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Quick 10 Minute Workout

Jun 3, 2024   •   
Quick 10 Minute Workout

Are 10 minute workouts worth doing?

Short of time? Do a quick 10 minute workout. But are they worth it? As a trainer I get asked the question a lot from time poor Mums. And my answer is always YES!

The most current research shows that any exercise for even small amounts of time will be beneficial for your health. Getting some movement in, over no movement at all, is going to be much more beneficial for you both mentally and physically.

How can you get the most out of your quick workout?

With just 10 minutes you need to train smart. Focus on one or two areas, don’t aim for full body in this time. By honing in on certain areas and focusing on just a couple of movements, you’ll quickly realise how worthwhile a 10 minute workout can be.

How to do a quick workout.

Here’s a bodyweight workout you can do anywhere, no equipment required, focusing on lower body and core.

Timing: 45 seconds on, 15 seconds off x 2 rounds of the 5 exercises below.

You can keep an eye on your watch or download a free app like SecondsPro, which is my go to.

A quick 10 minute workout.

  • Exercise 1 / Bodyweight squat to toes. You can work with a wide or narrow stance for this. Squat down sending your butt towards the back wall and raise up on to your toes. And, for more of a challenge you can add a jump.

Modifications. If you have knee pain, try a glute bridge. However, if you’re pregnant with pelvic pain, try a narrow stance. Or switch to hip hinges with your back on a chair or couch.

  • Exercise 2 / Lunge to knee raise. There’s a couple of options with this exercise. Firstly, ensure you’re getting depth in your lunge, aim for a 90 degree angle for both legs. Then, step back into a lunge and from there you can move to a balance focus with a slow knee raise. Or, speed it up, make it more dynamic and add a hop.

Modifications. For knee or pelvic pain, opt for side lying leg raises, kicking backwards with a controlled lift which doesn’t need to be high. Glute activation is our goal here.

  • Exercise 3 / Lunge to knee raise – repeat the above exercise, on the other leg.
  • Exercise 4 / Controlled tempo crunches – Start by lying on your back, hands behind your head for support. On the exhale raise your head and shoulders off the ground. Curl up for a count of 2, hold for 1 second and lower for 2 seconds.

Modification for pregnancy. On all fours, exhale & contract abs by imagining you’re doing up a pair of low rise jeans, raise knees off the ground a couple of centimetres, hold for 2 seconds and lower, repeat.

  • Exercise 5 / Bicycle crunches – This cross body abdominal exercise will help work on your obliques (side abdominal muscles). Start by lying on your back, hands behind your head for support, keeping your elbows out wide throughout the whole exercise. Then, take your left elbow across your body, while also bringing your left knee in so they both come to meet (or close enough to meeting). Also, the other leg can stay with your toe tapped down for a regressed version, or your can progress this by extending the other leg out straight.

Modification – If this exercise causes doming from abdominal separation or you’re pregnant you can stay in all fours and bring the knee to elbow on the same side, alternating each time.

And that’s a wrap.

Repeat each of these exercises one after the other as a circuit for 2 rounds. That’s your 10 minutes done and dusted! The beauty with these short workouts are that you can be more consistent with your exercise too. So you can see, you do not need to exercise for hours on end to improve all aspects of your strength and fitness. Just 10 minutes and you are done.

Dani runs Newy Fitness in Newcastle, NSW. After suffering birth injuries herself Dani decided to specialise in working with postnatal women, in particular those with pelvic organ prolapse, to help them build strength and confidence in their body through exercise.

Danielle Petrik runs Newy Fitness in Lake Macquarie, New South Wales . Learn more about Danielle and Book your Trial today.

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