3 cardio workouts you can do in your jammies

WARNING – your jammies will get sweaty!

Things have been a little quiet around the blog lately. Between launching my new company, working on my fitness training credentials, noodling through B-School and selling our lake house, I’ve been stretched pretty thin. That said, I have zero complaints, as I’m beyond excited about everything that’s going on right now, and I’m definitely getting that engagement I was craving a while back!

Today is also the first day in two weeks that I’ll be heading out for a long bike ride and I’m SO excited! With all that’s going on right now, I have very little time to spend on my workouts, but I still find 30 minutes a day to move, whether that’s to go for a run, spin on my indoor bike, or pick up heavy things here in my office.

For me, working out is not just a priority, it’s a habit. So much like brushing my teeth and showering, it just happens without much thought as long as I make it as easy and accessible as possible.

If you’re feeling pressed for time in your life, one of the best things you can do for yourself and your well being is to maintain a habit of carving out just a little time to move every day. Depending on how you feel, or what you’ve got access to, that might only be a brisk walk, but the key is to maintain the habit of intentional movement EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. The more habitual you become with your 30 minutes of movement, the less likely you’ll be to talk yourself out of it (and I know you know what I’m talking about here!).

If you are super crunched for time, I do recommend dialing up the intensity of your workouts. You’ll get a similar “bang for your buck” in a shorter period of time, and still get an effective boost to your metabolism.

Here are three effective workouts that you don’t even have to get dressed to do. I’ve done all three in my jammies (and a sports bra) and I love them.

1. T25 – I just bought this series and although it's a stretch for me, it is only 25 minutes and there’s a big red countdown on the screen for the duration of the workout, which has a tremendous psychological benefit. NOTE: if you don’t like excessive bouncing around on your toes (like a boxer might), this might not be the workout for you.
2. I LOVE this yoga/pilates fusion workout!  Bonus points that you can do it in bare feet.  I use light hand weights and ankle weights when I'm looking to amp up the intensity.
3. Jillian Michaels, Ripped in 30 – I have mixed feelings about Jillian in general, but I can say with confidence that if you’re pressed for time and you want an effective workout, this particular video series is both challenging and all-encompassing. I think it’s safer and more effective than T25 (from what I’ve seen so far), and you can view it free on my YouTube channel! The workouts progress in difficulty every week, so start from week 1 and go from there. This workout does require some free weights, but you can go through the motions without them if you don’t have.

I think if you could alternate a few days of just weight lifting with any of these programs, you’d have a pretty decent workout plan.

Do you have a quick and dirty home workout? If so, share it in the comments below as I’m always looking for new inspiration!