As MYZONE users, we understand the importance of making exercise a part of our routine. We applaud you for all the effort you are putting into your health and fitness and know how necessary it is to use the best heart rate monitor.

At the same time, we know it can get tough to stick to our workout schedule all the time. Between commitments with work, family and friends, and the “business of being alive” (as one of our clients puts it), maintaining a consistent schedule isn’t always realistic. And if you’re involved in a MYZONE Challenge, you know it’s not always easy to stay at the top of that leaderboard!

That's why we've put together some tips on how to earn MYZONE Effort Points (MEPs) using the best heart rate monitor, despite a busy schedule. If you have ever felt like there just isn’t enough time in a day, this post is for you!

Tip #1: HIIT It

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a highly effective and efficient way to improve our fitness and earn MEPs. Performing a series of high-intensity (YELLOW and/or RED zone) work periods with low- or moderate-intensity (BLUE or GREEN zone) recovery periods benefits our overall cardiorespiratory fitness levels and keeps us burning additional calories after our workout (to learn more, check out our blog on Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption).

Since most HIIT workouts only last about 20-40 minutes (depending on how you organize them), we encourage you to give HIIT a try on days when you know you’ll be crunched for time. Be sure that you do not perform HIIT for all of your workouts, though – the high intensities make it perfect to perform a maximum of 2-3 times per week.

You can learn more about organizing your HIIT workouts here.

Tip #2: The 10-Minute Workout

Aiming for at least 30 straight minutes of exercise 5 days per week is an excellent goal, but health benefits are still seen when we break it up into 10-minute bouts of exercise three times per day. If you’re having a tough time fitting your workouts in, we encourage you to take a close look at your schedule. Many of us have hidden time when we could be physically active. When you find that time, make it an event on your calendar! Exercise should be a meeting you cannot skip.

If you find an extra 15 minutes in your schedule, try out these 15-minute Bodyweight HIIT Workouts!

Tip #3: Exercise Where You Already Are

One of the best ways to ensure that you stick to your workout routine is to make exercise easily accessible. Here are some of our recommendations on how to incorporate exercise into your current routine:

• Keep some sweats and athletic shoes in your office and do a quick workout in your company’s parking lot at lunch.
• When appropriate, ask your coworkers to go on a “walking meeting” so you can walk and talk. If you have to record notes, most cell phones now have a voice recorder. How about a “lunging meeting” for some extra MEPs!?
• Get your whole office involved in a workout break! Don’t forget to use the hashtags #myzonemoves and #effortrewarded so we can see you and your coworkers working on your health and wellness!
• Rather than immediately turning on the TV after dinner, take your family for a walk around the neighborhood.
• Get a workout in right when you wake up. Wake up 15 minutes earlier and do a quick bodyweight workout or yoga session – you can even stay in your pajamas!
• Make your social engagements active. Hiking, swimming, and walking make for fun social outings with friends! We enjoy trying out new workout classes – they can be great bonding time.

We hope this post gave you some new ideas about making physical activity part of your busy schedule. With a little creativity and planning ahead, it can be done!

For more tips on how to use the best heart rate monitor follow us during Fitness Fridays on Facebook Live (subscribe on our Facebook page) – 8 am PT, 11 am ET, and check out our MYZONE Moves Podcast on iTunes or Google Play.

Keep moving forward!