The 8 Minute Exercise Program

Fed up with strenuous, boring fitness regimens? Try the 8 minute exercise program!

Our doctors invariably question us, every time we see them, on whether we exercise regularly. Unfortunately most of us have to answer "no," if we really want to be honest. Walking to and from the donut counter doesn't count as exercise.

While we know that the Doctor is offering us solid advice, yet many of us find an exercise program to be a pain in the you-know-where! Who's got the time to fit a rigorous program of exercise into our already busy schedules? Jumping into the car and heading for the gym after work often just seems like more work! Especially after a long day when you just want to kick back and relax with a beer or something.

Let's face it, we can find excuses by the dozen to avoid any exercise programs, much less strenuous ones. It takes a special kind of person to pick up that program and stick with it.

On the other hand, assuming that you really feel that you should be getting some exercise, there are routines which will allow you to relax after work and still get more fit. An 8 minute exercise program can fill the bill, believe it or not. It will take your coffee maker 8 minutes to brew up a batch of coffee and in that amount of time it's easy enough to do your body some good.

The 8 minute exercise program works for everybody, regardless of what your schedule might be. Pretty much anyone will be able to find several such mini breaks in a day, no matter how busy their schedule. Squeeze just four such exercise slots into each day – 5 days a week – and you've fulfilled your doctor's wishes for a regular program of exercise that keeps you fit and healthy. 

First: Make a list of the health benefits you'll reap from your 8-minute workouts and then post it on the frig, bathroom mirror, or wherever it'll be in your face. Be sure to include these: increased energy and strength, weight loss, toning of muscles and an improved circulatory and respiratory system. I'm sure you can add to this list!

Here's just how easy it can be:

When you wake up a good first 8 minute exercise choice is stretching. Set the egg timer and stand up.

• Do ten touch-your-toes stretches, raising your hands above your head and slowly forcing them down to your toes. If you can, try to place your palms on the floor.
• Now, again standing, with arms extended out to your sides, do ten side to side stretches.
• Now that you've got the blood moving, do ten leg bends, crouching to your knees and back up again.
• Follow up with ten round and round rotations of the neck, in a circular motion. Reverse direction. Hey, you're done!

On your morning break, walk up the stairs, cross the building and take the other stairs down. If your workplace has no stairs, take a brisk 8 minute exercise walk-around. Grab a piece of fruit to eat at your desk. Round two finished.

If your lunch hour is an hour, sacrifice 8 minutes of that time to round three of your 8 minute exercise program. Take a walk around the parking lot, or do an impromptu weight lifting session with a reasonably heavy book balanced on each palm. Go eat lunch!

Now you can make your last 8 minute exercise workout really painless. Have you got some errands to run after work? A little grocery stop at the Super Store with the gigantic parking lot? Park your car as far away from the store's door as you can get. It's then easy to find a parking spot! Get yourself inside at the briskest pace you can muster. Move quickly through the store to pick up the needed items. (You get a break while standing in the checkout.) Now, hustle yourself back to your car and get home to a delightful bath.

Congratulations! You've managed to fit 32 minutes of legitimate exercise into your busy day, with no waste of time! Come Saturday, you're on 8 minute exercise vacation, having gained all of those wonderful health benefits. Which only goes to show, there's more than one way to skin a cat. Oh, I didn't really mean that!

More 8 Minute Exercise Tips:

Plan for four 8-minute workouts a day. No, it's not nearly as difficult as you might imagine.

Walk to the corner store, instead of driving. Ride your bike around the block a couple of times before your morning shower. If you live close enough to bike to work, you can save on gas and, depending on the distance, squeeze in two or three 8-minute workouts going to and from work.

If you use public transportation, get off a few stops before your destination and walk the rest of the way. Do you work in a tall office building? Get off the elevator a couple of floors below your office stop and take the stairs.

Park out in the boonies of the corporate parking lot and walk. You get the idea. There are so many ways to fit an 8-minute workout into your daily schedule.

Whether your goal is to lose weight, firm up some flab or just a general desire to improve your health, a regular workout routine is enhanced when you make a few dietary changes.

If a big juicy burger or steak is your normal choice, try substituting a big chef's salad a couple of times a week for dinner, with all the healthy trimmings. The great thing about salads is you can make them as big as you please, without gaining an ounce, while getting your fiber, protein and antioxidant-rich produce in one shot. You'll also feel satisfied with the amount of food – fiber is filling – and puts those hunger pangs to rest. Low Carb diets can be satisfying as well.

You can see that following these simple steps isn't all that hard. The results accrue daily, bit by bit. Next time you visit your doctor, you're likely to see a decrease in your blood pressure, a better looking body, better cholesterol readings and a reduction in weight.

Your complexion will be more vibrant and you'll definitely feel an increase in vitality. There's no good reason to pass up these many benefits and 8 minutes is all it takes!