Hate exercise? 7 amazing benefits of the 10-minute workout

Disclaimer: You should consult your physician or other health care professional before starting this or any other fitness program to determine if it is right for your needs. If you experience faintness, dizziness, pain or shortness of breath at any time while exercising you should stop immediately.
 
You’d think that being motivated to exercise regularly would come easy for me, given that I’m a certified health coach and personal trainer. You’d expect that by now exercising would be second nature for me.  Alas! This is not the case. But fortunately, I have found something that works amazingly for me, even on my laziest of days..

I’m well informed about the many health benefits of regular exercise. I’m familiar with all the "best" exercises. I know how to build a customized exercise program that includes a good mix of endurance, strength, balance and flexibility workouts. Most importantly, I’m also a nurse so I’ve been exposed to the many ugly consequences of not getting enough exercise. I mean, what better motivation could there be, right?
 
Despite my credentials, I’m still human. I have a logical side that knows all of these things. But I also have my emotional side that sometimes just doesn’t feel like doing what’s best for my body. I still have lazy days...more of them than I even care to admit...
 
Our nature
Having an exercise regimen wasn’t necessary in our ancestors’ days. They moved their bodies when they needed to (searching for food). They moved their bodies when they had to (running away so they wouldn’t become food!).  And they moved their bodies when they wanted to (games, dancing, festivals, celebrations). Between all these things, they naturally moved their bodies. A lot.  They probably never had the urge to force themselves to move their bodies just for the sake of moving.  Something tells me they probably didn’t have to worry about counting their steps. They had obvious, immediate reasons to move their bodies. And in those instances when they didn’t have any obvious reasons to move their bodies, they wisely chose to conserve their energy instead.
 
Well today our reasons to exercise are more abstract and far less obvious. When’s the last time you had to walk more than a few steps to get some food?  When was the last time you had to run for your life to avoid becoming someone else’s meal? How often do you engage in celebrations where you get to dance the night away? Many of us are fortunate to be living in environments that make life less physically demanding for us. Yet somehow we still have that little voice inside of each of us that says, “But I want to conserve my energy!”
 
So how do we overcome this tendency to question the need for movement? How can we inspire ourselves to move when we don’t really see a clear reason to? How do we get motivated when our brains are telling us that we don’t have the time to workout? Or when we’re perfectly content not pushing our bodies out of their comfort zones?
 
First of all, how much exercise do we really even need?
Current recommendations say we should get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise OR at least 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week. It’s also recommended that we get at least 2 days of moderate to high intensity muscle strengthening activity (i.e. lifting weights).
 
Aerobic activity is how we build cardio-respiratory fitness. This means engaging in physical activity that gets our hearts and lungs working harder. You should still be able to talk when performing these kinds of activities but you can feel that your body is working harder than usual. On the other hand, when you engage in vigorous exercise, it’s much harder to talk while doing so. You can really feel the intensity of the effort.
 
Strength training (aka “resistance training”) is what builds muscles. Dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, weight machines, body weight workouts…these are all examples of exercises that make you stronger.
 
Current situation
Approximately 80% of Americans are not currently meeting exercise recommendations. This is a troubling fact given that there are so many health consequences for living a sedentary life. You may not yet feel any negative effects of being sedentary. But rest assured the consequences will catch up with you later. Trust me. I see it every single day in my line of work.
 
But here’s the good news. You can decide to flip it all around any time you wish. You can decrease your risk of disease. You can take back control, possibly reversing some of those negative effects of being sedentary. It isn’t too late. Muscle growth can happen at any age, even 100! Your heart and lungs can get stronger and become more efficient (unless you have a progressive disease of course).

Tricks of the trade
I want to share with you what I’ve found to be the most effective little trick for motivating me to meet my weekly exercise requirements.
 
But for this to work for you, you first need to unearth your own reason for wanting to exercise. As with our ancestors, it’s important to make sure the reason to exercise is right smack, front and center in your life. Make it obvious. In time, you will naturally feel the positive effects of exercise. Then the initial reason may not be as important when the benefits begin to speak for themselves. But in the meantime, find your WHY. Is it to prevent a health crisis? Is it to keep up with your kids or grandkids? Is it to have more energy? To gain more confidence? Whatever it is, be very clear about it.
 
