Exercise time

There are lots of other benefits to using the gym besides the effect on your health and fitness – there’s the sauna and steam room for instance, the smoothie bar, and sometimes even free Internet.

It can be an opportunity for catching up with friends and provides a break from home, family, work or studying. But if these activities are overshadowing your actual workout time, it may be time to ask yourself if you are getting the most out of your gym time.

Regular gym-goer, Gabriella Davies, 26, admits to knowing how to waste time, “I wander around aimlessly – have some water, look at the class timetable board, weigh myself in the bathroom, play around with my iPod – untangling the cord, making sure the earphones are in properly, finding the right song… then I look at my watch and think ‘Gosh, I’ve been here for 45 minutes already! Must go!’” If this sounds like you, use these expert tips to get back on track:

1 > HAVE A PLAN OF ACTION
Biokineticist and manager of the Discovery Healthy Weight Programme at the Sports Science Institute of SA Kasha Dickie advises going to gym with a routine in mind. A biokineticist or personal trainer can draw up a variety of workouts for you to follow, based on your personal health or fitness goals. Having a plan will help you stay focused, and cut out the time you waste wondering what to do and how to do it.

2 > THE BUDDY SYSTEM
Having a friend to go to gym with can be an excellent motivator, but it helps if that person is committed to her exercise goals. “Too much talking not only irritates people around you, but it will disturb your routine and probably reduce the intensity of your workout,” says personal trainer Donovan van Gelder. “It will also reduce the quality of your recovery period between sets as your breathing will be erratic and the recovery period will be too long”.

3 > MAKE MUSIC
It can be distracting and disruptive to your workout to have people coming over to chat. “The best way to cut down on socialising at the gym is to train with an iPod or other music device,” suggests Dickie. “This gives the impression that you are unapproachable, without seeming rude.”

4 > EXERCISES VERSUS MACHINES
Another time-saver can be your choice of equipment. Make the most of it by varying positions, for example, the stationary bike isolates the leg muscles. “To add an upper-body component while on the bike you could stand up out of the saddle, bringing the arms, pecs and lats into the equation. If you take one hand off the handle bars while out of the saddle, you’ll focus on maintaining body position. This brings in the abdominals and core abdominals as well,” says Van Gelder.

Dickie suggests the use of functional exercises which target many muscle groups simultaneously, such as walking squats. More muscles can be used in one exercise than with one machine, and this is a great tip to remember when you want to get more exercise into less gym time.

5 > REST PERIODS
Van Gelder recommends timing rest periods between sets and keeping them down to less than one minute each. This will help you stay focused and maintain the intensity of the session – and reduces the overall time at gym.

6 > TOP OF THE CLASS
Join a class, it’s a great way to maximise your gym hour. A variety of classes is available at most gyms, ranging from martial arts like kata or kickboxing, to step, yoga, spinning, stretching and core training. Classes are generally excellent for cardiovascular endurance which increases fitness levels, and are more fun than going it alone.