Health professionals recommend that you do at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. However, it is difficult for many people to take that much time out of their busy schedule. That doesn’t mean that you should keep on skipping your exercise regime. You need to stay healthy and fit to be more productive, not to mention happy and there is no alternative to regular exercise. But don’t worry – if you can’t manage the time to hit the gym or do half an hour’s exercise at home, there is some good news!

There are a range of effective workouts that you can do in just 10 minutes. Read on to learn about the workouts that will take only 10 minutes every day, are easy to fit into your busy schedule, and will still keep you fit. 

Cardio

Cardio exercise is great a short workout (and great for your health) because it raises your heart rate and increases blood flow within a short period of time. If you work in an office, simply go for a brisk walk outside during your lunch break, or walk up and down the stairs for 10 minutes. You can also play games like basketball or cricket for just 10 minutes.

All of this is very effective for burning calories, but it can get even easier. If you’re working out at home, simply put on your favorite song and start dancing. Dancing for three songs and you’ll find you’ve exercised for at least 10 minutes!

Strength training

To develop muscles and get stronger, you don’t need to work on this pretty much every day. You can achieve your desired level of fitness at home even with just 10-minutes of strength training every day. Lunges and bicep curls are effective yet easy exercises to do. You can do these exercises anywhere as no special equipment is required.

You can lift weights while watching TV, and if you don’t have any, simply use water bottles instead. The most important thing is to carry weight in your hands. Standing overhead dumbbell presses, dumbbell rows, single-leg deadlifts are all great exercises for the upper body. Squats and calf raises are great for lower body muscles.

Stretching

Sitting or standing in one position for a long time can be damaging to your body so it is essential to change your position from time to time. Stretching is easy: you can stretch for 10 minutes and then get back to work, or whatever you were doing. After a walk, it is also important to spend a few minutes stretching – this will improve your balance and flexibility. If you’re not sure where to start, you’ll find various mobile apps and YouTube videos to show you how.

Short circuit workouts

It’s a good idea to combine strength training and cardio in the same session for better results. By doing five minutes of each exercise back to back you’ll burn more calories within a short time. Short circuit workouts will make you fit within a short period of time.

Total body workout

A total body workout has a high level of intensity, meaning you will burn a lot of calories. You should start with just one rep and then gradually increase the number of reps. Lunges, push-ups, and jump squats are some other exercises that you can do for 10-minutes for a total body workout. For example, burpees are a great, total body workout that strengthen the major muscle groups including the shoulders, glutes, quads, and hamstring. You’ll also burn a lot of calories and improve your cardiovascular health.

To do a burpee, stand upright with your arms down at your sides. Put your hands straight out in front and do a deep squat. When your hands almost touch the ground, take your legs back into a pushup. Then jump a little to get your hands close to your feet. Finally, stand up straight, bringing your arms above your head and jump.

Yoga

You can easily fit in  10 minutes of yoga every morning or in the evening when your get home from work. It will not only make you flexible and strong, but yoga will also help you with weight loss. Moreover, you will feel much more relaxed and less stressed after a yoga session. There are many short yoga videos that you can find online, so it’s easy to pick up for everyone!

Important tips

You should always remember to warm up before any workout to get your body ready for exercise. A 10-minutes workout may seem small, but it is enough to motivate you to be more active. When you do 10 minutes of exercise every day, over a year you will complete 60 hours of exercise in total! This can have a significant effect on your health and fitness and you’ll find it easy to step things up to a more extensive fitness regime.

So, no matter how busy you are, you can still take care of your body by doing 10 minutes of exercise every day!