Study after study after—admittedly—redundant study has proven that you can achieve almost all of the same benefits of traditional exercise by breaking your work outs down into 10 minutes. You just have to know how to do it!
This time of year is full of pressure! Fun pressures like finding time to decorate the tree or meet old friends for a bottle glass of wine, and not-so-fun pressures like finding time to bake three dozen cookies for the school winter fair or drive two hours for Hanukkah dinner at your in-laws. Don't give up! You can battle holiday weight gain AND de-stress with a quick workout. May I suggest scheduling it any time between waking in the morning and wine o'clock? There are countless chances in a day to squeeze in 10 minutes of sweat.
Here’s a 10-minute work out you can do at home—no equipment required—that will deliver a combination of strength and cardiovascular training to burn fat, improve your cardiovascular health, ease stress, and build strength! If you can’t time yourself, do about 10-20 reps or as many as it takes to reach a level of fatigue—“fatigue” means you couldn’t comfortably do any more reps with good form.
Minute 1 - cardio
Run stairs, do jumping jacks, run on the spo,t or do anything that uses your whole body and gets your heart rate up!
Minute 2 – upper body & core
T push up: On your knees and hands, do a push up, then lift one arm and twist to a side plank position; hold briefly, then lower back to push up position. Repeat with other arm to complete one rep.
Minute 3 – lower body & core
Prisoner squat: With hands on head and feet shoulder width apart, squat until thighs are parallel with floor; hold 1 count, then return to standing.
Minute 4 – upper body & core
Plank: On forearms and toes, hold “plank” position for one minute or 2 reps of 30 seconds each if one minute is too difficult.
Minute 5 – cardio
Run stairs or do jumping jacks at a high intensity to get your heart rate up.
Minute 6 & 7 – lower body & core
Split squat: Place 1 foot on a chair or stair & stand in split position, hands on hips; bend knees and squat until front thigh is parallel with floor; hold 1 count & rise. Complete 1 minute on each leg.
Minute 8 – upper body
Push up: On hands and knees or hands and toes, begin with straight arms and bend elbows to lower yourself until upper arms are parallel with floor; hold briefly & push up.
Minute 9 – core
Pike crunch: Lay on back with legs and arms extended straight up in air; curl shoulders off floor and reach fingertips toward toes; hold briefly, lower & repeat.
Minute 10 – cardio
Run stairs or do jumping jacks at a high intensity to rev your heart rate 1 last time!
Way to go! You may now commence wine drinking.
Got 20 minutes? Do the work-out twice for an even bigger strength and cardio challenge. This short work-out is also fantastic to tack onto the beginning or end of your usual power walk, jog, or bike ride and can be done anywhere—gym, home, cottage, local park. You may do this work out 5 days per week or do it twice (either twice through in 20 minutes or twice daily in two 10-minute segments) every other day. Keep up your other activity—walk with baby, play soccer with the kids, take your yoga class—it all adds up.
What's your holiday go-to workout when time is tight?
For more ideas, try this at-home 10 minute workout.
Get a killer lower body workout with this at-home leg routine.
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