fit it in. 

HIIT has also been found to help reduce heart rate and blood pressure in many individuals. This type of exercise may also increase your metabolism, which means that you will still burn calories even after completing the work out. If you have 30 minutes try this workout anywhere, anytime.

CrossFit 

CrossFit involves a variety of movements done at a high intensity. It’s goal of this style of workout is to build strength and conditioning through various challenging workouts in a 45 minute time span. 

Most CrossFit classes have the daily workout separated into four sections: dynamic warm-up, skill, strength, workout of the day, and cooldown. The workout typically starts off with functional movements like jump roping, lunges, squats, or push ups. The goal of this first section is to get your muscles warmed up and to increase heart rate in order to get ready for the rest of the workout. The skill and strength section is all about strength-based movements, like deadlifts and squats. The third section is timed so you are not only focusing on the exercises, but also competing against the clock. After doing any type of exercise, it is important to let your body cool down and recover.Stretching, the final section, will aid in decreasing the effects of delayed onset muscle soreness while also increasing flexibility, which can help prevent injuries. 

In many CrossFit gyms they write on the walls what the workouts of the day are and the times that people completed them, so this may be an additional form of motivation. If you are looking for a community based workout where you have coaching and support, CrossFit just may be what you have been looking for. 

If you live in or near the Wilkes-Barre area, you can find versions of these workouts at the local YMCA. If not, you can find videos online that depict these workouts or create your own workout from the comfort of your own home.