?? Are 10-Min Workouts Effective?

Want to work out, but struggling to find time? 10-Min Workouts, yes/no?

Way back in my early career days, sans enfant, I used to go to the gym after work. It was a fitness center complete with free weights, cardio machines, three or four class studios, a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, amazing changing rooms, and a brilliant lounge. I would honestly be there for 2+ hours every other evening.

I would do cardio machines, some free weight training, then onto a class, before hitting the pool. I also had my evening meal in there too.

When I moved from Edinburgh to Switzerland I started my first fitness company and all of the classes were outdoors, in the parks, bootcamp style. Sixty minutes was the normal session, and on the weekend I had a 2-hour bootcamp running too. The trend at the time was army bootcamp exercises, using either bodyweight or hardcore equipment - think: large car tires, kettle bells, sandbags, ropes.

A nice long warm up followed by a very high intensity session, was the script.

I loved it! And the clients did too.

But… the sessions were very tough. There was a clear demographic that would come - already interested in fitness, already working out, looking to shake up their workouts, needing some camaraderie. Those who were already into fitness still found the sessions tough - which was great - we equated tough sessions = financially worth it. And we were right.

When I kicked off Fit Mama classes they followed a very similar concept - body weight workouts, some lighter sand bags and outdoors. But 60 minutes was proving to be too long, not just for new mom but for baby too. Not only was mom getting really tired around halfway through the session, but baby was barely making it through without starting to feel hungry/diaper full/bored.

I looked at the workout structure and felt that I could knock 15 minutes off the duration, but keep the price the same. I could add a bundle price that would equal a reduced per class price too.

My main concern was: does a 45 minute workout = value for money?

Turns out it was okay - clients were happy to carve out 45 minutes for a workout and pay a class pass bundle. All good.

At some point I tested out a 30 minute express workout - warm up, session, cool-down/stretch - half the normal 60-minute class price. The theory was simple: maybe some corporate clients don’t have a full lunch-hour for a session, or maybe at the end of a rough day they don’t want a long session.

That didn’t take off though. It seemed to be the same hassle and motivation needed for 60 minutes as it was for 30 minutes, so they’d rather just do 60. Makes sense.

Ten minute workouts only came onto my radar in 2016. I had seen a lot of social media chatter about short workouts and I genuinely did not see the attraction at all. I didn’t understand why anyone would be willing to get dressed into their fitness clothes (sports bras, I’m ?? at you!!), get all sweaty, then just as quickly wrap up the workout. I knew how much someone would get out of a 45-minute workout, I couldn’t really see what they’d get out of 10-minutes.

I was starting to build the idea of an online Fit Mama concept - somewhere that moms, globally, could find my workouts, health and nutrition modules, and goal setting workshops. During this time I wanted to test out online fitness sessions - asynchronous - not doing them live with me, but getting a workout posted into a private group and just allowing that mom to do that workout whenever she found time. My empathy for mothers is deep! I know that time and money is a huge barrier, but also the child/baby is too. It’s not possible for every mom to be able to get to the local YMCA/gym for a 10am fitness class. Naps, bad night’s sleep, teething, etc., all contribute to a mom who just needs to know “what workout is suggested for today? And then I’ll do it in my own time!”

The first private group was free and on Facebook. I can’t quite recall how many made it into the group, but I decided early on that if this was to work then I’d need some sort of assurance that the members were actually doing the workout. I added a tripwire: you need to type “done” in the group once you’re done. No “done” then you’re kicked out the group.

That seemed to work!

Now - to the workouts. The idea was that the workouts would need to be bodyweight only, as I didn’t know who had kit or not, and they needed to be very compact - only the size of a yoga mat - so that I could be sure that every single member could do the session in their own living room.

Ten minutes in duration also seemed to work as this was going to be a month-long challenge. I didn’t want any members saying “I’ll do legs on Tuesday at the gym, arms on Wednesday” and so on. I just wanted every member to do the same workout - modifying the exercises to easier or harder - and every single day. Eliminating *all* excuses!!

To work out every single day hit two goals: creating a habit and keeping momentum within the group.

To work out every single day also meant that I had to make sure the sessions were short and full body - so that members weren’t picking up injuries.

And that is when I started to do 10-min mini-workouts!

Here’s a look at a very early video (circa 2017): https://instagram.com/p/BQEeQAggDMN

This workout was 7 minutes in total - not including the warm up beforehand, and the quick stretch at the end.

I was never quite sure that 10-minutes was enough, but once I started to speak to some brand new online members, I started to get a feel for what they were thinking - and it was all good. They loved the daily aspect and they loved the competition aspect - and that seemed to be enough to motivate them to keep on coming back, month after month.

From a personal trainer point of view - I was still doing 45-minute workouts with clients in-person - but could really see the community building up with the online groups, and could also see that I was reaching those who weren’t really into fitness or working out. Something that is entirely missed with longer sessions.

I carried the 10-minute workouts into the main framework behind the Fit Mama Club (that’s the online club that I created), as the main daily content drop. The idea now being that I wanted a mom/member to have a fresh workout every single day. They don’t have to go digging into different folders or scrolling sites to find a workout - they simply need to log in and see what I’ve selected for today. No hassle.

But, I came across a slight problem.

150?

A couple of years ago I was busy writing up the content for the Fit Mama Club and researched the main (Western) government Medical Chief advice - and all of them were indicating that 150 minutes per week was required:

?? Get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of both, preferably spread throughout the week.

?? Add moderate- to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activity (such as resistance or weights) on at least 2 days per week.

?? Spend less time sitting. Even light-intensity activity can offset some of the risks of being sedentary.

?? Gain even more benefits by being active at least 300 minutes (5 hours) per week.

?? Increase amount and intensity gradually over time.

So... roll call - who's hitting the big 1-5-0???

Anyone??

According to our friends over at Women in Sports, a third of women aged 41 to 60 are not meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines of 150 minutes per week of exercise and a fifth are not achieving even 30 minutes per week*

This statistic is really startling. Studies are showing that women are not hitting their fitness/activity levels - or even close to hitting them.

So, again, going back to who is likely to be doing fitness and sport? It’s always going to be people that are already into fitness and sport. I’ve had one mom join my Fit Mama class, in person, who was not interested in fitness or sport at all. She didn’t enjoy it, didn’t want to be there, and was actually pretty good with knowing her boundaries. She initially wanted to come to join the moms’ group and to meet new friends, but quickly realized that this was just not for her. So quit.

It’s exactly *this* mother that would hit the 10-minute mini-workouts and LOVE them. There’s no pressure with them at all. There is a quick end in sight. They are doable. Snack sized. And can be done at home, where no one is watching you!

And for a bit of arithmetic: 150 minutes minus 70 minutes (daily 10-min mini-workouts) = 80 minutes left. That 80 minutes could be knocked out through a number of “enjoyable” activities, including biking, hiking, playing in the garden/park, walking, and so on. All of a sudden the weekly recommended amount is achievable.

In terms of your body - a quick workout can blast the cardio zone and get your heart and lungs pumping. You can choose to do a cardio blast that is high-intensity, you can do a strength session that is arms today/legs tomorrow. You can zone in on the abs/core sets for another day. And you can also bundle the 10-minutes up into three sets = 30 minutes. Tabata - yup, covered!

There is also something about doing a workout before you’ve showered in the morning. One client - long-standing - does the session every single day, in her pyjamas, before she jumps in the shower.

What’s best?

I still prefer longer 45-minute workouts. I love the endurance element. I feel like I’m just hitting a wall and I know I have to dig deep to find something more to get me through the session. A 10-minute zone doesn’t have that, for me.

I’d suggest embracing the 10-minute workouts as a daily “tick the box” habit, and throwing in two or three 45-minute workouts, per week, too. Zumba, CrossFit, Peloton, Vivi Rocks, Personal Training session - whatever you enjoy, is where you should hit first.

Have fun with fitness. Look for a laugh and a smile with every session. And remember - working out is not just for your body, it’s for your mental fitness too.

No one ever regrets a workout!

Michelle Caira?is the Founder and CEO of?Fit Mama Fitness Inc ?, a community contributor at?Thrive Global ?and a certified Master Personal Trainer. Michelle launched?V ivi Rocks , a digital platform for women, in 2022. Its goal is to equip women with the fitness, nutrition and mental wellness solutions and tools they need to thrive - at home and returning to the workplace. Passionate about women in business, Michelle is an entrepreneur with a global vision, and committed to help create a world where women thrive, regardless of any and all other factors.

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