- Jason Jackson advises busy professionals to focus on efficient gym sessions and daily activities.
- Jackson emphasizes full-body strength training and increasing step count.
- Most of his clients are time-poor London lawyers and bankers.
If you don’t have much time but still want to get in shape, don’t panic. You don’t have to go to the gym for an hour a day.
Jason Jackson, a high-level personal trainer at London’s upscale Third Space gym, told Business Insider that focusing on what you do outside the gym may be most important to achieving your goals. .
Jackson has worked with professional athletes and the general public. He currently trains lawyers and bankers primarily in London. He said his clients care about their health and fitness but don’t have a lot of time.
Even for less physically fit clients, “it’s certainly possible to go to the gym six times a week if you’re motivated,” Jackson said. “My clients don’t have time and they don’t have the space for it. When it comes to resources, time is much more scarce than money.”
Working hours vary, but 10-12 hours a day This is not uncommon at many law firms.
For this reason, Jackson works with his clients to “make their time in the gym as effective and efficient as possible to get the most results with the least amount of time invested.”
A simple equation: strength training and daily activity.
Tip 1: Full body strength training
Use your gym time wisely, says Jackson, and focus on full-body strength training that builds muscle and bone density.
Full-body workouts are time-efficient and can help you lose weight and develop your physique.
Paul Todd, a physical trainer with the Royal Navy, previously told Business Insider that he recommends compound exercises for people who are short on time, as they use multiple muscles at once. Examples include squats, deadlifts, and push-ups.
Experts often say the best exercise is the one you stick with, but strength training also has many long-term health benefits.
This is why Jackson recommends strength training at the gym and incorporating cardio into your active routine.
Tip 2: Stay active outside the gym
Jackson encourages his clients to move as much as possible outside of training sessions. This is especially true for people who have weight loss goals.
This increases NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis). This means any movement that is not a formal exercise.
Jackson recommends increasing your step count. “It’s a more convenient way to incorporate that level of activity into your life than going to the gym,” he says. “I have to work late, things get in the way.”
Many people overestimate the calories they burn during a workout and underestimate the calories they burn during the rest of the day. In fact, the calories burned by serious exercise are only about 5-10% of the average person’s energy expenditure, so simply moving more is a great way to burn more calories. It’s a method.
“If you have a slow week or a long day at the office, you can make up for it with the rest of the week,” Jackson said. “Whether you take the kids to the park, go to a museum, or shop at Selfridges, you can accumulate significant steps and activity levels.”
