Its time to shake off the winter doldrums and embrace the boost of energy every Canadian feels as winter gives way to spring. Its been a long few months, but its time to say goodbye to the Netflix vibe and hello to spring training. Put down the remote and get moving.

To help you embrace this new energy, here are a series of 20(ish)-minute workouts designed to accommodate everyone from coach potatoes to avid exercisers. The workouts feature a series of intervals that range from easy (recovery mode) to high intensity. The idea is to cycle between intensities, so you get the maximum bang for your buck.

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Walk, run, bike or swim the workouts, just make sure youre breathing hard during the high-intensity intervals (you should be feeling the effort) and taking it easy during the recovery phase of the workout. The idea is to amp up your speed, knowing that you have a generous recovery period to catch your breath. Peaks and valleys in intensity will put the spring back in your step and get you ready for the active summer months ahead.

If youre worried that 20 minutes isnt enough time to whip yourself into better shape, think again. Small exercise bites are all the rage, with plenty of studies highlighting the benefits of short, peppy workouts. Get your sweat on at lunch, before the kids get up in the morning or shake off the stress of a long day with an after-dinner workout. And since the days are getting longer, theres more time at both ends of the day for a quick 20-minute exercise bite.

The four featured workouts are slightly different; mix them up over the course of the week. If you havent worked up a sweat in a while, take a day off between workouts. If youre active but in need of a spring tuneup, work them into your schedule as you see fit. Theyre perfect for days when time is tight, or motivation is low. You can add a five-minute warmup and five-minute cool down and boost the workout to 30 minutes. Bottom line is: You do you.

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Now for the housekeeping. The intervals are timed, so its helpful to use an app (see suggestions below) or smartwatch that tracks your speed, distance and time. Another bonus of a good app is reviewing your stats post-workout to track your progress.

You need to dress ready to sweat. Have a water bottle handy and your phone or watch so you can get the timing down pat.

You should feel a distinct difference between easy, moderate and fast-paced intervals. These arent steady state workouts. Your hard-paced efforts should take you out of your comfort zone and your recovery should bring your heart rate down and slow your breathing. The idea is to recover enough that you can maintain your intensity through all the fast-paced intervals.

Intensity is a relative thing, which means one persons fast-paced effort is another persons recovery. Thats why these workouts can be enjoyed by novice and experienced exercisers alike and why theyre adaptable to the pool, bike, treadmill, rowing machine and elliptical trainer and can be enjoyed be walkers, runners and everyone in between.

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Commit the workout to memory before you leave the house, text the workout to your phone so you can access it easily or go old-school and write the intervals on your hand or on a note you can tuck in the waistband of your workout gear. And dont play favourites. Each workout challenges your body in slightly different ways, so rotate through the full series every week.

Finally, dont forget to have fun. Challenge a friend to take on the workouts with you and commit to at least four weeks. If youre enjoying yourself, make these 20-minute exercise bites a staple in your schedule. Workouts dont need to be long, boring or repetitive to be effective. They just need to get done.

5 minutes easy pace

3 minutes moderate pace

30 seconds fast pace

1 minute recovery pace

3 minutes moderate pace

30 seconds fast pace

1 minute recovery pace

3 minutes moderate pace

30 seconds fast pace

2.5 minutes recovery pace

5 minutes easy pace

5 minutes moderate pace

30 seconds fast pace

4 minutes moderate pace

30 seconds fast pace

3 minutes moderate pace

30 seconds fast pace

2 minutes moderate pace

5 minutes easy pace

1 minute moderate pace

1 minute fast pace

1 minute easy pace

Repeat the 1-minute moderate/fast/easy intervals five times.

4 minutes easy pace

5 minutes moderate pace

2 minutes fast pace

1 minute recovery

Repeat the moderate/fast/pace intervals two times.

Interval timer

Strava

Nike Running

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Fitness: Put down the remote and get moving with 20-minute workouts - Montreal Gazette