The Budget Busting Workout

Short of time? Short of money? Who isn't!? When it comes to the crunch, often the first thing to suffer when times are hard is often exercise. Gym fees become a luxury and there are never enough hours in the day to fit everything in...However, exercise needn't be a financial or time burden - it's all about making do with what's readily available which reduces both time and cost. The following workout is my do-it-all budget-busting workout for the chronologically and fiscally challenged!

This workout is an interval based workout which alternates 2 minute periods of aerobic activity e.g. skipping, jogging or step ups with 1 minute of a body weight exercise for 6-12 rounds.

Equipment required

1. A body (preferably your own!)
2. A clock with a visible second hand or programmable timing device
3. Skipping rope (optional)
4. Somewhere to do pull ups (optional)
5. A rubber exercise band (optional)
6. An exercise mat (optional)

2 minutes easy CV to warm up (skip, jog, step ups etc)
1 minute of squat, reach & twist (dynamic stretch)
2 minutes of CV (1 minute easy, 1 minute harder)
1 minute of an upper body pushing exercise of your choice e.g. press ups
2 minutes CV (1 minute moderate, 1 minute fast paced)
1 minute of an upper body pulling exercise e.g. chin ups, pull ups or body rows
2 minutes CV (1 minute moderate, 1 minute fast paced)
1 minute leg exercise e.g. lunges or squats
2 minutes CV (1 minute moderate, 1 minute fast paced)
1 minute of a core exercise of your choice e.g. planks
2 minutes CV (1 minute moderate, 1 minute fast paced)
1 minute of an upper body pushing exercise of your choice e.g. press ups
2 minutes CV (1 minute moderate, 1 minute fast paced)
1 minute of an upper body pulling exercise e.g. chin ups, pull ups or body rows
2 minutes CV (1 minute moderate, 1 minute fast paced)
1 minute leg exercise e.g. lunges or squats
2 minutes CV Cool down (1 minute moderate, 1 minute slow paced)
1 minute of a core exercise of your choice e.g. planks
3 minute static stretching - 20 seconds double calf stretch, 20 seconds L & R hamstring, 20 seconds L & R quads, 20 seated adductor (inner thigh) stretch, 20 seconds L & R warrior stretch, 20 second double pec (chest) stretch

Total workout time = 30 minutes including warm up, cardio, full body muscular endurance, core work and cool down. Perform the Budget Busting Workout on alternate days and, to avoid boredom, try to rotate the body weight exercises used - i.e. if you do lunges on Monday, do squats on Wednesdays and reverse lunges on Friday etc.

Now I'm not saying that this workout is perfect and will result in amazing gains in fitness or conditioning or any other such nonsense but it will deliver a good all round level of fitness and burn plenty of calories while costing minimal time and money and it's definitely better than the alternative...which is doing nothing!