10 Minutes is enough exercise to have a positive effect on the body. 10 minutes. Sure, a bit more is a bit better, but 10 minutes can make a difference. Most notably, dozens of studies have shown that those 10 minutes quickly turn into 15, then 30, then 60. One step at a time.
A critical consideration is how to spend those 10 minutes. The following are a few examples for both in the Gym and out of the Gym. Remember, the 10 minutes does not include warming up before and stretching after.
Take a Walk:
This one is stupid simple. The benefits of walking are ignored. Our bodies are mechanical in design. Our joints, bones, and muscles are designed to move. Walking strengthens the muscles of the deep trunk, stretches the lower back and hips, and is a pretty decent fat burner.
Walk around the office complex on a nice day. Enjoy the weather. Maybe listen to music or a podcast on you iPod.
Burst Circuit:
Take a look at the FitDeck portion of Daily Fit workouts. Perform these movements as a circuit, by doing 10 repetitions of each movement then immediately moving on to the next .
With 1 minute of rest between circuits you should easily get through 3 or 4 rounds.
Stair Climb:
Whether at home, the office, or the mall, walking up and down stairs is a great exercise. You strengthen all the muscles of the lower body, while simultaneously spiking your cardiovascular response.
If you only have one flight of stairs, climb them one or two at a time, job down, and repeat. If you have a taller building, take the steps one or two at a time until you make it to the top, then jog back down.
Box Carry:
Pick up a box filled with reams of paper of files, toss it on one shoulder and do a lap around the office. These are "loaded carries", and are perhaps one of the most effective total body conditioning tools available. You'll even look like the "helpful one moving heavy boxes". Do as many laps in 10 minutes as you can.
An alternative if you're in the gym is a Farmer's Walk, Waiter's Walk or Rack Walk.
Dumbbell Circuit/Dumbbell Complex:
Grab a pair of dumbbells, find a corner of the gym (or house, or office) and blast out a few circuits or dumbbell complexes. While these options each target a different goal, they're both great at conditioning the body and hitting all the muscle groups quickly.
A circuit involves multiple (5+) movements performed in succession with limited rest. The goal being to exhaust the muscle groups. Shoot for rep counts between 6 and 15.
A complex is similar to a circuit, except you use far lighter weights, and rep counts between 6 and 10. The goal here is amp up your cardiovascular response.
Try these 6 movements: Dumbbell Dead lift, Push ups, Lunges, Bent-Over Row, Shoulder Press, Jumping Jacks.
2 or 3 circuits, with 1 minute rest in between should be no problem in 10 minutes.
6-5-4 (actually 15 minutes):
Choose 3 pieces of cardio training equipment (e.g. rower, versa climber, and stationary bike). Hop on one for 6 minutes, the next for 5 minutes, and the last for 4 minutes. You'll hit 15 minutes before you know it.
These are examples of things you can easily do in 10 minutes (maybe 15). Also, as you start spending more time exercising you can combine the various strategies above to create longer workouts.
Contact Fit2You for more information on the exercise tips discussed here today, and remember: "If you've got it, flaunt it. If you don't, get it with us."
