While it is recommended to exercise for 30-60 minutes a day, life can get busy so slotting in several 10-minute workouts can work just as well. These bitesize workouts will help you burn calories and keep your fitter for longer.
Ezekh suggests using bodyweight exercises like push-ups, mountain climbers, burpees, and squats to target your upper and lower body and torch some serious calories.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Workout
Getting in a workout when you’re short on time doesn’t have to be a no-go. Studies show that even small amounts of exercise can have significant health benefits.
The secret is to work smarter, not harder. Instead of aiming for one long session, try breaking your exercise into 10 minute workouts. The shorter workouts will be less intimidating and feel more manageable. Plus, you can do them anywhere, anytime – whether you’re at the gym on your lunch break or at home during an evening slump.
The key to these 10-minute workouts is high-intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT workouts alternate intense bursts of exercise with recovery periods at lower intensity. The combination helps you achieve better cardio conditioning without burning out, fitness trainer Noam Tamir tells SELF. This type of workout can also help boost energy levels, improve sleep, and increase cognitive functions such as short-term memory and decision making.
Bodyweight Workout
During busy times, workouts can sometimes take the back seat. However, this doesn’t mean that exercise isn’t important. Even short, intense workouts can be beneficial.
This quick bodyweight workout is perfect for those days that you’re on a tight schedule. It requires no equipment other than yourself and is designed to burn calories, boost your metabolism and tone your muscles.
The best part is that it only takes 10 minutes. The shorter duration makes it much more sustainable, ensuring you stick with your routine.
This workout consists of three rounds of five exercises each. Perform each exercise for 30 seconds, resting for 30 seconds between each round. This workout works all major muscle groups in the upper and lower body, and it’s a great way to burn fat. It also targets your core, which is vital for functional fitness. This short workout will help you feel more energetic and ready for your day. Investing just 10 minutes into exercise can reap massive benefits for your health and mood.
Weighted Interval Workout
When time is tight and a full workout might be out of the question, it is still possible to reap the health and mood benefits of exercise by doing short, intense exercises. While 10 minutes might not be enough to build significant muscle mass, if you can commit to doing this mini-workout consistently as one of your healthy daily habits, you can see some positive changes in just a few weeks.
This simple, yet effective, no-equipment workout utilizes a combination of strength and cardio to get a full-body workout in just ten minutes. Alternate between 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off, performing as many reps of each exercise as you can with proper form.
This is a great workout to do at the gym during your lunch break, when machines are less likely to be taken and there is usually more space to move around. The exercises work on multiple muscle groups and the addition of plyometrics helps to increase your heart rate, burn more calories, and boost your metabolism even after your workout is over.
Core Workout
Workouts don’t need to be long and drawn-out. Studies have shown that short workouts layered throughout the day can be just as effective for building muscle and burning calories as one long session.
This 10-minute workout includes a few moves to target the core and sculpt the midsection. It starts with a 10-second sequence of weighted dead bugs for hip and shoulder mobility, followed by torso rotation striders for core strength. Fagan then finishes the circuit with a seated twisting movement to fire up the entire core.
If you think of ab exercises as slow burn isolation movements done at a glacial pace, you’re missing out on the real power of core workouts. Instead, consider these 10 minute workouts for your upcoming week and how you can add them to your routine to build strong, lean muscles. This way, you can sculpt the body you want while staying on track with your fitness goals.
