The biggest barrier to fitness is rarely motivation; it is the belief that a workout has to take an hour to count. It does not. A growing body of research shows that very short bouts of activity, done consistently, improve fitness, body composition and health, and they add up fast. Here are six 10 minute workouts and habits with evidence behind them, all of which you can do at Hammer’s Gym in Nunawading, at home or at your desk.
1. Ten minutes of running
A large 2014 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, following more than 55,000 adults, found that running as little as five to ten minutes a day, at speeds below 10 km/h, was associated with substantially lower risk of death from all causes and from cardiovascular disease. Sports scientists have also linked short daily runs to better blood pressure, lower cholesterol and less body fat. Ten minutes on one of our treadmills, tracking your pace, is a genuine health investment. Prefer intervals? See HIIT vs LISS.
2. The 7-minute circuit
A 2013 paper in the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health and Fitness Journal challenged what counts as an effective session with a seven-minute circuit needing only a wall, a bench and your bodyweight: jumping jacks, wall sits, push-ups, crunches, step-ups, squats, triceps dips, planks, high knees, lunges, push-ups with rotation and side planks, each for 30 seconds with 10 seconds rest. It is high-intensity interval training in miniature, and every movement is a staple of our HammerFit-45 classes. Read why HIIT classes work.
3. A 9-minute weights session
Research published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise had participants perform 8 to 12 reps of weighted exercises to failure, doing either one, three or five sets. Over two months, muscle gains were similar across all groups. One hard set of each of a handful of exercises, taken close to failure, is enough to build and maintain muscle when time is tight. A squat, a press, a row and a hinge, one hard set each, fits in nine minutes on our gym floor. Learn why in how many reps to build muscle.
4. Two minutes of walking every hour
Finding 30 minutes for a walk is hard; two minutes out of every hour is easy. Research on prolonged sitting found that short, regular walking breaks offset much of the metabolic harm of a sedentary day. Set a reminder, stand up, walk the office or the house, and sit back down. Over a workday that is 16 minutes of movement you did not have before, and it is the foundation of the everyday activity we describe in NEAT for fat loss.
5. Ten minutes of yoga
Yoga improves range of motion, posture, balance and body awareness, and it does not require hours of practice. Short sessions have been shown to increase connectivity between brain regions involved in memory, and a 2016 study led by Loren Fishman found that older adults practising just twelve postures regularly showed improvements in bone density in the hips and spine. Ten minutes in the morning or before bed is enough to feel the difference. See yoga for gym-goers.
6. Ten minutes of mindfulness
Fitness includes your head. Ten minutes of mindfulness sets up a calmer, less anxious day. Find somewhere quiet, set a timer for ten minutes and begin by checking in with yourself rather than launching into the day on autopilot: notice how you feel, whether stressed, tired or content, and accept it rather than fighting it. We spend a lot of energy blocking emotions that pass on their own once acknowledged. Pair it with training and the effect compounds; read how the gym improves anxiety and stress.
Making 10 minutes add up
None of these replaces a full training program if you want to get strong or transform your body, but every one of them beats doing nothing, and stacking two or three across a day builds real fitness. Ten minutes of running before work, two-minute walks through the day and ten minutes of yoga at night is 40 minutes of health you barely notice. On the days you have more time, our 30 minute hybrid workout is the next step up.
Short on time? Come and see us
Hammer’s Gym is open 24/7 and minutes from Mitcham, Blackburn, Box Hill and Doncaster, so a ten-minute session fits any schedule. Our personal trainers can build a time-efficient program around your week. Claim a free one-day trial and start small.