With more people working at home, more people are finding smaller breaks throughout the day between obligations. Various meetings and obligations are spaced out with just enough time in between to do something, but not quite enough time to get a full workout and really work up a sweat. Read on to see how you can incorporate spot training into your day to optimize not only your time but your health.
In the fitness industry, this is a pretty common problem. Personal trainers will often end up with a few spots of deadtime in their schedule between clients. Think 15-30 minute breaks. A chunk of time big enough to do something but not enough to really do something. Trainers often use something called “spot training” in these breaks to work on areas of their body that could use a little extra work.
The idea of spot training is to keep things very focused. Emphasize one specific area and just work that area until there’s fatigue or your time is up. Simple! You could focus on strength, mobility, hypertrophy (increasing muscle size), coordination, etc.
Through the lense of physical therapy, you could spot train to address painful areas or movements. Spend 5-10 minutes stretching or doing a few sets of 1-2 exercises. You could try working on that one yoga pose you always have a hard time holding. You could try getting just a little deeper in your squat by working on your ankles, knees, and hips. Maybe you’re squeezing in a quick session of high intensity interval training. Maybe you’re just getting out a dumbbell (or your favorite grocery bag) and doing bicep curls to get those massive arms you’ve always wanted (don’t forget the triceps!).
If you’ve got 15 minutes, you can squeeze in some exercise that’ll hit the “spot” (this pun was coming, you knew that).
Have questions? Feel limited in what you’re able to do? The staff at Limitless Physical Therapy in Eugene, OR can show you how to discover your future without limits.
***The above information, including text, images, and all other materials, is provided for educational purposes only, and not as a replacement or supplement to professional medical advice. Please contact a certified healthcare professional or your primary physician for any personal concerns.