Hardcore fitness enthusiasts may scoff at a 10-minute workout. What benefit can just ten minutes of exercise possibly give, they might ask. But for those who don’t get as excited about exercising, even these 10 minutes can mean a whole world of change to a routine. Fitness is also about acceptance, accepting that one can make a change in their lifestyle by just adding 10 minutes of exercise.
Not only has research shown that a quick burst of 10-minute activity can promote mental faculties, increase the heart-rate, and help maintain your sleep cycle, it has also shown that it can increase your strength as much as a 30-minute workout. That doesn’t mean you do only 10 minutes of exercise a day; it just means 10 minutes of activity every day is an excellent option if you’re pressed for time.
Also Read: Five classic exercises to boost your strength
So here’s a list of five excellent workouts which you can do in ten minutes. For some of these, you need no equipment, while for others just some light weights will do.There’s something for everyone here. Just remember, you absuloutely must warm up before doing any o these exercises.
Jordan Yeoh’s 10-minute intense fat burner
Yeoh’s videos were of big help during the pandemic, especially his suggestions on how to use home equipment as weights, including buckets of water and gas cylinders. This one is a no-equipment workout with alternative exercises which he calls “easy, normal, and hard”. An easy-to-understand follow along, this one will hit your full body, from your hamstrings to your shoulders and the abs. Enjoy.
The Body Coach’s “Savage” Leg Burner
Done in tabata style, with 40 seconds on and 20 seconds off, this is a ridiculously rewarding leg workout. Having tried it in the run up to getting back to the football pitch, this workout worked wonders (although I was cursing after finishing the ten minutes!). But the fist-pumps were worth it, and so was the burn. If you have knee or ankle trouble, the suggestion would be to get strong enough and solve those issues before attempting an HIIT leg workout. That way, there are fewer chances of aggravating a pre-existing issue.
Big shoulders with light weights by Athlean-X
It’s difficult to not have every video on this list from Athlean-X. Today, here’s a workout that helps you get stronger shoulders using light weights. This is in the list also because a lot of people have invested in lighter weights for stay-at-home fitness needs. If if you’re frustrated with the amount of hypertrophy they can create, this is a workaround formula which you can tweak for any muscle group in the body. More than just getting a good pump, this one is partly a cardio workout as well, with explosive movements incorporated.
Alex Crockford’s 10-minute abs workout
An abs workout which also has rest periods? Yes, they exist. Crockford’s workout is made up of basic movements for the core, along with some cardio, and will also help build leg strength with some jumping. Even though one could pass it off as a lower body workout, try using your mind-muscle connection to focus working the abs and not the hip flexors, which put their hands up every time the body asks for volunteers to crunch. Ignore that hand, and choose to work that core instead.
Nicole Kastoun’s 10-minute stretch and cool down
If you thought this is an exhaustive list of sweating it out, then you were wrong. Here’s the sweetener at the end which you must do to relax the muscles which went through an intense workout. If you have 20 minutes, choose a video from the first four in this list and end by doing this one. Kastoun’s stretching routines are based on yoga and pilates flows and that means you get to learn something new while your muscles recover.
Pulasta Dhar is a football commentator and writer.
