Let’s face it, with the hustle and bustle of everyday life we don’t always have time to get to the gym. Between work, school, shuttling kids here and there, our fitness routine sometimes gets set on the back burner. It’s important to make your fitness adaptable to your lifestyle; which means sometimes changing things up. 

That is why I’ve come up with this quick 20 minute HIIT workout to help you stay on track when you have those busy days and get a full workout just isn’t going to happen. 

HIIT or High-Intensity Interval Training is a great alternative when getting your typical workout is not an option. HIIT is normally a total body workout that raises your heart rate and burns a considerable amount of calories both during and up to 2 hours after your workout. It helps with your stamina, endurance and can also build strength when paired with weights/resistance. 

Something to keep in mind is HIIT is not usually a low impact workout, things can be modified down to fit most fitness levels, but it is intense. 

Also, if it been a while since you’ve worked out or you have any health issues or concerns it is a good idea to get the OK from your doctor before starting a new exercise program. 

How it works: Start with your warm-up exercises. You will do 10 reps per side of each movement.  Go through each warm-up exercise once, then move on to the workout.

For the workout, you want to do each exercise for 45 seconds with a 10-second rest or transition period. Once you get to the end of the 10 exercises rest for 1 minute then repeat one more time.

Warm-up

Jog in place

1. Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms bent at your sides. 
2. Lift your right knee until it reaches your waist, your left arm should swing forward while your right arm swings back. Keep your left knee slightly bent and allow it to spring
3. Return your right foot to the ground as you lift your left knee. Swing your right arm forward and your left arm back keeping your right knee slightly bent and allow it to spring. 
4. Try and keep your weight on your toes as you alternate through the movement. 

Leg Swings front & back 

1. Stand tall with your feet flat on the floor and your hands on your hips or with one hand gripping the back of a chair for balance. 
2. Lift one leg straight up and swing it straight forward and then back. You want to do this in a controlled fluid pendulum-like fashion. 
3. Return to the starting point and alternate sides 

Side to side lunges

1. Start by standing with feet and knees together. Take a large step with your right foot to the right side and lunge toward the floor 
2. Make sure your right knee does not extend past your toes and keep your left leg relatively straight
3. Push off through your right foot to return to the start then repeat the other side

Mt. Climbers

1. Get down onto all fours, placing hands shoulder-width apart, make sure your shoulders are in line with your wrists as you straighten your arms, then your legs so you are in a static plank hold
2. Lift one foot and begin bending the knee as you pull it up to your midsection between the front of your body and the floor. 
3. Quickly repeat the action with your other knee. 

Workout

Jumping Jacks

1. Stand with your legs together and your arms at your sides
2. Bend your knees and jump into the air, as you jump, spread your legs to be about shoulder-width apart and stretch your arms out and over your head. 
3. Jump back into starting position

Squats

1. Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart
2. Tighten your stomach muscles and lower down as if sitting (don’t allow your knees to go forward, you don’t want them past your toes)
3. Straighten your legs making sure to not lock your knees out

Push-ups

1. Get down on all fours, placing your hands slightly wider than your shoulders
2. Straighten your arms and legs
3. Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor, pause then push yourself back up. 

Crunches

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor hip-width apart, place your hands behind your head, you want your thumbs behind your ears
2. Hold your elbows out to the side, tilt your chin slightly, leaving about a fist-size space between your chin and chest
3. Gently pull your abdominals inward as you curl up so that your head, neck, and shoulder blades lift off the floor
4. Hold for a moment then lower slowly back down

High Knees

1. Stand upright and place feet about hip-width apart, place your hands’ palms down facing the floor just above your belly button 
2. Quickly drive your right knee up to meet your right hand, bring the same leg back to the ground immediately bring the left knee coming up to meet your left hand, alternate between knees in a hopping motion, staying on the balls of your feet the entire time. 
3. Make sure you’re engaging your abdominal muscles as your knee reaches your hands. 

Wall Sit

1. Make sure your back is flat against the wall, have your feet shoulder-width apart then about 2 feet out from the wall. 
2. Slide your back down the wall and bend your knees until they are in a 90-degree angle or as close as you can get, your knees should be above your ankles not more forward. 
3. Hold your position while engaging your core, at the end of the prescribed time, stand slowly while leaning against the wall. 

Rotating Elbow Plank

1. Place your elbows and feet shoulder-width apart on the floor, your legs and body should be in a neutral plank position. Ensure your shoulders and elbows line up. 
2. Rotate your hips, shoulders, and feet while raising your right arm so that you shift onto your left elbow. While rotating, straighten your right arm up towards the ceiling. 
3. Rotate your body and arm back into the starting plank position and repeat on the right side. 

Skater Hops

1. Stand with your weight on your left foot and your left knee slightly bents bent. 
2. Lift your right leg off the floor and lower your body toward the floor as your right leg extends behind you then leap to your right by jumping off your left leg
3. Land on your right foot and bring your left foot behind your right as you reach toward the outside of your right foot with your left hand then reverse movement landing on your left foot

Alternating Lunges

1. Stand tall, step forward with your left leg and slowly lower your body until your front knee is at least 90 degrees, while your rear knee is just off the floor. Make sure your torso is upright through the whole movement. 
2. Pause for a second before pushing off your left foot and returning to starting position, repeat movement with your right leg. 

Plank Jacks

1. Get down onto all fours, placing hands shoulder-width apart, make sure your shoulders are in line with your wrists as you straighten your arms, then your legs so you are in a static plank hold
2. Then add a jumping jack motion, jumping both feet slightly wider than your hips and back together again. 
3. Repeat motion till the time is up