For many, ten minutes of exercise doesn’t seem like a long time to get results. You hear so often that you need to exercise for a minimum of 30-45 minutes to really get the benefits of an exercise program. Really, if you have 10 minutes to work out, it’s all about intensity.
You say you don’t have that much free time? Count the minutes you spend sitting down to watch TV just to pass the time. How about the time you spend pressing the snooze button multiple times before getting up? Or how about the time you waste playing Farmville? Now be honest with yourself and ask yourself if you really have 10 minutes.
So now that you have time set aside to get back to your fitness goals, what do you do? The key goal in such a short period is to get you moving and keep you moving. You need to keep your heart rate up and your body temperature up to start burning calories.
Let’s go over some 10-minute workouts you can do to start burning calories:
10 minute cardio routine:
Let’s take a walk:
Necessary equipment: jump rope (optional), running shoes
minutes 1 and 2: Start brisk walking, jump rope, or light jogging.
Minutes 3 and 4: Drop down and do as many push-ups as you can (Note: knee push-ups if you can’t do traditional push-ups)
Minutes 5 and 6: Skipping rope, jumping jacks, or light jogging.
Minutes 7 and 8: Stop and squat with your arms extended to help maintain your posture. It is very important that you focus on your form. Make sure to look straight ahead or even look slightly up to keep your back straight and your knees low.
Minutes 9 and 10: Jump back into a brisk walk, jump rope, or jog. At this point, you should try to give it your all.
There is. ten minute cardio workout that will get you into a good heart rate and make you sweat.
10 minutes of strength and toning:
Minute 1: body squats – Go down as far as you can until your thighs are about 90 degrees or
parallel to the floor. (Note: If you’re doing this indoors, use a wall to slide your back down and keep it straight.)
Minute 2: Lizards – Once again, your key to maintaining proper form. The number of reps you get is not important. If you don’t have enough strength to do traditional push-ups, start with knee push-ups first until you’ve developed enough strength to move on to traditional push-ups. This is a great way to gauge your strength development.
Minute 3: Walking lunges – Step forward with one leg and lower until your knee is above your front foot. However, when you step forward, just step outside of your shoulder width. Alternate on each leg.
Minute 4: Squats and chest compression – First, take an empty gallon of milk or juice and fill it with water. Hold it close to your chest and press lightly while holding the chevron until you feel a slight tension in your chest muscles. Drop down to a squat position and then stand up. Repeat this for the full minute.
Minute 5: Dhead lift – Stand with the gallon jug held in both hands and lean forward with a slight
bend your knees Bend over until your back is straight and parallel to the floor. Get up and bring the gallon to your chest.
Minute 6: shoulder raises– Stand up straight, raise your arms with the chevron straight to the front. hold in front of your body
for 2 seconds and then slowly lower back to the starting position. (Note: as you go add 2 more seconds to the wait. This will build your shoulder strength over time.)
Minute 7: side raises – Stand while leaning forward with your upper body parallel to the floor. Raise your arms
at the sides with thumbs pointing up. Try to bring your shoulder blades together and hold
for a 2 second count. Lower to the starting position and repeat. (Note: Just like the previous exercise, try to hold it for a longer period as you get stronger.)
Minute 8: triceps dip – Take two chairs that you can use for diving. you want to make sure
that your hands are placed slightly behind you, with your back to the chair. Bend your knees and lower yourself down with all your weight on your arms. Raise to the starting position and repeat the exercise.
minute 9: sumo squats – Stand with your legs as wide as possible with your feet pointing out.
Lower yourself while keeping your back straight until your thighs are parallel to the floor and push yourself back to standing.
minute 10: wiper washer – Lie down on the floor while holding a broomstick above you. Raise your legs together and bring them to the left side until they touch your left hand. Lower your legs just before they touch the floor and lift them to the right side to touch your right hand. Go down and repeat.
There you have it. A 10 minute strength and toning routine that is sure to have your muscles working in no time. Do each of these exercises for about a minute. The goal is to move continuously throughout the series.
These two exercise examples are just a few of the many ways you can take 10 minutes to exercise throughout the day. You don’t need a gym, just a few basic items you can find around your house and some motivation. Will you get super strong doing this? No, but this is a perfect way to get into the habit of engaging in an exercise program.
Once you develop a regular exercise program and feel like it’s time to increase the intensity, you may decide to start a more intense program in the comfort of your own home. However, if you start with one of these workouts, you’ll finally be able to get over the excuse that you just don’t have time to exercise. Come on, everyone has 10 minutes to work out.