With the 2021-2022 school year off to a start, there’s no question that the schedules of many Mamaroneck High School students and staff members are filling up. With these full schedules, finding time to exercise might not be a priority. However, even though attempting to get an hour-long workout may be out of the question on some days, squeezing in 20 minutes at home to be active is much more beneficial to your body than totally opting out of physical activity.
According to Healthline, exercise has numerous benefits to your overall health. For example, exercise boosts your mood and reduces feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress. Furthermore, fitting in a good workout can help your brain function better; when you work out, your heart rate goes up, furthering the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain. Getting exercise has also been proven to have several benefits pertaining to sleep, including helping people fall asleep faster. Lastly, the more you move, the less likely you are to be at risk for chronic disease. It is vital to ensure that physical activity is incorporated into your daily life for these reasons, along with many others.
Joanna French, a Certified Fitness Trainer at SET Fitness in Mamaroneck, recommended that if you only have 10-20 minutes to fit in exercise, then “finding something you enjoy and fitting that activity into your time frame” is key. Whether that means going for a jog or doing some sit-ups at home, planning to do a workout that you’re excited about will give you more of an incentive to get moving when you find that you can take a quick break from your homework or other after school activities.
According to French, “bodyweight exercises […] are a great way to fit in a quick workout at home, especially if you don’t have equipment or belong to a gym.” Some examples of various bodyweight exercises are push-ups, pull-ups, and squats. For more workouts, French recommends checking out Nike Training Club (NTC) and Peloton, as they include “a variety of workouts and programs from beginner to advanced.”
While French also shared that teenagers should “get at least 60 minutes of exercise/activity per day,” it is understandable that some might not always have that amount of time to spare. However, researchers at Science Daily still support the idea that getting a little bit of exercise is more beneficial than getting none. The benefits of getting exercise will still affect you, just to a slightly lesser extent. Though it’s important to strive to get a full hour of exercise each day, it’s also important to recognize that fitting in 20 minutes of exercise is ultimately better than zero.
When a lack of both time and gym equipment seem like an incentive enough to blow off a workout, think again. While cramming in a 20 minute bodyweight workout at home may not seem like the most conventional way to get physical activity, studies have shown that doing so is still effective. No matter how busy you get, know that there is always room for exercise.