“I’ll work out tomorrow.” How many times have you told yourself that after a long, busy day? But then tomorrow comes, and it’s another packed schedule. There just isn’t a spare hour for getting in a workout—or is there?
The reality is that getting sufficient exercise doesn’t mean you have to undertake an hour-long bout of physical activity. If you have 10 minutes here and 15 minutes there, you can still sneak in shorter sessions throughout the day that will add up to give you the same benefits you would get from a long workout. In fact, depending on your fitness level and your goals, this approach might be even better.
Look at it this way: You should be getting 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise every week. This is the guidance put forth by the American Council on Exercise, the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Heart Association, and the Surgeon General. That’s all the exercise you need to see such benefits as increased energy, better mood, reduced risk of disease, weight management, stronger bones, and better cardiovascular health. (Bear in mind that if you have more ambitious goals, such as losing a significant amount of weight or participating in a competitive athletic event, you likely will need more exercise.)
How you decide to break up those 150 weekly minutes (or 75 weekly minutes, depending on your intensity) is up to you. If you’ve got 30 minutes to exercise five times a week, go for it. But if it’s easier to do 10 minutes three times a day, that’s fine too! Those short bouts of exercise add up.
For those are trying to adopt better physical activity habits, these shorter sessions can be helpful because they feel less daunting. In other words, an hour at the gym might sound like torture, but a 10-minute power walk doesn’t seem quite so bad. According to the American Council on Exercise, it’s more important that you find a routine you like and can adhere to in the long term than try to force yourself to do something you dislike.
You also have the potential to make the most of your time and push yourself to your limits, thus burning more calories overall. Going for just 10 minutes? Make them the hardest 10 minutes you can. This is what’s known as high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Research shows that going at high intensity for a short period of time can burn more calories (up to 30 percent more) and offer greater cardiovascular benefits than low- or moderate-intensity exercise for a longer amount of time.
So, if you’re going for 10 minutes, push yourself as hard as you can during those 10 minutes. Even three minutes of high-intensity exercise is enough to boost your circulation and raise your physical and mental energy. Do three minutes of high intensity followed by two minutes of low intensity. Repeat twice during each session, and aim for three sessions a day. Bam—you’ve done 30 minutes of HIIT today.
Need some ideas for mini exercise sessions?
There are all kinds of methods you can try. None of these seem all that overwhelming on their own, but they’ll add up to offer you significant health advantages:
- Take a walk around the block in the morning, afternoon, and evening.
- Park in the farthest parking spot so you have a greater distance to walk when you’re doing errands.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Get up and pace the room when you are on the phone or waiting for an appointment.
- Do 10 minutes of calisthenics when you first wake up in the morning: pushups, crunches, lunges, and squats. These exercises require no equipment, and when you perform them vigorously in rapid succession, they’ll get your heart pounding.
