10 Minute Activity Breaks Can Be Your Ticket To Lasting Fitness

Meg Root is an ACE certified Advanced Health and Fitness Specialist with over 25 years in the fitness and spa industry.

Count me in! This month’s Glen Ivy Spa Challenge, “Ten Minutes To A Happier, Healthier You!” is right up my alley!  Let’s face it. We all know that we need to exercise, and we need to do it on a regular basis. But for most of you reading this, the biggest barrier standing between you and that happier, healthier life is TIME—or actually, lack of it. Let’s be honest. Where does one find the recommended 30-60 minutes, 3-5 times a week, for a moderate, sweat producing workout? Is it in your office cubicle where you work 40+ hours a week? In the kitchen where you prepare countless family meals? Maybe it’s under all that dirty laundry!

The truth is, large chunks of unscheduled time are often MIA in our overcrowded lives. And if a break in all the madness does present itself, it could be argued, “Who wants to head to the gym?” That’s why I love this 10 minute challenge! It’s all about finding the nooks and crannies in your already busy day, to put your wellness center stage. And studies show, ABSOLUTELY, that 10 minute bouts of moderate exercise can have a positive effect on a variety of health variables like blood pressure, heart health and overall wellbeing. Not only that, when you stop moving, research shows that the benefits don’t. Your gift of 10 short minutes of exercise will keep on giving to you for up to one hour!

So let’s get down to business. Here are my top 5 suggestions for 10 minute “flash” fitness routines anyone can do:

• 10 Minute Walk: Simply put, stand up and get moving! Push away from your computer and go for a walk! This is the best workout for those of you who are just getting started. It’s easy, convenient and safe. Ease into your pace for 3 minutes, walk briskly or take a few stairs for 5, cool down for the last 2. Fit two of these in each day, and you’re really on your way!
• 10 Minute Dumbbell Routine: Standing squats or lunges, bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, shoulder raises, modified pushups from your knees. 12 repetitions of each. That should do it!
• 10 Minute Low Tech Cardio Circuit: Put on your favorite music. March or jog in place to warm-up. Jumping Jacks. Jump rope. Jog in place. Fast feet! Just dance! 1 minute each with a little rest in between. Chances are, 10 minutes will not be enough!
• 10 Minute Yoga Routine: Mountain pose, Triangle Pose, Warrior Pose, Tree Pose, stretch those hamstrings with a yoga strap, hug your knees to your chest, relax in Savasana and breathe.  AHHH!! Feel better already?
• 10 Solution DVD Series: I read about these in BlogHer. They seem fun and worth a look.  I even found a few of them featured on YouTube for free! Check them out if you need some direction.

Beyond the physical benefits, these small, but manageable connections to daily exercise can be a valuable stepping stone to longer and more lasting exercise habits. People who take short activity breaks during their day have been shown to make time for exercise again, either later in the day or on weekends. I’ve seen this positive shift in my clients many times. When you begin to see yourself as an “active person” instead of a “sedentary person,” you start to make more active choices on a regular basis. And before you know it, there’s no going back!

Hi Readers! Does anyone out there take this short and sweet approach to your fitness routine? How do you fit fitness into your busy life? We’d love to hear your ideas!

—Meg Root