Exercise is good for you, but finding the time to go to the gym, take a class or even just go for a walk can be difficult. Luckily a new study suggests that short bursts of exercise can do a lot to get you into better shape.
“The most effective exercise is one that you can do,” Ashlye Bergen, personal trainer and nutritionist with A-Team Fitness, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
According to the new cohort study from the National Center for Health Statistics Ethics Review Board, more than 100,000 deaths in the U.S. could be prevented if people over 40 included at least 10 minutes a day of exercise in their normal daily routines.
“Fitting in ten minutes of exercise every day is so much easier than people think. Consider how fast ten minutes goes by when you’re mindlessly scrolling social media or watching your favorite TV show,” said Pedro Saint-Maurice, one of the study’s authors and an epidemiologist at the National Cancer Institute.
These short bursts of intense activity has been shown to lead to better heart health, increased endurance, weight loss, stronger muscles and improved insulin absorption.
A few suggested exercises
Here are a few ideas on how you can get in those 10 minutes of intense exercise:
Tabata
Tabata is a type of HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout. Typically, Tabata exercises can be done in 10-20 minutes — including cool down intervals. YouTube is a great source for instructional videos.
Full body with a mini-band
Mini-bands are a great exercise tool for engaging various muscles groups — especially if you don’t have dumbbells around the house. Mini-bands can be found at most retailers, usually for less than $10.
This mini-band workout hits all major muscle groups. You’ll definitely feel the burn on this one.
AMRAP
AMRAP stands for “as many rounds as possible”, and it’s perfect for short-form exercises. You can pick which exercises to do — typically, its between four and six —‚ and how many repetitions and sets you do.
Killer core
These 10 minute bursts of exercise are perfect for strengthening your core. Abdominal muscles do more than just give you a great six-pack; they support your entire body, especially the spine.
Cardio and fat burner
Grow with Jo is a social media sensation. She’s a dedicated fitness lover and mother, who set out to prove that she could lose her pregnancy weight with at home workouts. Jo now has millions of followers on social media and is helping people get into shape with fun, short and long workouts.
These little bursts of exercise can not only help you live longer, but can deliver lasting changes just as effectively as longer workouts.
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