Workouts That Take Ten Minutes

Daily activity can give you a powerful boost on your way to your weight loss goal. Exercise keeps your body burning calories and fat while reducing your risk of heart disease and other ailments. It also keeps you alert during the day and ensures better sleep at night. Here’s the best part: You don’t need to spend hours in the gym or jog for miles to get the benefits of being active. In fact, in just 10 minutes you can stoke your metabolism and build your strength and stamina. You can even fit workouts into your other responsibilities.

Here at Nutrisystem, we recommend 30 minutes of physical activity each day for the best results. That’s why we developed the My Daily 3 activity plan. This breaks down the 30-minute recommendation into three quick, 10-minute activity sessions spread throughout the day. This will help you gain the benefits of regular exercise without making a 30-minute commitment all at once.

Click here to learn more about My Daily 3 >

Here are 10 quick workouts that won’t take a big bite out of your busy day:

1. Walking

Calories Burned: 49.7

Grab a friend, your dog or your smartphone’s earbuds and go for a stroll. To get the most benefit, walk as briskly as you can for 10 minutes—the faster you go, the more calories you use.

2. Stair Climbing

Calories Burned: 74.3

You can almost double the impact of walking by going up and down steps. Both directions help to strengthen your leg muscles and build your heart and lung power says Healthline. Want to get even more from climbing stairs? Carry light hand weights as you go.

3. Calisthenics

Calories Burned: 55.7

Remember the workouts you did in your high school gym class? Jumping jacks, lunges, squats, crunches and toe-touches are still good ways to increase your fitness and tone your muscles. Do three sets of three for each exercise to start and then go up to three sets of five (and then 10) repetitions in the coming weeks as you get stronger.

4. HIIT

Calories Burned: Depends on activity

Make the most of your running or cycle session with high-intensity interval training (HIIT). It isn’t for people who are new to exercise. However, it’s a quick way to work out for anyone with a base level of fitness. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), HIIT consists of “repeated bouts of short duration, high-intensity exercise intervals intermingled with periods of lower intensity intervals of active recovery.” ACE explains that you should be doing one minute of exercise for every two to three minutes of recovery. The starting and stopping increases your heart rate and helps your body adapt to strain and recover quickly. ACE recommends doing no more than two days of HIIT per week due to the intensity.

5. Playground Fitness

Calories Burned: 49.7

When you take the children to burn some energy of their own, you can get in workouts for yourself. Do five dips on the parallel bars, five pull-ups and five jumps on and off the bench. Then give the kids a spin on the merry-go-round.

6. Jumping Rope

Calories Burned: 124

Kids may spend hours singing and skipping over the rope. However, you’ll soon see why it’s a part of training programs for professional boxers, too. According to ACE, this exercise gives your legs a real workout. They explain that it’s convenient exercise that is said to benefit coordination and cognitive function. Do it by yourself or find a couple of friends and go Double-Dutch style.

7. Tai Chi

Calories Burned: 49.7

While this may look like slow-motion karate, the practice of Tai Chi builds flexibility, balance and strength. It’s also been shown to reduce stress and improve mental focus says Healthline. The basic moves are easy to do for most ages and levels of fitness. You can learn a simple Tai Chi routine from books, online videos or in-person workshops.

8. Dancing

Calories Burned: Depends on style

Who says exercise can’t be fun? Set up a playlist of tunes that get your feet moving and let your body swing and sway to the rhythm. Go for songs that have a fast beat for the most benefit.

9. Cleaning

Calories Burned: 55.7

You can get your workouts and chores done at the same time. Vacuuming, dusting and scrubbing the sinks can build your strength. Choose one room or area of your home and give it your all for 10 minutes. The result: you’re fitter overall and happier to be in a tidier space.

10. Yard Work

Calories Burned: 57.3

Outdoor home maintenance is another way to cross off two items from your “to-do” list at the same time. Rake up the leaves or pull the weeds in one corner of your yard. You will feel a sense of accomplishment and give your body a real workout.

*All “Calories Burned” values are calculated using data provided by Harvard Health. Values are based on a 155-pound person.

*Always speak with your doctor before starting an exercise routine.