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10-minute workouts

2:42 AM, Posted by healthsensei, No Comment

What you need
A pair of supportive walking shoes, a set of 5- to 8-pound dumbbells, a chair or low table, and an exercise mat or a soft, carpeted area.

How to do it

Choose your goal below (lose weight, get toned, or boost energy and get healthier). Each one has a target number of sessions you need to complete for your fitness program each week. You'll mix and match our various 10-minute cardio workouts and our 10-minute firming routines weekly to achieve your desired results.

When to do it

Ideally, aim to fit in 2 or 3 sessions throughout each day--but if you can't, simply adjust your workouts over the week. For example, if you have time for only 1 or 2 workouts one day, double up another day when you have more time. Just try to get all your fitness program sessions in by the end of the week.

Here's how a typical day could pan out:

6:50-7:00 am Energy-Boost Walk
12:20-12:30 pm Calorie-Burn Walk
5:15-5:25 pm Arm Sculptor
8:50-9:00 pm Belly Flattener


Do these: To Lose Weight
5 Energy-Boosters
6 Calorie-Burners
4 Toning Walks
2 Butt & Thigh Firmers
2 Arm Sculptors
2 Belly Flatteners
Total: 21 sessions each week

Do these: To Get Toned
3 Energy-Boosters
2 Calorie-Burner
6 Toning Walks
3 Butt & Thigh Firmers
3 Arm Sculptors
3 Belly Flatteners
Total: 20 sessions each week

Do these: To Boost Energy And Get Healthier
4 Energy-Boosters
4 Calorie-Burners
4 Toning Walks
1 Butt & Thigh Firmer
1 Arm Sculptor

1 Belly Flattener

Total: 15 sessions each week


10-Minute Workouts: Walking Workouts

Each of these three 10-minute routines revs up your calorie burn; we've tailored them even further for variety and to help you reach your specific weight loss goal. All three maximize every minute of your workout time by getting your heart rate up quickly and keeping you in the optimal fat-burning zone throughout the 10-minute routine. Intensity levels are based on a 1-to-10 scale, with 1 being how you'd feel standing still and 10 how you'd feel sprinting. And because the workout is short, you'll have more energy to give it your all the entire time and burn more fat in the process.

Energy-Booster

MIN. ACTIVITY INTENSITY
0:00 Warm-up 4
1:00 Moderate-pace walk: You can talk in short sentences 5
4:00 Pick up the pace 6
7:00 Brisk but not breathless; power-walk pace 7
9:00 Moderate to cool-down pace 5-4
10:00 Finish

Calorie-Burner

MIN. ACTIVITY INTENSITY
0:00 Warm-up 4
1:00 Moderate-pace walk: You can talk in short sentences 5
4:00 Pump it up: Fast walk, almost breathless 9
5:00 Moderate-pace walk 5
6:00 Pump it up: Fast walk 9
7:00 Moderate-pace walk 5
8:00 Pump it up: Fast walk 9
9:00 Moderate to cool-down pace 5-4
10:00 Finish

Toning Walk

MIN. ACTIVITY INTENSITY
0:00 Warm-up 4
1:00 Moderate-pace walk: You can talk in short sentences 5
3:00 Hit the stairs 8
5:00 Moderate-pace walk 5
6:00 Hit the stairs 8
8:00 Moderate-pace walk 5
9:00 Moderate to cool-down pace 5-4
10:00 Finish

To Firm Even Quicker

We have 1-minute toners that you can do intermittently almost anywhere to shape up in less time, or use them on days when you can't fit in a full 10-minute workout.

For Faster Results

One Minute Toner: Upper Body

At home or in the office: Do standing push-ups. Place hands on a desk or counter and bend elbows, lowering chest, then push back up.

10-Minute Workout: Strength Routines

These sculpting workouts do double duty. Each includes 1-minute cardio bursts so you can rev your calorie burn while you tone.

Butt & Thigh Firmer

Warm up by marching in place while swinging your arms at your sides for 30 seconds. Rest 10 to 20 seconds between exercises. Repeat routine twice.

ACTIVITY REPETITIONS
Clock Work 4 clocks with each leg
Cardio Burst: Side-to-Side Shuffle 1 minute
One-Legged Lunges 8 times with each leg
Cardio Burst: Side-to-Side Shuffle 1 minute
Monster Squats 8 times with each leg

1. Clock Work

Stand with feet together. Step left foot forward (12 o'clock position) 2 to 3 feet, bend knees, and lower into a lunge, keeping front knee behind toes, as shown. Don't lean forward. Press into left foot and stand back up, feet together. Step left foot out to side (9 o'clock position), feet hip-width apart. Bend knees and hips and sit back into a squat, knees behind toes, chest lifted. Stand back up, feet together. Step left foot behind you (6 o'clock position), lower into a lunge, then stand back up. Repeat with right leg stepping to 3 o'clock position for squat.

