Caregivers are notoriously selfless—sacrificing their own time, money and health to care for another. And while that sacrifice is admirable, it can also prove to be detrimental to a caregiver’s own health and well-being. You know you need to exercise, but – seriously – who has the time?
Hitting pause on your daily routine and shlepping to a gym is pretty much out of the question, but how do you know what home exercises even make an impact?
Thankfully, the days of Jane Fonda VHS tapes and gimmicky ThighMasters have been replaced by science-backed workouts designed to deliver quick, yet hyper-effective exercise that actually fits into your life as a caregiver.
Working harder and smarter
CAROL may not be the most well-known player in the crowded exercise bike scene, but it promises to deliver one of the most effective workouts in the shortest amount of time—all from your living room. And by short, they mean short: just five minutes per day.
The CAROL bike’s secret sauce comes from another acronym: REHIT, which stands for Reduced Exertion HIIT—which actually includes yet another acronym. This is beginning to get confusing. Here’s what you need to know: The CAROL workouts – the ones that only take five minutes – are designed to put your body into fight-or-flight mode (which can be beneficial when it comes to exercise).
That drastically increases your body’s demand for energy, which is when your muscles start using huge amounts of glycogen (your body’s stored sugar). Basically, you’re tricking your body—it doesn’t know you’re only on an exercise bike and is instead giving you enough energy to run from some unknown predator for an extended period of time. That rapid reserve depletion means you get fitter and stronger—and gets you there much more quickly.
“CAROL is the only bike that accurately replicates REHIT outside of the labs,” said Niels Vollaard, PhD, an exercise physiology researcher at the University of Stirling. “This scientific exercise cannot be done on a regular bike because it requires the supra-maximal resistance tailored to each person’s physiology.”
That tailoring is important because the CAROL bike uses some advanced artificial intelligence to make sure you hit your own personal max intensity each time you climb on. That means you can keep reaping the benefits of REHIT in just five minutes. Plus, the exercise boosts your metabolic rate for three hours, the company claims, which means 60% of the calories you burn will happen once you’ve already returned to your caregiving duties. Talk about multitasking.
Rave reviews plus science-backed results
“Build a habit that lasts,” the company proclaims. And since its founding in 2015, the London-based company has acquired a lot of loyal followers.
“CAROL is a high-intensity training workout bike that kicks my ass every day,” writes Cameron Sherrill in Esquire. “The weight loss aspect worked for me, and the minimal time commitment made it a daily ritual I can keep up.”
Writer Duncan Bell at T3 tried the CAROL bike and was impressed by his own results:
“CAROL is not like other exercise bikes. Using clever software and high-class engineering, it takes an approach to getting you in shape that is different to any other device I can think of. … [The] workout is a great addition to a generally healthy lifestyle, especially if you’re short of the time normally required to do more intense exercise.”
The company also looked more closely at specific health benefits and found completing the short workouts three times a week led to a 62% reduction in diabetes risk after only eight weeks. Also, blood pressure went down by 5%, good cholesterol (HDL) went up by 6% and triglycerides (fat cells in the blood) decreased by 10%.
Healthy habit for the new year
Like most tech these days, CAROL is friendly and will talk to other exercise apps or devices you have, including Peloton, Zwift, YouTube, even your Apple Watch, and of course offers Bluetooth connectivity. And the company also offers accessories like a heart rate monitor, a PVC bike mat and a phone holder so you can stay connected during those five minutes you’re away.
Get $250 off!
The new year is the perfect time to start a new habit: CAROL bike is currently $250 off the regular price, and the company offers 0% financing and free delivery. Plus, you’ll have 100 days to try it out before you commit.
In 2023, make a resolution to take better care of yourself so you can better care for your loved one. Go meet CAROL!
