‘7 minute’ workout, seems too easy to not be a gimmick? Well it is not, read below and find out why you should give it a chance!
What is a 7 minute workout?
7 minute workout or ‘High-intensity Circuit Training’ (HICT) is a relatively new exercise program which is gaining popularity, especially among the office going, city dwelling people, who are hard pressed for time and can not give an hour a day at the gym
In HICT one does 2-3 circuits of high intensity exercises, where one circuit means a mixed bag of aerobic and resistance exercises, done with little time between them. One such circuit lasts nearly 7 minutes. Research has shown benefits for as little as 4 minutes of HICT in previously sedentary people. However, the optimal time recommended is 20 minutes or 3 circuits/day
Typical 7 minutes workout
- Has 9-12 exercises working all major muscle groups of the body
- Where each exercise will be done in near 30 second bouts
- With less than 15 seconds of rest between bouts
- The order of exercises will be such that each muscle group gets activity-recovery alterations
- One such circuit will last nearly 7 minutes
Does 7 minute workout have proven benefits?
The advantages of HICT are not only that it can be done at home without any equipment and saves time but it also has proven health benefits:
- HICT helps to lose excess body weight and body fat
- 7 minute workout elicits similar and sometimes greater gains in cardiovascular fitness
- HICT helps in decreasing insulin resistance, thus it can help in prediabetes and diabetes management
How to do 7 minutes workout?
The design of a 7 minute workout is best left to experts, therefore, we would recommend getting the ‘do it along’ 7 minute workout app. The best one is the original Johnson & Johnson’s 7 minute workout, designed by Chris Jordon, who is credited with developing this style of workout
Cautions needed for High Intensity Circuit Training
- Individuals who are overweight/obese, previously injured, elderly or have been sedentary for a long time, should not push themselves to perform HICT beyond their comfort zone
- Individuals with hypertension or heart disease, should replace isometric exercises (eg: wall sit, plank, and side plank with dynamic exercise , your app will let you know)
- You should not hold your breath during exercises, especially the above mentioned exercise
Give 7 minute workout a trial of a fortnight and see if you can keep it up and save time and enjoy the convenience of being in charge of our fitness!
A word of caution: the HICT workout is designed for fitness, weight loss and metabolic benefits of exercise and not for muscle building or gaining strength. IF you are aimimng for that you should consider strength training instead
CHECK OUT: Our references for exercise recommendations
