The Future of Fitness Explained: The 7-Minute Workout

If you love to learn about new exercise and fitness trends, The Future of Fitness explains it to you in a way you can understand and separate the hype cycle from actual results.

Do you remember a couple of years ago when a study published by ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal declared that all we needed was 7 minutes to achieve a host of fitness benefits? Well, it’s been six years since this initial study and short, focused workouts are still popular. We talked recently about Tabatta and HIIT (link to previous Balancing Priorities to Workout) but can you really only exercise for seven minutes and lose weight, improve cardio, build muscle, and be diabetes-free?

What is the 7-Minute Workout? The 7-Minute workout consists of 12 high-intensity exercises that only use body weight as resistance. You perform each activity at your maximum intensity for 30-seconds and rest for 10-seconds.

What Do I Need to Do?

All you need to do is find a place where you can do jumping jacks, step-ups, wall sits, and planks without knocking into anything … or anyone. You don’t need extra weights but a chair, mat, and a wall are necessary. You probably also will need a timer to announce the beginning and end of each on or off period.

Does it Work?

What do you want to achieve with your workout? If your primary goal is to lose weight, this isn’t the way to do it. As we’ve previously said, nutrition is primarily responsible for weight loss. You just won’t burn enough calories in 7-minutes — even if you are working to your maximum. However, if you are interested in improving your overall fitness and want a challenge, the 7-minute workout could be for you.

Should I Try It?

If you have any physical issues, this is not the best way to spend 7 minutes. The fact that you need to push yourself to your maximum means some people might sacrifice form for intensity — leading to more injuries and problems. If you have joint issues, knee, wrist, or back problems, you need a gentler workout to better support your body.

I also never recommend depending solely on one form of exercise or fitness routine. You will always need to stretch, lift, and raise your heart rate, so don’t give up your other activities and prioritize this one routine.

If you know you have good form and are experienced, you may want to try adding the 7-minute workout to your schedule. And if you read the fine print, the authors of the initial study did recommend cycling through the program a couple of times for maximum results. When you’re pressed for time and know you can work to your maximum, there’s no difference between this circuit and other interval training.

More Information Please!

Try these links and get educated about the 7-Minute Workout: