10 Minutes To Better Health

If you’ve got ten minutes a day for better health for your body and mind, it may not seem like a significant amount of time, but there are plenty of things you can do with that time to make changes that will lead to better health.

If you’ve been busy, exercise may be one of the things that you want to chop off your to-do list, but instead of cutting it out completely, it may be a better idea to shorten the amount of time and try micro-workouts.

Micro-workouts still provide the body with health benefits from ten minutes of exercise. High-intensity interval training also referred to as HIIT, can help you reach your health goals with short bursts of exercise. 

What Is High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)?

When you do high-intensity interval training, you perform short bursts of intense exercise followed by a rest period. When you do quick bursts of intensity, your heart rate rises significantly while the rest periods bring it back down.

This activity is good for your cardiovascular health because it gets your heart pumping, and research shows that high-intensity interval training workouts can help to reduce your risk for coronary heart disease and also improve blood pressure. Not only does it help get your blood moving, but it can also help your body burn a good amount of calories in a short period of time.

Visceral fat (the fat located around your organs and muscles) gets burned during HIIT, and after your workout, your body keeps burning calories, providing even more benefits.

Maximize Your Workout for Better Health

When you’re pressed for time, an HIIT workout is an excellent choice. Even a ten-minute workout that includes one minute of intense exercise may provide the same better health benefits as a 50-minute workout at a moderate pace. Any exercise you do will benefit your body, and you’ll still reap benefits even if you do it in 10-minute bursts by doing micro-workouts. 

No Equipment Necessary for Better Health

One of the advantages of HIIT workouts is that you don’t need fancy or special equipment to do them, and they can be done almost anywhere. You just need a timer, your body, and space to work out. When doing interval training, your heart rate should reach around 80% of your maximum heart rate when going through intense bursts.

A good rule of thumb is if you’re able to hold a conversation and talk to someone during the high-intensity bursts of exercise, then you probably aren’t in the correct range.

If you struggle to talk or hold a conversation, you’re probably in the appropriate heart rate range to get optimal benefits from interval training. Here are some workouts you can do in ten minutes to improve your health:

Run-sprint-walk intervals

• Jog or run at a comfortable pace for three minutes
• Sprint for one minute
• Walk for one minute
• Jog or run again for three minutes
• Sprint for one minute
• Walk for one minute

Cardio Bursts for Better Health

• Jumping jacks or jogging in place for one minute
• Ten-second break
• Squats for one minute
• Ten-second break
• Pushups for one minute
• Ten-second break 
• Wall sits for one minute
• Ten-second break
• Crunches or sit-ups for one minute
• Ten-second break
• Planks for one minute
• Ten-second break
• Side planks for one minute–thirty seconds on your left and thirty seconds on your right
• Ten-second break
• High knees for one minute
• Ten-second break
• Jumping jacks or jogging in place for one minute

30 Second Burn for Better Health

• Jumping jacks or jog in place for two minutes to warm up, then perform this sequence:
• 30 seconds of pushups
• 30-second break
• 30 seconds of planks
• 30-second break
• 30 seconds of squats
• 30-second break
• Repeat this sequence twice
• Cooldown with light stretches for two minutes

Let Us Support You

When you begin a new exercise program toward better health, it’s important to listen to your body. If you don’t feel good while performing an exercise, stop and let your body rest. If you would like support on your health journey, we would love to work with you. Dr. Leo enjoys helping his patients work toward optimal health. We are located at 6321 Executive Blvd, Rockville, MD 20852, in the Executive office park. 

Related Products