{"id":276904,"date":"2026-02-10T12:53:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T12:53:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/276904\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T12:53:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T12:53:07","slug":"a-trainer-says-these-are-the-five-things-she-wishes-everyone-would-remember-if-they-only-have-10-minutes-to-exercise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/276904\/","title":{"rendered":"A trainer says these are the five things she wishes everyone would remember if they only have 10 minutes to exercise"},"content":{"rendered":"

Time and time again, we\u2019ve covered science<\/a> that shows brief bursts of activity can significantly improve your wellbeing. One of our writers even found that something as simple as 10 squats every evening<\/a> while they brushed their teeth improved their hip mobility and knee strength.<\/p>\n

On a day when it would easy to do nothing, if you choose to do something, however small, you\u2019re making a positive change for yourself, and that\u2019s something to be proud of.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Certified trainer and We Run<\/a> coach Amanda Grimm agrees: \u201cIt\u2019s safe to say that pretty much all movement is positive.\u201d<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

I asked her to share her top tips as a coach and trainer on how to get the most out of your time if you\u2019ve only got 10 minutes to work out. Here\u2019s what she had to say.<\/p>\n

1. Keep it simple<\/p>\n

\u201cTry equipment-free routines you can do at home,\u201d says Grimm. Routines that focus on single exercises or parts of the body, like a squat workout<\/a>, core routine or lunges<\/a>, are all great and will keep you moving.<\/p>\n

You could try this equipment-free beginner 10-minute HIIT workout<\/a> to get your heart rate up, or these 10 standing ab exercises<\/a> (one minute per exercise) to work on your core strength.<\/p>\n

2. It doesn\u2019t have to be punishing<\/p>\n

\u201cTry something simple like gentle yoga or Pilates,\u201d says Grimm, \u201cor a bit of resistance band work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis type of activity can help increase your mobility and remove stiffness, plus it\u2019s low-impact and relaxing.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of Fit&Well\u2019s regular contributors tried this 10-minute yoga full-body stretch<\/a> and couldn\u2019t believe the results. You\u2019ll also find plenty of short routines on our selection of the best Pilates YouTube channels<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3. Run through a single set<\/p>\n

\u201cA one-set workout can help build muscle and strength, and is ideal for people who are short on time, want to stay strong and toned,\u201d says Grimm.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

If you have a regular workout you enjoy, but less time than you\u2019d usually commit to it, try doing the same exercises with a heavier weight than usual, or if you don\u2019t have home gym equipment, slow the tempo of each bodyweight exercise to make each rep harder.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about doing one tough set that feels so challenging you couldn\u2019t lift any more with good form,\u201d says Grimm. \u201cStart with a five-minute warm-up of light cardio and a quick stretch. Then lift a weight that\u2019s heavy enough that you\u2019ll be struggling by the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

Remember to choose a challenging weight that you can still lift safely and with good form. Your final reps should be difficult, but not impossible.<\/p>\n

4. Set micro goals<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead of viewing a 10-minute workout as not enough activity, set yourself a little challenge to achieve in that time,\u201d suggests Grimm.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe do a daily plank, stair climb or rebound on a trampoline,\u201d she says. \u201cSee how long you can do these for and whether you can build on them each time.\u201d<\/p>\n

5. Go outside<\/p>\n

\u201cTen minutes is long enough for a brisk walk or run,\u201d says Grimm.<\/p>\n

While it might seem like barely enough time to get your heart rate up, if you plan ahead, you can get more out of that small slice of time.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet your shoes ready by the door so you can head out as soon as you get off that work call or pop the dinner in the oven,\u201d she suggests. \u201cYou can achieve a short burst of cardio and feel the physical and mental benefit of being outdoors.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Time and time again, we\u2019ve covered science that shows brief bursts of activity can significantly improve your wellbeing.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":276905,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[565,134,111,139,69],"class_list":{"0":"post-276904","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-fitness","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-new-zealand","11":"tag-newzealand","12":"tag-nz"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=276904"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276904\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/276905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=276904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=276904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=276904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}