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A lot of us work long hours and by the end of the day, all we want to do is sink into the softness of the bed and sleep. We’re so busy with work that most of us have been neglecting exercise. When you’re already tired and weary, the last thing you’d want to do is to move around. Although, as tiring as it may sound, exercising can actually make you feel better and improve your overall well-being.
You might be asking yourself now, “Then how can I work out if I’m busy with work?” Believe it or not, there’s a fitness routine that you can do in just four minutes! You don’t have to drag yourself to the gym and spend an hour working up a sweat anymore; this 4-minute workout can help you achieve the body goals that you’ve been dreaming of, among its other benefits. If you’re looking for your next fitness routine, here’s your sign. Check it out!
What is the 4-Minute Workout?
The Tabata is a specific form of high-intensity workout named after Dr. Izumi Tabata, a physician who researched and created this workout that provides incredible results in a short amount of time. Tabata-style workouts involve doing 20 seconds of high-intensity training followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated 8 times, resulting in four minutes of exercise in total.Â
If you’re a busy body, this is an ideal fitness regimen that you can subscribe to as it’s very easy to squeeze into your day. Moreover, Tabata is convenient as it doesn’t need any gym equipment or a whole lot of space to do. You can do it at any point of the day.
Does the 4-Minute Workout Work?
The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate to intense exercise weekly for overall better health and fitness. Our bodies produce nitric oxide (NO), circulating in our systems to relax the inner muscles of the blood veels, causing them to widen and boost circulation.
This nitric oxide production is essential as it helps blood, nutrients, and oxygen to travel to every part of our body effectively and efficiently. Incorporating a high-intensity fitness routine like Tabata, even for just four minutes, can lead to improved cardiovascular health, lower blood pressure, and increased aerobic and anaerobic endurance. It also helps in restoring your energy, improving recovery time, and burning fat.
Is a 4-Minute High-Intensity Exercise Enough to Lose Weight?
Like the traditional high-intensity fitness routine, Tabata is an effective form of exercise that supports weight loss. According to experts, since Tabata is performed at a high intensity, a person’s metabolism and heart rate are increased immediately. Considered a type of anaerobic exercise, Tabata allows you to burn more calories during and after the workout itself. It gives your body a better opportunity to use up any excess energy that it’s storing. By adding this to your fitness routine, you’ll lose fat and gain muscle at the same time.
For a more well-rounded fitness routine, you can pair Tabata with a great strength training regimen and a balanced diet. All these factors combined can make a whole world’s difference to your health.
Your 4-Minute Tabata Workout Routine
Before doing any kind of Tabata exercise, it’s highly important that you warm up with at least five minutes of stretching. When you warm up your body, you can go hard without risking injury to your muscles and joints. For a complete 4-minute workout, make sure to do eight sets of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest in between.
If you’re a beginner, start with one move and then work your way up to four moves when you start feeling fitter and stronger. You can even begin with a simple move that you feel very comfortable doing, such as jumping jacks or high knees. As you go along with your workout sessions, you’ll find yourself stronger and have improved endurance, and you’ll be able to do more challenging exercises and become a believer in the effectiveness of this routine.Â
If you’re someone who has already started incorporating Tabata in your fitness routine, you can challenge yourself further by repeating the four-minute sequence multiple times. Do make sure that you rest one minute between rounds and take a water break too before you repeat the exercises.
For a more efficient workout, use a reliable timer to know the exact period when you should start and stop your exercise.
Jumping Lunge
This movement builds functional leg strength and improves your cardio fitness. To do this, start by standing in a lunge position, one leg forward and one leg back. Bend your elbows at 90 degrees, one arm in front of your body and one arm back, alternating arms to legs. Next, bend your knees and sink down into a deep lunge. Lean forward slightly, contracting your core muscles.
Sink your weight down quickly, and in an explosive manner, drive your foot to the floor and launch your body upward, fully extending your knees and hips. As you jump into the air, bring your feet quickly together and switch their positions as you begin to land. Switch arms as well. Maintain a balanced foot position when you land, and drop to a deep lunge. Return to the beginning position, and then repeat.
Push-Up
Push-ups are one of the best exercises out there as they benefit the shoulders, chest, and triceps, and even build core stability. They’re also a great foundational movement as they prepare you for pushing and pulling motions. Here’s how you can do a push-up correctly in order to reap all its benefits: Start in a high plank position with your palms flat on the floor, hands about shoulder-width apart, legs extended behind you, core engaged.
Bend your elbows and lower your chest to the floor. Keep your and back level. If you need to, drop to your knees for a more comfortable position. Next, push up through the palm of your hands, keeping your arms straight. This is one rep. Continue performing reps for 20 seconds, and rest for 10 seconds after.
Mountain Climber
This move tackles all the major muscle groups and your core, too. To do this, start in a plank position. Next, drive your right knee toward your chest, return to a plank, and quickly repeat with your left knee. That counts as one rep. Do as many reps as you can in 20 seconds.
Burpee
This one is last on the list because we all know how it can really burn. To get the most out of every burpee, you’ll need to hone your technique by doing it in the correct manner. Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms by your sides. Drop your body down into a low squat position, with your hands on the floor.
Next, kick your feet back, landing in a pushup plank position. Reverse the motion by jumping your feet forward to the outsides of your hands to come in a low squat position. Stand back up to complete one rep. Repeat as many times as you can in 20 seconds.
Final Note
Tabata workouts have a ton of benefits, most notably increasing your strength, reducing the risk of injury, burning calories, and boosting circulation in the body, leading to overall improved health. An all-out effort in doing this workout spikes your heart rate and burns a ton of calories in just a short amount of time.Â
If you’re feeling any discomfort while doing any of the exercises, it’s best to stop and seek a doctor or fitness expert for professional advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Tabata workouts better than HIIT workouts?
You may be a little confused about the difference between Tabata and HIIT. High-intensity interval training or HIIT is an umbrella term for a variety of exercises that involve short bursts of powerful movements followed by short resting periods. Tabata is the same, however, its difference is that HIIT consists of various movements while you do the same exercise for four minutes in Tabata.
Both of them are very good for you and can benefit you in numerous ways. No matter which one you choose to do, it’s important that you warm up before and cool down afterward so that you avoid any kind of injury. Pair any of those exercises with a balanced diet for overall better health and well-being.
