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Whether you used the last two years to get in the shape of your life, or watched more Netflix than you thought was possible, one thing is certain; now that life is returning to normal, none of us have as much free time as we'd like to workout anymore. It was easy to fit in some push-ups before that Zoom meeting. Heading to the office IRL, not so much.
But there's good news: it turns out you don’t need to torture yourself for hours at a time just to stay in shape. In fact, according to a 2019 study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, exercising for just 13 minutes at a time can have beneficial results (and of course, it's better than nothing).
“Marked increases in strength and endurance can be attained by resistance-trained individuals with just three 13 minute weekly sessions over an 8 week period” the report concluded, "and these gains are similar to that achieved with a substantially greater time commitment." Hurrah!
“That’s less than a fourth of someone’s lunch hour,” study author Brad Schoenfeld later expanded to the New York Times. "Most of us can probably find that much time in our day.” Indeed. But what is important with this is consistency: showing up day after day. According to a 2016 meta-analysis of a number of studies, it can take up to eight weeks for our bodies to look different after starting a new exercise routine, and twelve weeks before our fitness drastically improves.
The key is finding the exercise that works for you (the NHS advises “some type of physical activity every day” – yeah, thanks for that). To help you get moving, we’ve put together a selection of the best, quick workouts that will get your blood flowing and heart pumping, and asked an expert trainer to guide us through each of them. Pick and choose from the below depending on how much time you have to get your sweat on, and remember: the only bad workout is the one you didn’t do.
The 5 minute workout: skipping
The workout: Skipping
Your expert: Farren Morgan, soldier, fitness instructor, and lifestyle coach at farrenmorgancoaching.co.uk
As per the Rocky franchise and Victorian playgrounds, skipping is the act of jumping over a rope that you hold at both ends. It's a highly effective training method if you're looking to develop your cardio, are in need of a HIIT workout, or seek a weight loss transformation – and that’s without mastering the double-under.
In practice: Perform a basic skipping exercise that consists of a one rope rotation per jump. Perform 5-10 reps for 30 seconds then rest 30 seconds before repeating for 2 reps if you're a beginner, 3 if you're intermediate, and 5 if you're advanced. Ensure your hands are symmetrically distanced from your body while holding the ends of the rope and use your wrists to generate the momentum of the rope's rotation.
Need to know: “The key is keeping the movement minimal but consistent,” says Morgan. “Your jumps should be 1-2 inches from the ground with your toes pointed downward slightly on every jump. Each time you land, have a slight bend in your knees, and land on the balls of your feet to reduce the impact and stress placed on your legs and feet.”
The 10 minute workout: HIIT
The workout: High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
Your expert: Sarah Gawron, coach at Solace New York and strength coach for Phase Six
Like the name suggests, HIIT training involves intense, max-effort movements followed by short rest periods. Those quick bursts turn your body into a furnace that burns calories at a rapid rate long after the actual workout is over, making it ideal for days when you’re especially low on time.
In practice: Try a tabata workout—20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, for eight rounds of movement—of push-ups and air squats, alternating between the two exercises.
Need to know: With so little time, there is zero time for loafing. “You’re really supposed to be giving it all you’ve got during the work periods,” says Gawron. “During the rest periods, focus on breathing and lowering your heart rate in order to perform at a high level during the work period.”
The 20 minute workout: yoga
The workout: Yoga
Your expert: Alex Silver-Fagan, Nike master trainer and MIRROR founding trainer
We’ve all heard the benefits of yoga about a bazillion times: It gets rid of stress, reduces anxiety, and helps stretch tired, sore muscles. But research also shows that including some flow in your regular routine can lead to major strength gains, including a significant increase in one-rep max performance in the weight room.
In practice: Silver-Fagan recommends a fast vinyasa flow of sequences linked together with sun salutations—think up dog, down dog, and chaturanga—over the course of 20 minutes. If this yogi lingo is foreign to you, don’t be intimidated; a quick YouTube tutorial search will bring you up to speed for free.
Need to know: “Yoga doesn’t have to be a slow burn all the time,” says Silver-Fagan. “With the style recommended, it can be equal to moderate-intensity cardio, which also helps to develop muscle strength, which will prevent injury during other workouts.”
