What is Tabata?

If you are like me, life can get a bit crazy leaving you almost NO time to workout at all. For those days that are even too crazy for me to put in one of my DVDs, I turn to my Office Lady Tabata workout.

Simply put, Tabata goes a little something like this:

Workout hard for 20 seconds
Rest for 10 seconds
Repeat that 8 times
1 Minute Rest in-between exercises

So for example, let's say you are doing mountain climbers. You would go hard with those for 20 seconds, rest 10 seconds, and then repeat that circuit 8 more times. Once finished, you get a 1 minute rest before you go onto your next exercise.

The benefits? Increased burn rate of calories and fat even when you are not working out

You can do a Tabata-style workout with basically any sort of fitness moves - upper body, lower body, cardio, you name it. They are great for when you are short on time, want a burst of energy, and need to stay on track.

Here is a sample workout that I do when I just have 20 Minutes to spare **Please note, you need to warm up, so I added in an additional set to gradually increase my heart rate and warm up the muscles**

Warm Up:
Jog (progressively faster throughout the 8 rounds to warm up, get your blood pumping, etc)

Tabata Workout:
Jumping Jacks
Speed Skaters
Floor Sprints
High Knees
Push Ups

Try this out on your lunch break and get increased calorie burn through out the day, a small ass, thinner thighs, a shrinking waste line and a burst of energy to carry you into your afternoon.

Oh, and did you know the new Insanity Max 30 has some workouts that are based off of this very model? Can't wait - increased results, increased burn, so much less TIME!!

How to Not Eat Out of Boredom

Have you ever been bored, or just stressed so you start reaching for food? It can happen almost without thinking about it, right? Before you know it you are surrounded by wrappers, an open bag of pretzels, a tub of dip and filled with nothing but fat and remorse. It sucks eating out of boredom.

Now I know there are some blogs out there that tell you that instead of eating you should really focus on the feeling, and think of things you enjoy doing, and then go do them. This makes perfectly good sense and it is something that I often do! But sometimes this happens while you are at work with limited freedom. Here is something else that I make sure I do so my ass doesn't get as big as my computer chair:

Pack a lunchbox of healthy eats: Apples and almonds, some hard boiled eggs, a granola bar, raw veggies and hummus - pack that lunch box UP! I'm not saying eat the entire thing, but a lunch box on your desk full of food goes a much longer way than digging for change in the purse, doing the walk of shame to the vending machine, and then the walk of shame back with some empty calories. Those are only make your thighs huge and entertain you for a short period of time. Instead - grab a food high in fiber that will fill you up and curb your cravings. Or hell, make a Shakeology shake (my go to to fight cravings!)

Make a cup of Green Tea: Antioxidants and the ability to speed up your metabolism? I'll take it. And if you are like me, Green Tea has calming powers for you. Sheldon Cooper hits the nail on the head when always asks someone who is upset in his apartment: "Can I offer you a hot beverage
?" It just does the trick

Make a cup of warm lemon water: Again - super simple and it has the calming affect, and the lemon will give your taste buds a little extra zing! The warm water also reduces the tension of your abdominal muscles, helping them to relax aka: no hunger pains.

Those are just a few tips I use to get through my 11 hours at the office! Do you have any tips that you can add to this list? Please share in the comments below!