This 7-minute workout could save you a trip to the gym

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Saturday, March 28, 2015
7-minute workout

Got seven-minutes? One fitness expert says that's all the time it takes to start transforming your body.

Grab a chair, find a wall and lace up a sturdy pair of workout shoes. The so-called seven-minute workout is designed to hit all the major muscle groups without spending all your time in the gym.

Chris Jordan is director of exercise physiology at the Johnson and Johnson Human Performance Institute in Orlando, Fla.

Jordan has designed a workout based on a concept called high intensity interval training or HIIT. At one time, HIIT was popular only with elite athletes.

"The reality is anyone can do interval training," Jordan said.

Jordan's seven-minute workout combines aerobic and resistance moves for the lower body, then the upper body and core.

"There's 12 exercises, specifically designed and ordered and each exercise is done for 30 seconds. Twelve times 30 is six minutes," Jordan said.

Jordan allows five seconds in between each exercise to transition, adding up to the seven minutes.

The circuit starts with jumping jacks followed by a wall sit.

Push-ups, crunches, a step-up and alternating legs to get the heart pumping. Back to lower body with squats, then tricep dips and a plank, to work the core. Lunges, pushups with a side rotation and a side plank follow.

Too much to remember? You can have a virtual trainer at your fingertips - a free, downloadable app to keep you on track.

"The good news is, any exercise is good for you. You're going to feel the benefits almost immediately," Jordan said.

Jordan says his workout is designed so people can build up to three circuits or about 21 minutes of exercise on three non-consecutive days. The workout was originally designed for Johnson and Johnson's Human Performance Institute's corporate clients, but is now available to everyone. For the free download go to http://7minuteworkout.jnj.com.


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