The 30 minute workout: weightlifting
Your workout: Weightlifting
Your expert: Denzel Allen, StrongFirst certified team leader in San Francisco
That old gym standby! Aside from increasing bone density and helping with injury prevention, pumping iron boosts your mood. Research shows that you can build muscle from lifting lighter weights, too, which means you don’t need to be lifting like an aspiring Mat Fraser to see a big difference. Cardio enthusiasts will be relieved to hear that half-hour of serious lifting is also enough to elevate your heart rate.
In practice: Hitting the weights should be about more than pumping up those beach muscles. “Work your entire body through movements like goblet squats, overhead press, kettlebell swings and turkish get ups,” he suggests. “This combination can really help oil up your joints by bringing them through a near full range of motion and balancing out the body—both of which are necessary for building resilience.”
Need to know: Before you pick up anything substantial, nail your form first. “Technique trumps the amount of weight,” says Allen. “Being strong for life means we need to check our ego and not allow the weight to dictate how we move, but to let how we move dictate the weight.”
The 40 minute workout: pilates
Your workout: Pilates
Your expert: Katherine Mason, Founder of Sculpthouse
These days, everyone from the guy standing next to you in Starbucks to NFLers like Brandin Cooks are taking on Pilates, especially the Reformer—a machine that looks like a guillotine on its side, equipped with straps, springs, and platforms that offer different levels of resistance. “Movements on the machines are based on pushing or pulling against resistance—think ab roller, lunges, or shoulder press on steroids,” says Mason. “The machine uses variable spring resistance to allow for peak muscle contraction while reducing the stress on the joints and connective tissue.”
In practice: In almost every Pilates movement, you’ll feel a muscle burn within 15 seconds. “Unlike lifting weights in the gym or other classes, these moves focus on time under tension,” says Mason. “Transitions are kept to a minimum to keep the muscles working and the heart rate up, which means after 40 minutes, you’re ready to be done.”
Need to know: If you’re used to explosive exercise, you’re going to need to slow your roll. “Think between eight and sixteen counts per rep,” says Mason. “The body needs to reach a certain threshold of exercise intensity to stimulate the muscles effectively and maximise results.”
The 50 minute work: running intervals
Your workout: Running intervals
Your expert: Andrew Slane, Precision Run studio coach in New York City
It’s time to channel your inner Usain Bolt. Quick bursts of running over an extended amount of time allow you to repeatedly hit high levels of energy further into your workout, says Slane. “You are giving that energy system a chance to refuel before using it again, avoiding mid-workout burnout.” Plus, interval training scorches calories. Four 30-second sprints can burn the same amount of calories as 30 minutes of non-stop moderate aerobic exercise, according to research published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.
In practice: Running intervals for 50 minutes means you likely sprint for a total of about 25 minutes, says Slane. Try tackling ten 400-meter sprints with a two-minute walking break between each, and then ten 200-meter sprints with a one-minute rest between each. “With this timing, depending on how fast your sprint and recovery paces are, you could cover between 3 miles to 6 miles in 50 minutes,” he says.
Need to know: During an interval workout, your goal is to go as hard as possible during the “on” parts, which means that rest is for just that—rest. Walking is totally acceptable. The point is to bring your heart rate down between each stint, so you’re ready to give it all you’ve got by the time you’re ready to pick up the pace.
The 60 minute workout: a long run
Your workout: A long run
Your expert: Jes Woods, Nike+ Running Coach
Not only can running lead to a longer life, but it’s also great for your mental health. “It takes a lot of mental toughness to slow down, stick it out, find your zen, and enjoy a conversational pace,” says Woods. Plus, a 160-pound guy burns almost 850 calories running for an hour at a 9:00-minute mile pace, according to Runner’s World.
In practice: The goal for a 60-minute run is to find a pace where you could talk to someone else and feel comfortable with the effort, says Woods. Aim for a rate of perceived exertion (RPE) around a 5 or 6 out of 10, where 1 is a nap and 10 is sprinting to the ice cream truck when the outside temperature is approaching triple digits.
Need to know: Take a moment to scan your body as the miles click by. Are you tense in your shoulders, or clenching your fists? If so, let it go. That tension can impact your stride and lead to injury, which is one more excuse to work out that you don’t need in your life.
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