Hello Friends!


Do you ever struggle with finding time for a full workout? Has the summer taken you away from your normal routine, and you found that a regular exercise routine was one of the things that maybe you let go of during the busy summer season?

Or do you feel like if you can’t put in a full hour of exercise, it isn’t worth it? (I have been there!) So you skip it until later when you have more time… and that “later” never really happens.

It's actually a bit ironic that my focus this month is on the benefits of short exercise sessions because my life is SO full right now that I am struggling to fit in my workouts! Out of curiosity, I looked into the benefits of doing just short “bite size” segments of exercise… like 10 minutes at a time. And sure enough, there has been research done to prove that short sessions CAN be as effective over time as one long session.

For example: 10-minute blocks of exercise, like squats and lunges, or arm exercises (bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, lateral raises) using light weights you keep in easy reach....like on your kitchen counter. A short routine like this, doing 8-10 repetitions of each movement and repeating the sequence at least 2 times, should be about 10 minutes. This is what our Home Work is about in the Monthly Mix class.

“There's now a strong body of research showing that even workouts of 10 minutes or less can produce real and meaningful results," says Jenna Gillen, an exercise physiologist at the University of Toronto. Gillen's work has shown that even a one-minute bout of exercise, done right, can improve your fitness and health.” May 7, 2022

It just goes to show that it is the accumulative benefit of the movement you are doing over time, not necessarily doing a long exercise session each time.

In the end…. Showing up to do SOMETHING, even if it is short, is far better than not doing anything at all!

Here is a short list of the benefits of mini workouts:

• Improved energy
• Increased muscle strength and metabolism
• Boost your brain health and mood
• Easier to fit in your day
• Easier to commit to
• Reduces the stress of working out (finding time to go to the gym for several hours)
• Promotes overall better fitness

You can also do this with little to no equipment, and it can be done anywhere (at your office, in your kitchen, outdoors)….It is a great way to incorporate movement into your day- EVERY DAY!

Please join me this Saturday Sept 17th 9:00 am for our Monthly Mix and I will help you get started.

I will share with you some bite-size movement sessions you can do over the course of the month to see the benefits for yourself!



My focus for this month's class is: Abs and Arms! See you then!

Ruth