Dont have a lot of time to exercise at the gym? Maybe you could
squeeze in a half-hour, or even a 15-minute workout. Thats what
health clubs are banking on as they increasingly offer clients
express programs aimed at getting them in shape and out of the
gym fast.
Largely driven by the success of Curves International, a chain of
clubs for women that offers a 30-minute circuit program where the
client moves from one fitness station to the next, other gyms have
followed suit. For instance, 24 Hour Fitness, with clubs in 16
states, recently introduced Xpress Zone, a 30-minute circuit
training program. And Town Sports International, with clubs in New
York, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., has a 22-minute
circuit called XpressLine. Other new clubs built closely on the
Curves model, like Ladies Workout Express and Slim and Tone, also
are expanding.
Even traditional group classes like yoga and spinning that
typically last an hour have been shortened at some clubs to
anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. And some gyms are offering
15-minute classes that focus on stretching or strengthening certain
areas like the legs, abs or back.
A welcome trend
Not surprisingly, the trend toward less exercise is a welcome one
to clients, industry sources say.
The consumer is time-starved, says John McCarthy, executive
director of the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub
Association in Boston. The abbreviated programs are easier for many
clients to squeeze into their tight schedules, he says.
"They get in and out quickly and get a really great workout at the
same time," says Jeremy Smith, manager of fitness operations at 24
Hour Fitness, based in San Ramon, Calif.
Smith says organized circuit programs can be particularly helpful
for people who don't have a lot of weight-training experience and
who might otherwise come to the weight floor with a
"deer-in-the-headlights look." Because they don't know how to
begin, he says, they often give up on strength-training and head
for the trusted treadmill instead.
While circuit programs started more than 15 years ago, McCarthy
says, they were largely abandoned until recently, and now theyre
coming back strong. Typically, the client works out on a series of
weight machines aimed at hitting all the major muscle groups. In
between sets, exercisers often perform cardio activities like
jumping jacks or jogging in place. Some circuits incorporate short
stints on a bike or treadmill, or use other equipment. The idea is
to keep your heart rate up by not resting between sets.
Enough exercise?
But are express clients short-changing their health? Not
necessarily, experts say.
A half an hour of daily physical activity is whats recommended by
the Surgeon General, so the 30-minute programs and classes can fit
in, notes Barbara Bushman, an associate professor of health and
physical education at Southwest Missouri State University in
Springfield, and a spokesperson for the American College of Sports
Medicine.
Since most people dont get their half hour a day, shorter programs
may be just what it takes to get some couch potatoes moving. And if
they keep coming back for at least three months, theyre more
likely to stick with the exercise habit, she says.
But thats not to say that people who exercise longer than half an
hour or at higher intensities wont see additional benefits,
Bushman points out. People with competitive goals, such as running
a 5K or participating in a body-building event, are certainly going
to need more intense training to get there.
And like any activity, express circuits may lead to boredom after
awhile. Participants also could stop seeing results if they don't
continually challenge themselves by gradually increasing the
weights once their current settings have become too easy, experts
say.
Mixing things up
As for the shorter group exercise classes, these not only appeal to
time-pressed clients but also to those who simply become tired of
the standard hour-long versions, says Jay Blahnik, a fitness
instructor in Laguna Beach, Calif., who also works as an industry
consultant and a spokesperson for IDEA, a trade group for fitness
professionals.
"I think the hour class as a concept is on its way out," he says.
"Thirty minutes just seems so much easier to swallow."
Plus, Blahnik says, someone who comes in for a full hour of yoga
may not have enough time to also do other desired activities, such
as weights or the treadmill. Shorter classes can allow a person to
engage in a wider variety of cross-training activities while
they're at the gym, he says. One could, for instance, take a
half-hour yoga or Pilates class followed by a 30-minute circuit
program, or a half-hour cycling class followed by a 15-minute
stretch class, or follow that yoga class with 10 minutes on the
treadmill.
In the end, all activity is good, so long as it's performed safely.
"While it's certainly true that more exercise is better than some,
some is certainly better than none," says Cedric Bryant, chief
exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise in San
Diego.
The main reason people don't exercise is their perceived lack of
time, Bryant notes. So if shorter workouts get people to start
exercising and to stick with it, "they're going to be profoundly
impactful," he says.
"The 30-minute trend can really help to serve as a great launch
point for a lot of people," he says.
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