Yes, 10 minutes is all you need for a great workout! If you want a bigger workout, then stagger your second or third workout throughout the day to maximize energy boosts and muscle burns.
In what part of the day should I do the workout?
Ideally, do the workout first thing in the morning (before breakfast). At this point in the day, the body has burned through all of your glucose and has to turn to fat for energy. For that reason, the pre-breakfast workout may start to burn more fat for you than if you waited until after eating – more on this idea in a later blog (trust me here).
Another option is to do a second workout right before dinner. It will help you make better dinner choices because the body feels good and isn’t as stressed as it would be coming straight from your work day. This also helps you get into a nice, calm state of mind before entering dinner table conversation.
Of course, the other answer would be WHENEVER you can get the workout in, just get it in! When you do, be proud of yourself for taking time out for you!
**With the holiday fast approaching and cookies present after every meal, I suggest you do a non-cardio video 30 minutes after eating, and then reward yourself with a cookie. That way the body will turn the cookies into fuel for the workout!
Why do the 10 minute workout?
Hey, it’s better than nothing, right? More importantly, it will help you build muscle. Muscles are key for your body’s strength and energy! You can easily break down and re-build muscle focusing in on one major muscle group in these 10 minute videos. The workouts will hopefully give you that ‘muscle burn-out’ effect with JUST your body weight. Muscles will help lean out the body over time because they use more energy (burn more calories) than fat. With these workouts, you may find you have 30-45 minutes of afterburn effect.
Firing muscles also allows the brain to work directly with your body and not on your to-do list for the day! Use this 10 minutes as an easy way to create some mindfulness in your life. Just connecting mind and body for a short amount of time can give you clarity and focus for the rest of your day (hence why it’s nice to do these first thing!)
Can you do more than one?
YES, you can do more than one. If you have 30 minutes free and want to rock through 3 videos, by all means do it. You will get a killer workout. If you have a day job and get tired mid-afternoon, forget the coffee and just close your office door and do the 10 minute workout instead! It will help put some of the energy from your lunch into your muscles and not into your bum that’s sitting on a chair for 8 hours 😉
Why 10 minutes?
10 minutes works because it’s easier mentally to carve out 10 minutes for yourself than an hour or 90 minutes. There’s less guilt about being away from your hectic daily activities and it’s much easier to squeeze that time into busy schedules. They’re also short enough to prevent issues from eating too soon before the video or getting shaky if you haven’t eaten for a while.
