Are Short Workouts Worth It?

Two questions we get asked a lot at Gym Gear is ‘are short workouts worth it?’ and ‘are short workouts better than long workouts?’. These are big questions, but we’re going to do our best to answer them below. 

Firstly, the answers to these questions depend on you. Are you the type of person who plans to do long workouts, but finds them too daunting to start or too difficult to complete? If you are, you’re not alone, and you’re also more likely to benefit more from shorter workouts.

Short workouts are effective. One of the biggest benefits of short workouts is that they’re great for people who don’t have much time to spare, but still want to dedicate some of the free time they do have to fitness. Often when people talk about short workouts, HIIT comes to mind.

HIIT (high intensity interval training) has been shown by some studies to be more effective than longer workouts. HIIT training is a form of exercise that involves short, intense bursts of exercise (usually cardio). They can help you boost your metabolism, burn unwanted fat for weight loss, and increase your body strength. To find out more about HIIT workouts, take a look at this blog from Fitness Warehouse: Everything You Need to Know About HIIT Workouts.

Short workouts like these can help you to increase your stamina. There is an argument that shorter workouts can be more beneficial than longer workouts with some people because they’re more likely to stick to an exercise plan with shorter workouts than longer ones. This is especially the case for older people or people who are overweight.

On the flip side, long workouts are also really effective, as long as you don’t burn out. Long workouts build endurance and they’re also usually slower and more gentle than their shorter, more intense counterparts. This means that they’re likely to be less impactful on your joints and muscles.

If you have a particular fitness goal in mind, such as building muscle or losing weight, longer and more targeted workouts can help you reach your goals more quickly than shorter workouts.

Short workouts are worth it – they can be really effective. However, you’re likely to see better results if you mix them with longer workouts.  

Both short and long workouts can have huge benefits. Whether you decide to do one or the other, or a mixture of both, we highly recommend that you take rest days, stay hydrated, and eat healthy and according to your fitness goals.

Gym Gear has a wide range of quality gym equipment available for commercial gyms and home gyms in the UK.

We offer strength equipment, functional training equipment, cardio equipment, studio equipment, gym flooring, and more. Click here for more fitness tips and advice from the Gym Gear blog.