10-minute workouts for when you're busy

Whatever age you are, keeping fit is a good idea. But while weaving regular exercise into your schedule is important, sometimes it's easier said than done.

Life is a colossal juggling act, and with so many commitments crammed into a single week, squeezing in exercise can sometimes feel like a chore. But it doesn't have to be.

As long as you're consistent, you can get your heart pumping, regulate your body weight, and smash your fitness goals in as little as 10 minutes at a time.

No, your eyes don't deceive you. Fitting in a 10-minute workout at home around four times a week will make a real difference.

Here we look at the 10-minute exercise routine you can weave into your busy life.

But first...

Do 10-minute workouts actually…work?

Good question. And the answer is yes—if you get your workouts right. There's plenty of evidence to suggest that committing to a solid 10-minute blast of quality cardio around four times a week will make a significant difference to your general health and fitness.

These quick-fire, high-intensity interval training-style exercises will help you burn calories, improve brain function, and give you more energy during your waking hours.

One of the main reasons quick-fire 10-minute workouts, well, work, is because they save time. And because of this, you're more likely to stick with these exercises long-term.

A swift blast of exercise

To get the most from your quickfire workouts, you must get moving and focus on putting maximum effort into your allotted 10 minutes.

Focus on performing each exercise with the right form, go hard (but be careful not to hurt yourself), target the right muscle groups, and you'll start to see some serious 'return on movement investment' (something we've now coined, ROMI). 

Eating well + moving more = sustainable fitness results

Another way to get the best results from your quick-fire workouts is by eating well and adding a little more movement into your day.

Coupled with a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fruit, veggies, whole foods, quality proteins, and a little more movement, you’ll enjoy maximum gains from your 10-minute workouts.

Here are some quick tips on how to weave a little more movement into your day without eating into your no-doubt crammed schedule:

• Take the steps instead of the elevator
• Get off the bus a stop or two early
• Go for a brisk stroll on your lunch break
• Do a little dancing when you're cleaning your home or doing your chores
• Stand at your desk for a few hours a day
• Walk when you're taking a phone call

Read: Our beginner's guide to meal prep for top tips on making quality meals so you can eat well when you're stretched for time. 

The best 10-minute workouts for when you’re busy

At this point, we're sure you're revved up and ready to go. So, without further ado, we're going to look at a mix of muscle and health-boosting exercises you can add to your 10-minute workout.

This hand-picked mix of quick-fire exercises is designed to target all of your major muscle groups for a full-body workout without eating into your day.

Add these to your fitness routine, and you'll stay on track with your fitness goals.

Full body burner

This high-intensity full-body workout will help you burn fat and burn energy by working from tip to toe. Ready for action? 

Great. Let's go.

• Jumping Jacks
• Body weight squats
• Push-ups
• Plank
• V-crunches

Method: Do each exercise for one minute and 30 seconds. Take a 30-second break after each exercise to re-energize between sets. You've got this.

Guns, guns, guns

Next, we're going to hone in on your guns. This epic upper-body routine will give your arms a balanced workout. All you need is 10 spare minutes, a little motivation, and some water. Let's dive in.

• Push-ups
• Diamond push-ups
• Tricep dips
• Reverse pull-ups
• Arm circles

Method: Give every upper body exercise your all for around one minute and 30 seconds. Take a 30-second break between each activity. You can mix the order up depending on your preference.

Lower body cardio hit

This quickfire lower body exercise will get your heart pumping, big time. This short workout will give your legs and glutes a sharp blast of exercise to give you strength as well as tone. The extra bonus here is that this workout will also engage your core. Let's take a look (water at the ready!).

• Mountain climbers
• Glute bridge
• Split squat
• Calf raises
• Lunges

Method: As you might have guessed, you should go for gold for around a minute and 30 seconds— leaving 30 seconds of rest between each set. If you have an extra five minutes to spare, you can up the ante to two minutes per exercise. Oh, and remember to alternate legs evenly when you're split squatting.

The 'Strength Booster'

If you're looking to boost your lower and upper body strength while engaging your core, this dynamic 10-minute workout is the one for you. Give it your all, and you'll feel the burn—in the best possible way.

• Reverse lunges
• Squat jumps
• Raised push-ups
• Archer push-ups
• Slow tricep dips
• Bicycle crunches

Method: Rather than allocating a set time to each of these exercises, treat this strength-boosting body workout as a 10-minute circuit workout. Simply take a few breaths, get in the zone, and perform each exercise for as long as you can. Again, if you do have a spare five to 10 minutes, you can do this workout for a little longer for even better results.

Swift stretches

Going bananas with an explosive mix of bodyweight exercises for 10 minutes at a time is good for you—but you should always take the time to stretch during the week if you can.

This mindful workout of swift stretches will keep your muscles supple while reducing your risk of injury. It goes a little something like this...

• Standing calf stretch
• Knee-to-chest stretch
• Butterfly stretch
• Open chest stretch
• Frog stretch

Method: Take each stretch slowly, performing every one of these moves twice over for around 40 seconds at a time. Take a short period of rest between each stretch and you'll feel more flexible than a professional gymnast (well, almost).

Read: Our guide to simple desk exercises to improve your health and fitness during the workday. A real time-saving bonus.

Quick-fire workouts: a quick summary

From mountain climbers to V-ups and Jumping Jacks, these swift 10-minute body workouts will target your upper body, lower body, abs, glues, and core. Each workout covers all of the key areas you need to succeed without getting in the way of your busy day.

To boost your training performance, you should always focus on good form. Make sure you perform each exercise slowly and with conviction—and you'll enjoy the best results for your efforts.

Getting the best from your workouts also comes down to consistency (we said it earlier, but it's a very important point—so we're driving the message home). Make sure you commit time to workout regularly, and you'll start to see sustainable results.

Eating well is also essential to boosting your workout performance while grabbing those epic gains. And these high-protein lunch ideas will help you on your journey. You've got this.

Power up your cardio blast with Crazy Nutrition

If you need an extra nutritional boost to get the most from your quick-fire workouts, Crazy Nutrition boasts a treasure trove of performance-boosting shakes, drinks, and supplements to suit every need. So, browse the range, take your pick, and watch your performance soar.

We hope you found this body workout guide helpful, and for more insider training advice from Crazy Nutrition HQ, check out insider advice on getting maximum energy before you work out.