Busy day? Try this 10 minute burner.
Summary
A good workout can be done in very little time—almost as fast as brewing your morning coffee. And you don’t need any equipment.
The goal here isn’t to convince you to work out every day—you shouldn’t—or that short workouts are better than longer ones—they aren’t. Instead, this is about helping you understand that when time is tight, you can still move your body, get your heart rate up, and feel great afterward. And yes, science backs this up.
Today’s Topic: There’s Always Time for a Workout
Maximizing your activity when you have little time comes down to three key factors:
- Keep It Simple
When you’re in a rush, the last thing you need is complexity. Choose movements you already know how to do, so you can jump in without overthinking. - Minimal or No Equipment
Equipment often means more setup time, which can derail quick workouts. Stick to bodyweight exercises that deliver results wherever you are. - Adaptable Anywhere
Your living room, a hotel room, or even a park—simple, equipment-free exercises can happen anywhere.
Why Short Workouts Work:
- Metabolism Boost: High-intensity intervals increase your metabolic rate long after the workout ends, thanks to the “afterburn effect” (EPOC). This means you burn extra calories even while at rest.
- Mood Enhancement: Exercise, even in short bursts, releases endorphins, reduces stress hormones, and boosts blood flow to the brain.
- Adaptability for Life: Short workouts keep your body flexible and ready to perform under various conditions, building resilience over time.
This Week, Join Me and Try This:
Modified Tabata
A Tabata Interval is a structured form of high-intensity interval training developed by Dr. Izumi Tabata and his team in the 1990s. It’s simple: 20 seconds of intense work followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated for four minutes. It works so well because it merges aerobic and anaerobic activity. Done well, it is delightfully brutal. For a quick introduction, check out this video.
This week’s workout:
20 Tabata Intervals (10 minutes total):
Intervals 1–10
- Perform 10 pushups during each 20-second work period. Scale that nunber up or down as needed, but aim to maintain a consistent number throughout.
Intervals 11–20
- Do as many bodyweight squats as possible during each 20-second work period. During the 10-second rest periods, hold the “down” position of a squat.
For tips on maximizing this workout, check out my detailed guide here.
Alex