10-minute HIIT workouts, no equipment needed

On busy days, exercise may be the first thing you cut from your schedule. But you don’t need to skip your workout completely. Try micro-workouts instead. You can get the health benefits of exercise in just 10 minutes. What’s the secret? High-intensity interval training, also called HIIT.

What is high-intensity interval training (HIIT)?

“High-intensity interval training is all about quick bursts of intense exercise like sprinting, followed by rest periods,” says Andy Gallardo, a certified personal trainer and director of employee wellness at Kaiser Permanente in Southern California. “The short bursts of intensity are designed to raise your heart rate significantly. And then the rest periods bring it back down.”

All this activity is good for your cardiovascular health. Evidence shows HIIT workouts can help improve blood pressure¹ and lower your risk of heart disease.^1,2

Interval training can also help you burn a lot of calories quickly. “HIIT is a good way to burn visceral fat, or the fat around your core muscles and organs,” says Gallardo. Another major benefit is the afterburn effect. “Basically, this means your body continues to burn calories after you’re done exercising,” he says.

Is a 10-minute HIIT workout effective?

On busy days, HIIT is a great option. A 10-minute workout with 1 minute of intense exercise — like a sprint — can be effective. A 10-minute high-intensity interval training workout can give you the same health benefits as a moderate workout in half the time.³

“If you only have 10 minutes to exercise, it’s important to take that time when you have it,” says Michael Fong, MD, program director and physician in charge of sports medicine at our Los Angeles Medical Center. “All exercise is good. And you’ll still get the health benefits from exercise even if you do it in 10-minute increments through micro-workouts.”

3 quick HIIT workouts — no equipment required

Here are 3 short but effective workouts to try. You can do them anywhere. And you don’t need any fancy exercise equipment. All you need is a timer and space to move.

Quick tip: Aim for about 80% of your maximum heart rate during the intense bursts. If you can have a conversation during the bursts of activity, you’re probably not in that range. If it’s hard to talk, you’re likely in the right range.

Run-sprint-walk intervals (10 minutes)

• Run or jog at a comfortable pace for 3 minutes
• Sprint for 1 minute
• Walk for 1 minute
• Run or jog again for 3 minutes
• Sprint for 1 minute
• Walk for 1 minute

Cardio bursts (10 minutes)

• 1-minute of jogging in place or jumping jacks
• 10-second break
• 1 minute of squats
• 10-second break
• 1 minute of pushups
• 10-second break
• 1 minute of wall sits
• 10-second break
• 1 minute of situps or crunches
• 10-second break
• 1 minute of planks
• 10-second break
• 1 minute of side planks 30 seconds on your right, 30 seconds on your left
• 10-second break
• 1 minute of high knees (lift one knee towards your chest, then the other knee, as high as you comfortably can)
• 10-second break
• 1-minute of jogging in place or jumping jacks

30-second burn (10 minutes)

• Warmup: Jog in place or do jumping jacks for 2 minutes
• Sequence:
  • Pushups for 30 seconds
  • 30-second break
  • Planks for 30 seconds
  • 30-second break
  • Squats for 30 seconds
  • 30-second break
  • Repeat this sequence 2 times
  • Cooldown: Light stretches for 2 minutes

Note: It’s important to listen to your body and avoid injury-causing mistakes. That’s especially true when you’re trying a new exercise routine. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. And if you are unsure about what's safe for you, talk to your doctor.

Doing short workouts is one way to help build up your fitness routine — and stick to your fitness goals. It’s still important to get the recommended 30 minutes of exercise a day, or 150 minutes a week. “If you can carve out 10 minutes in the morning, during lunch, and before dinner, you can get 30 minutes of exercise into your day,” says Dr. Fong. It doesn’t matter how you break up your exercise throughout the week. The most important thing is to aim for at least 150 minutes overall.

Find other ways to start moving more.