The Best Exercises to Smash Out When You Only Have 10 Spare Minutes

Alright, so with a solid chunk of the country sitting in lockdown right now, it’s probably fair to say that many of us have a solid amount of spare time available to us. However, that doesn’t always mean an hour-long workout is feasible.

Maybe you’re working long hours, feeling low on energy and can only muster 15 minutes of movement today? Or maybe you’ve booked back to back zoom calls with your family and would like to schedule in a 30-minute sweat before it kicks off.

Perhaps you’re deep into your Breaking Bad binge marathon and honestly can’t bear to tear your eyes away from the screen for too long (no judgment).

Whatever the reason, there will be days where you may be limited on available time. And that doesn’t have to mean you need to sacrifice a quality workout.

Ben Lucas, the owner and co-founder of Flow Athletic, has shared his tips with us on how to get the most out of a quick workout and explained which exercises are best when time is lacking.

Which exercises are most effective in a quick workout?

Lucas shared over email that if you’re keen on smashing out a workout, there are two exercise types he recommends: high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength workouts.

He explained that as it consists of “short bursts of intense exercise with less-intense recovery periods, HIIT shifts the body between aerobic and anaerobic activity and is particularly effective at burning fat”.

Strength training is considered an effective choice as studies indicate it can boost your lean body mass, metabolic rate, lost muscle tissue and bone density while reducing your risk of injury, Lucas shared.

“Consider investing in some light weights when you are starting out and progress to heavier ones as you build strength over time. Alternatively, bodyweight exercises such as push-ups and lunges are an efficient way to build strength when you don’t have weights at hand,” he said.

If you want to design yourself the most time effective workout, however, Lucas said that your best move is to “combine strength with HIIT”.

“HIIT and strength workouts are both made up of compound exercises that use multiple joints and muscles, such as squats, burpees, push-ups and sit kicks,” he said.

“Combining HIIT with strength exercises is the perfect way to condense the benefits of physical activity even when you have just 10 minutes to spare.”

Your time-effective exercise plan

If you would like to give this kind of workout a try, Lucas has shared a simple plan with us below. Just be sure not to dive into any new exercises without consulting your health professional first.

When you’re short on time, Lucas recommended spending 40 seconds on each of the below exercises with 20 seconds rest between sets.

1. Squat press with a barbell or dumbbells
2. Burpees
3. Push-ups
4. Squat jumps
5. Deadlift
6. Kick sits
7. Weighted lunges
8. Star jumps/ skipping
9. Chest or shoulder press
10. Sprinting/ high knees

If you’d like to keep reading about keeping your physical health in check, take a peek at our piece on how to best measure fitness here.