Express Workouts: How to get fit fast

From MSNBC:

Mini-workout programs are a big hit at health clubs

Don’t have a lot of time to exercise at the gym? Maybe you could squeeze in a half-hour, or even a 15-minute, workout. That’s what health clubs are banking on as they increasingly offer clients “express” programs aimed at getting them in shape and out of the gym fast.

Largely driven by the success of Curves International, a chain of clubs for women that offers a 30-minute circuit program where the client moves from one fitness station to the next, other gyms have followed suit. For instance, 24 Hour Fitness, with clubs in 16 states, recently introduced Xpress Zone, a 30-minute circuit training program. And Town Sports International, with clubs in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., has a 22-minute circuit called XpressLine. Other new clubs built closely on the Curves model, like Ladies Workout Express and Slim and Tone, also are expanding.

Even traditional group classes like yoga and spinning that typically last an hour have been shortened at some clubs to anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. And some gyms are offering 15-minute classes that focus on stretching or strengthening certain areas like the legs, abs or back.

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