The Best 10 Minute Workout: Get Your Body Right In Just 10 Minutes

Your goal at the beginning of every year could be to either join the gym or do at-home workouts, or at least exercise outdoors – to get into better shape and live a healthier life. However, as the years pass, for some reason or the other, this goal keeps getting shelved.

If your reason for this is simply because you don’t have the time, we are here to offer you a workable solution. If sparing 30 to 60 consecutive minutes per day to exercise is impossible, how about doing a 10 minute workout for beginners, at home instead?

Such a workout would be a small but effective way to help you reach your goal, be it improved cardiovascular fitness, a better physique, weight loss or simply to get stronger. Now, what’s left to decide is which 10 minute workout is best to start with. Here’s all you need to know.

What Is The Best 10 Minute Workout?

There probably isn’t just one, ‘best 10-minute workout for beginners’. In the same way we have different tastes in food, fashion, brands of bottled water to drink, etc., so we also have different fitness goals.

The best 10 minute workout at home, in the morning before work or later in the evening, is one that is based on your needs and targets your problem areas. For example:

1. A person who is looking to lose weight will benefit the most from a routine that combines both cardio and strength training/weight lifting (4, 19).

Both types of exercises help increase calorie burn – cardio burns calories most during a workout and weight lifting burns calories most while at rest, due to the energy needs of the newly acquired muscle (2, 15).

High intensity workouts such as HIIT and tabata are also fantastic for overall weight loss, although they might not work best for muscle growth. Supplement with strength training/weight lifting for the best results

2. Someone looking to build stronger muscles is better off doing a strength training program with weights. Such a routine will require the use of gym machines or free weights like dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, etc. 

For a best 10 minute workout at home for strength you can replace the free weights with resistance bands or use heavy objects, like water bottles, a bag with large heavy books etc.

3. For more flexibility, cardio and strength training may not be the best option. Instead, try doing either yoga, pilates, tai-chi or simple stretches for the best results.

Yoga and Tai-chi are also great meditative exercises that can help with relieving stress and even with the prevention, management and treatment of mental disorders (6, 18, 20).

4. For a stronger core or more defined ab muscles (NOT less belly fat), an ab workout routine for women or men is best. Targeted workouts like sit-ups, crunches and plank variations will help improve core strength.

You can also do Pilates, which is a full body workout that has been shown to have great results with increasing upper body, lower body, and abdominal muscle strength (5, 10).

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Can A 10 Minute Workout Be Effective?

Yes, it can. In fact, any workout – regardless of duration can be effective – as long as you do it right. Research done on these mini or rather these short workout routines, have proven that they are effective, not only in improving your health, but also in other aspects such as weight loss and muscle gain.

• In one study published in 2017, researchers at the University of Western Ontario found that working out for just 10 minutes a day helped boost brain power, which helps increase focus and problem solving (14).

This is especially important since – according to the American Psychological Association, people’s attention spans have continued to shrink over the last few decades (16). 

• A 10-minute high intensity workout can have the same benefits on both  insulin sensitivity and other markers of cardiometabolic health as a moderately paced 45 minute workout. This is according to the findings of a study done on previously sedentary men utilizing 12 weeks of a 3 times a week 10 minute exercise routine (22).
• Another study published in 2013 in the American Journal of Health Promotion found that exercises lasting 10 minutes or less are effective at reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome, chronic diseases, and even death. This study compared these short bout exercise routines to workout sessions that were more than 10 minutes (1).
• A review on the effects and benefits of continuous vs accumulated exercise proved that doing 3-ten minute workouts throughout the day had the same benefits as doing one continuous 30 minute workout (21).

These research findings go to show you that as long as you practice the best 10 minute workout routine (no equipment or with equipment) for you, it will be just as effective as a longer continuous routine.

Can 10 Minutes Of Exercise A Day Make A Difference?

As proven by the studies above, a 10 minute workout to lose weight, gain muscle or simply to stay active, can make a big difference in your life. Not only is doing a shorter workout just as effective as a longer workout in many cases, but it is certainly much better than leading a sedentary lifestyle.

Remember that a sedentary lifestyle increases your risk of (13)

1. Obesity
2. Heart diseases, including coronary artery disease and heart attack
3. High blood pressure
4. High cholesterol
5. Stroke
6. Metabolic syndrome
7. Type 2 diabetes
8. Certain cancers
9. Osteoporosis and falls
10. Depression and anxiety

Read more: Mini Workouts Throughout The Day: A New Effective Way To Get Your Workout In

Can You Do A 10-Minute Workout Everyday?

While you could choose to do so, we recommend you reserve 1-2 days a week for rest. As explained above, a 10 minute workout at home, certainly has its benefits. However, like anything else, overdoing it can lead to more negatives than benefits.

Over exercising has been shown to lead to multiple negative side effects including excessive fatigue, depression and anxiety, sleeplessness and other sleep problems, unexplained mood swings or irritability, very sore muscles and much more (23, 9).

Is 10 Minutes Enough To Build Muscle?

Yes, it can be. However, the relationship is dose dependent. The larger the muscles you desire, the more volume in workout and the longer the workouts that will be required. When looking at muscle strength rather than size, you really do not need to workout for hours on end to build stronger muscles. One comparative controlled trial published in 2019, showed that working out for just 13 minutes a day can help with muscle strength. 

