Fitness is important to me. Not slimness, mind you. But fitness. However, thanks to some financial setbacks recently, I have temporarily suspended my gym membership. Not that I was getting a whole lot of use out of it with Gibs on the scene.

But my son is getting older now. He’s almost sitting up independently. And he’s able to entertain himself for short periods of time. I bet as long as four minutes at a go.

Which is why I’m trying the Tabata regimen of High Intensity Interval Training. Using this method, I can get a good workout in only about four minutes. If I were able to do that a couple times a day, I’d be in business. Yes, I know that four minutes doesn’t really meet the guidelines set forth by the American government for adults. But as I am finding to be true more and more as a parent, some is better than none.

There’s a wealth of information about Tabata style workouts online. And I’m sure you could find information in favor of or against it depending on where you look. Mostly, I’m on board because there’s a bunch of Youtubers out there who have already made up playlists full of workouts that I can follow along with at home. No energy expended even trying to think up workouts. And seriously, that’s a good thing because my brain cells are not up to snuff these days.

My favorite at the moment is Rebekah Borucki’s “You Have Four Minutes” series. You can do a Tabata style workout in the time it takes to sit through commercials during your favorite shows. If you have time to sit down and watch television I suppose. HA!

Another reason this is a good choice for me is because I want Gibson to see me working out. Modeling the behavior I want to see in him and all that good parenting stuff. Growing up, exercise wasn’t a priority in my family. Consequently heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure and diabetes are some of the big killers of my family members. Not only do I hope that by staying active, I can avoid complications from these conditions, I hope that Gibs will see exercise as a normal part of a day- not something special to only be done after the yearly physical at the doctor’s office.

And, of course, I’d like to stick around long enough to see Gibs grow up. If he chooses to have a family, I want to meet my grandchildren. Hell, I want to see my grandchildren grow up and graduate and start their lives too. I’m greedy that way. 🙂

Have you tried Tabata style workouts? Do they work for you? What other types of exercise do you enjoy as busy parents or just busy people in general? I WANNA KNOW!

BONUS!
Because I love you guys, I wanted to let you know that there’s Tabata workout music available online. Instead of using a regular timer to do your intervals, you can play a four minute song with a “coach” telling you when to start and when to rest. Way more fun than watching the clock. I’m sticking to the Youtube videos for now. But if I ever decide to take time for Tabata outside or design my own routines, I could use the songs to keep me pumped and on target.

BONUS BONUS!
I think people who do CrossFit are nuts. But in a good way. And I love to see ladies being strong. So here’s a promotional video by the folks who create these Tabata songs featuring Andrea Ager being a badass. Strong = Awesome.