My little trick…
I don’t know about you but on some days the prospect of a 30-45 minute workout can fill me with absolute dread. It doesn’t matter if it’s an activity that I even slightly enjoy. On days when I don’t feel like exercising, you may as well tell me that I need to climb Mt. Everest that day.
 
So this is what I do instead. First, I keep my workout gear (dumbbells, clothing) very accessible. Then I go on YouTube (I already always have my phone near me so this is easy). Next I search for short workouts. Short, as in, no more than 12 minutes, but ideally 10 because I’m lazy. I prefer videos that show me a countdown to zero. I make a promise to myself that I’ll at least get the blood flowing and at least do the first couple minutes.
 
Then if I feel like continuing, I decide I’ll give it my absolute all for those 10 minutes. I’m proud to say that once I get moving, I never stop short of doing the full 10 minutes. And then I return to whatever it was that I was doing before. And I return feeling amazing. And that’s it, simple as that.
 
 I do this twice per day. Maybe I’ll do three times a day if I’m feeling overly ambitious. By the end of the week I’m looking at a total of 140-210 minutes of moderate intensity workouts per week. And just like that I meet the current physical activity recommendations.

Besides my intentional workouts that I set aside a little time for, I also squeeze in movement throughout the day. In fact, as I write this, I'm in between a few sets of bicep curls. I might work with resistance bands when I'm on a long work call, or I might take a short walk while I take a call. At the end of the day, all of this adds up.
 
Benefits of 10-minute workouts

• Health gains

Studies are beginning to show that even short bouts of exercise (10 minutes or less), spaced throughout the day, can be just as effective as one long workout. Improvements in heart and lung functioning have been demonstrated with these short bouts. The may be just as (if not more) effective than longer, less intense workouts.

• Calorie burn

A short workout can rev up your metabolism for the entire day. Obviously, this is even truer if you do two of these short workouts on the same day. Calories are still being burned long after you finish your workout. This can really help with weight management.  

• Builds confidence

Just the sheer fact that you completed a successful workout can have a “domino effect” on other aspects of your life. It’s all about those small wins. Feelings of achievement can be addictive. You do one thing well, then another, then another and before you know it, you’re really on a roll!

• It adds up

Added all together, you can easily meet your weekly exercise recommendations. This prevents the negative effects of living a sedentary life and it also decreases the risk factors for lifestyle diseases. And always, always, always remember that even a little bit is still better than nothing!

• It’s easier to make a habit out of it

There’s more room for success with shorter workouts. It’s harder to not show up. It’s harder to fail. This makes it easier to form a healthy habit.  It also makes it more likely that you’ll stick with this habit in the long run.

• Benefits are immediate

The benefits of a short workout are immediate. The increased circulation after a good workout provides a nice oxygen boost for your entire body. You’ll feel more energized when you’re done. You’ll probably sleep better. You might find yourself in a better mood. Most importantly, you’ll feel proud of yourself.

• It’s easy

A habit is easy to break when there are too many obstacles to maintain it. The beauty of shorter workouts is just that; they’re short. They don’t interrupt your life much and they’re easy in the sense that the discomfort doesn’t last too long. They also require minimal setup or preparation. It really is as easy as finding a video and just getting moving. It’ll be over before you know it!
 
In addition to the specific benefits of short workouts, you can also reap the general benefits of regular exercise:

• Decreased risk of lifestyle diseases (heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, dementia, some cancers)

• Sharper brain with improved: focus, learning, concentration & memory

• Better sleep

• Lowered risk of obesity and all the associated complications

• Increased confidence with enhanced sense of well-being

• Improved mood

• Stronger bones

• Better balance that prevents falls

 
 
Takeaway
Before lacing up those sneakers, I want to remind you of one very important thing: More is not always better. You can burnout from too much exercise. Going overboard puts you at increased risk for overuse injuries. Recovery time is therefore essential. Listen to your body. Be sure to allow enough time between workouts to give your body a chance to recuperate. Your body will return the favor by coming back stronger for the next workout!