2. One-Legged Lunges

Place left foot on chair or table behind you so leg is extended and you're balancing on right leg. Bend right knee, lowering into lunge, front knee behind toes. Press into right foot standing back up.

3. Monster Squats

Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing out slightly, arms relaxed at sides. Sit back into a squat, keeping knees behind toes. As you stand up, raise left knee out to side, placing foot back on floor as you lower into next squat, lifting right leg.


Cardio Burst: Side-to-Side Shuffle
Sit back into a squat, with arms bent in front of you, elbows by sides. Shuffle 10 to 15 feet to the right, moving right foot then left foot. Return shuffling to left.

10-Minute Workout: Arm Sculptor

Warm up by marching in place while "swimming" your arms as if you were doing the breaststroke for 30 seconds. Rest 10 to 20 seconds between exercises. Repeat routine twice.

ACTIVITY REPETITIONS
Supported Curls 15 times with each arm
Cardio Burst:
Mountain Climbers
1 minute
Side Plank Push-Ups 8 times on each side
Cardio Burst: Mountain Climbers 1 minute
T-Stand Rows with Kickbacks 15 times, balancing on left leg first time through and right leg second time through

1. Supported Curls
Sit in a chair with feet a few inches apart. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, lean forward from hips and rest elbows on thighs, palms up. Bend left elbow, curling dumbbell toward shoulder. Keep upper arm still. Hold for a second, then lower and repeat with right arm. Continue alternating arms.

2. Side Plank Push-Ups
Start on knees, hands beneath shoulders, and body in line from head to knees. Bend elbows out to sides, lowering chest almost to floor. Straighten arms, pushing back up, then raise left arm overhead, rolling body to left to form a side plank. Lower and repeat on right.


3. T-Stand Rows with Kickbacks
Stand with feet together, a dumbbell in each hand. Hinge forward at hips and raise right leg behind you, arms hanging beneath shoulders, palms in. Tighten glutes and abs to stay balanced. Bend elbows toward ceiling and squeeze shoulder blades together, pulling dumbbells toward rib cage. Keeping upper arms still, press dumbbells back and straighten arms. Hold for a second, then reverse direction.


Cardio Burst: Mountain Climbers

Get in push-up position with hands on seat of chair. bring right foot forward 10 to 12 inches, knee bent. jump quickly, switching feet as if you were climbing a mountain.


For Faster Results: Upper Arms
At the store: Bend elbows, curling grocery bags toward shoulders. Hold for a second, then slowly lower.

10-Minute Workout: Belly Flattener

Warm up by marching in place while slowly twisting your torso side to side, arms bent in front of you, for 30 seconds. Rest 10 to 20 seconds between exercises. Repeat routine twice.

ACTIVITY REPETITIONS
Crisscrosses 12 reps
Cardio Burst:
Bob 'n' Weave
1 minute
Full-Body Roll-Ups 5 to 8 times

Cardio Burst:

Bob 'n' Weave

1 minute
Windmills 8 times on each side

1. Crisscrosses
Lie faceup with knees above hips, calves parallel to floor, hands behind head. Contract abs, raising head and shoulders off floor as you extend right leg. Twist to left, bringing right elbow and left knee toward each other. Don't pull on your neck; the work should come from your abs. Hold for a second, then switch sides, twisting to right. (That's 1 rep.)


2. Full-Body Roll-Ups
Lie faceup with legs extended, arms overhead. Contract transverse abdominis (the deep ab muscle that runs between your hip bones) as you inhale and raise arms up toward ceiling. Exhale as you tuck chin and roll up, pulling navel toward spine. Curl forward with arms extending in front of you. Inhale as you stay rounded. Slowly and with control, reverse directions, uncurling body as you exhale and lower to floor, one vertebra at a time. Keep feet on floor the entire time.


3. Windmills
Kneel with right leg extended to side, arms out to sides, palms up. Bend torso to left, placing left hand on floor, raising right hand overhead, and lifting right leg off floor. Hold for a second, then return to start.


Cardio Burst: Bob 'n' Weave

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, arms bent. Squat and dip head and torso to right as you stand back up, like you're ducking under something. Repeat to left.


For Faster Results: Belly & Butt
In the car or standing in line: Alternate between contracting your abs and glutes, holding for 30 seconds each.

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