In the 8-week study, all participants did 1, 3 and 5 sets per exercise for 13 minutes a day. At the end of the study, researchers found that despite the workout sessions being rather short, all participants experienced increases in muscular strength – the results, however, for muscular growth and size were best in the group that did 5 reps per set rather than the 3 or 1 rep groups (11).

Remember, to grow your muscles, you need two main things:

• A strength training routine – The best 10 minute workout with weights will probably be one that calls for 8 to 12 reps per set. This is according to a study published in 2012.

Researchers stated that for muscle hypertrophy, a routine of 8-12 reps with 60 percent to 80 percent of 1RM was best. Higher reps of 5+ repetitions per set with loads below 60 percent of 1RM were best for improved muscle endurance (8).

• Adequate protein intake – Working out alone will not help you build muscle. You also need to eat well. A protein intake of 1.6 g per kg of body weight per day or higher is best for optimal results (3, 17).

What Is The Most Effective Workout

As previously stated, the best kind of workout – and thus the most effective – is one that meets the requirements of your goals. If you’d like to lose weight, then you must aim to find the best 10 minute workout at home plan to meet this goal.

If you aren’t sure where to start, here are some simple exercises you can add to your beginner routine to get you started.

The Best 10-Minute Workout No Equipment Routine For Weight Loss

Option 1 – Full Body Circuit

The following exercises are just for the first round. Do two rounds to complete the 10 minute workout. Remember to stretch after your workout if you have time.

Warm:-Up: Jog on the spot for 30 seconds

1. Push ups – 60 sec
2. High knees – 60 sec
3. Sumo squats – 60 sec
4. Mountain Climbers – 60 sec
5. Lunges – 60 sec

You can do this circuit just once a day for 10 minutes or as many times as you want, to complete your cumulative workout routine.

Option 2 – Cardio Circuit

If cardiovascular health plus weight loss are your main goals – and you are not particularly interested in gaining muscle, then this circuit could be for you. As you improve, you can reduce rest time in between exercises.

Warm-Up: Jog on the spot for 45 seconds 

1. Mountain climbers – 40 sec, 20 sec rest
2. Jump squats – 40 sec, 20 sec rest
3. Burpees – 40 sec, 20 sec rest
4. Side shuffle – 40 sec, 20 sec rest
5. Jumping Jacks – 40 sec, 20 sec rest
6. Alternating jumping lunges – 40 sec, 20 sec rest
7. Lateral side jumps – 40 sec, 20 sec rest
8. Bicycle crunches – 60 sec
9. Child’s pose to cobra stretch – 60 sec

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Full Body Strength Training Circuit

This is a good option for someone who not only wants to lose weight, but is also interested in increasing strength and muscle in the process. To do this routine in the best way we suggest getting a skipping rope and a resistance band – these exercises can also be done using free weights, if you have them.

Warm up: 20 jumping jacks + 20 jump rope + 10 arm circles

1. Upper body exercises – Banded chest press, banded bicep curls, banded lateral raises, push ups and tricep dips. Do 8 to 12 reps of each listed exercise.
2. Lower body exercises – Alternating forward lunges, goblet squats, Bulgarian split squats, elevated calf raises, and jump squats. Do 8 to 12 reps per workout listed.
3. Core – All the above workouts work the core at least indirectly. However, if you want to target these muscles directly, planks are a fantastic option.

Ps. because this is a 10 minute workout, keep the exercises HIIT style. Do the workouts quickly – but still keep the mind-muscle connection-, and keep the rest times between each exercise/set, short. 

This routine can also act as an intro to calisthenics. All the above workouts are used by beginners to calisthenics, allowing them to train their bodies for more complicated movements in the future.

Which Are The 10 Exercises To Flatten Stomach?

Contrary to popular belief, you actually do not need to do core specific exercises to achieve a flat stomach. To get rid of belly fat, and thus achieve the flat stomach, you need to do exercises that burn fat. This means doing full body cardio workouts and strength training exercises – All the above listed exercises are perfect for this.

Research specifically advocates for the use of high intensity exercise as a way to lose overall belly fat (7, 12). A change in diet is also highly recommended for quicker and long lasting results.

Remember that core specific exercises only work the muscles under the fat in your tummy area. They may not be effective in spot reducing the tummy area, but they are good for improving core strength and posture.

Read more: Short Ab Workout: Beginner’s Guide to Great Abs

FAQs

• Will I Lose Weight If I Exercise 10 Minutes A Day?

Yes, you will. As long as you make your workout a HIIT type workout, you will be able to burn as many calories as a longer workout and this will help you lose fat and weight.

• How Many Times A Day Should You Do A 10-Minute Workout?

It depends on how much time you want to spend working out. If the goal is 10 minutes, then just one-10 minute workout is enough. If the goal is 30 minutes, then 3×10 minutes sessions should do it. If it’s an hour, then you will need to do the exercises 6 times a day. The amount all depends on you.

• What Are The 3 Most Important Workouts

According to Harvard Health, there are 4 not 3 most important types of workouts. They include:

1. Aerobic/cardiovascular exercises
2. Strength training
3. Stretching exercises
4. Balance exercises

If you can, curate your best 10 minute workout with all the following kinds of workouts included throughout the week. This will give you a more rounded routine.

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, the best 10 minute workout is one that caters to your fitness goals. While such routines may be shorter than the average, this does not mean that they are any less effective. 

If you do your routine correctly, with the right form and correct intensity, you will see quality results. Be sure to also remember to fix your diet, since no matter how good your workout routine is, the results will be derailed if your diet is poor.