Most Effective 10-minute Energy-Boosting Home Exercise

The biggest obstacle to the 10-minute workout lives in your mind. It’s the idea that if you do only 10 minutes, it doesn’t count. It does.

Although it’s true that you can get a lot of benefits out of longer workouts, it’s equally true that 10 minutes counts and that it all adds up at the end of the day. If you’ve only got 10 minutes or so on a given day, here are four effective examples of what you can do. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

The Low-Intensity (at Home, No Equipment Required)

1. March in place : 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Wall push-up : Stand about arm’s length way from a wall. Extend both arms out and place both hands on the wall, shoulder-width apart. Elbows are shoulder-width apart. Elbows are shoulder level. Now lean in toward the wall, bending the elbows as you come forward, and straightening the elbows as you push back to the starting position. Do 10 reps.

3. Squats to a chair : Stand 8 to 12 inches away from a chair, facing away from the seat. Now bend you legs, push you butt out, and bend forward until you are seated on the chair. Beginners can rest for a second, then put your hands on your thighs, push off using your legs, and stand. Repeat for 10 reps. For non-beginners, let your button touch the seat of the chair and come right back up, keeping tension on your muscles throughout the movement.

4. Wall push-up : Repeat one set of 10 reps.

5. Squats to a chair : Repeat one set of 10 reps.

6. Free dance : 3 to 4 minutes. This can be anything you want it to be. You can sway to soft music or you can pretend to be Britney Spears. Think Tom Cruise in Risky Business. No one’s watching. Have fun.

7. Cool down, lie down, stretch, and breathe : 1 to 2 minutes.