Women on Weights: Myth #4 you can multi-task while getting in an effective work out

By Michela Fiorido [Sports Bureau Chief]

Sorry to break it to you, but you can’t. If you’re that girl who thinks they’re tearing it up on the stairmaster while reading their favourite magazine, you need to put down the Cosmo and listen up.

You are compromising your fitness goals. This goes for girls who think they can study for their biology midterm while riding the cycling machine or those who are glued to reruns of Gossip Girl while running on the treadmill.

In order to maximize your fitness goals, you need to be completely focused on the task at hand. Moreover, these distractions only prolong your workout – finding a magazine from the rack to read, setting it up, finding a channel to watch, etc. Plus what happens when you’re halfway through your favourite show and your 30 minutes of “cardio” are up? You continue for another 30 minutes of lackadaisical time on the treadmill thinking that you are in fact getting in a better workout because the television motivates you to continue.

This is not a good thing, it’s really just a waste of time, plus you’ll annoy others who abide by the 30 minute equipment rule in gyms.

Twenty minutes of sustained, focused cardio that really elevates your heart rate is far more effective than an hour of dogging it while you watch TV. You go to the gym to maintain your health and keep fit, not to watch television.

Fitness is important, it’s not something that should be done superficially. Yes I know that fitness can sometimes be boring, and yes you think you don’t have time to both go the gym and watch your television shows separately so here is a list of tips to help you fight the temptation to multi-task at the gym:

1. Get a PVR and record all your shows: you’ll get to see them, plus you won’t waste time watching commercials. Moreover, you’ll actually enjoy them instead of watching them half-heartedly. Come on, can you REALLY follow that 90210 plot-line while running? I know I can’t!

2. Listen to music while working out: this will combat the boredom you may feel, plus if you pre-make a playlist you won’t be distracted by the device. Listening to music can even motivate you to perform better.

3. Trade long, distracted workouts for short, intense ones: not only will you save time, but you will be completely focused on fitness and will move quickly from exercise to exercise, maintaining a high heart rate the whole time. For cardio do high intensity training for 20 minutes instead of jogging for 45 minutes. Less running, less time, and better results? I’m in!

4. Read women on weights next week for more ways to speed up your workouts.

Before starting any fitness routine, consult a qualified fitness professional.