Finding time for lengthy workouts can be challenging with today’s hectic schedules, but staying active doesn’t have to mean committing to long sessions. There are many effective short workouts that can fit seamlessly into your day and still deliver great results for your body. This article offers a selection of quick and easy exercises that you can complete in under 15 minutes, helping you stay fit without the time commitment.
Upper Body Strength Routine
An upper body workout will focus on your arms, shoulders, chest, and back. Just 15 minutes of exercises such as push-ups and tricep dips will be enough to work your muscles and keep you healthy. You can incorporate household items, such as water bottles, into this workout to give your muscles a boost.
Pilates Core Workout
Pilates is a great exercise to do to increase both flexibility and strength. Exercises focused on the core will also work the stomach muscles, improving posture and appearance. Pilates focuses heavily on breathing and posture, so it’s also a great workout if you want to improve your mindfulness.
Cardio Kickboxing
Kickboxing incorporates martial arts moves into fast-paced cardio, and Healthline writes that “kickboxing offers up a number of health benefits for people of all ages.” It includes punches, kicks, and agility drills. Just 15 minutes of this exercise is enough to raise your heartbeat and burn calories.
Stretch and Flexibility Session
Just 15 minutes of stretching is going to help improve flexibility. Targeted stretching will be beneficial to the body, as you can put all your energy into one part of the body. Not only will it help to improve flexibility, but it will also reduce muscle tension.
Resistance Band Workout
You can use resistance bands for strength training. They will target both upper and lower body muscle groups, with some of the easiest to train being the glutes. By using a resistance band for 15 minutes on targeted parts of the body, it won’t be long until you notice drastic changes.
Bodyweight Tabata Workout
Tabata is another high-intensity workout. It focuses on doing exercise for 20 seconds and then having a 10-second break. There are many benefits that come from this workout, with Sunwarrior stating that they will burn fat, protect muscle tissue, and increase aerobic capabilities.
Power Walking Session
A brisk session of power walking can either be done outside or on a treadmill. If you do 15 minutes on a treadmill, then you can change the speed and incline to make it more difficult. Otherwise, if you choose to spend 15 minutes outside, try to find a route that has enough inclines to really work your legs.
Meditation and Mindfulness Exercise
Guided meditation will focus on breathing and body awareness. It keeps you grounded in the present moment, which makes it a great exercise for mental health. Meditation and mindfulness exercises will reduce stress and promote mental clarity. It’s suitable for beginners and can be done just about anywhere that’s quiet.
Agility and Coordination Drills
GMB writes, “Activities that specifically target coordination are helpful because our nervous system creates pathways from the brain to the body based on repetitive action.” Even just 15 minutes of agility and coordination drills are going to improve your physical performance. Key exercises include ladder drills and balance exercises.
Dance Fitness Party
There’s nothing better than a fun and energetic dance party. Not only is it a great way to exercise, but it’s also great for your mental health when you get to dance to your favorite songs. This exercise combines cardio and dance moves to burn calories.
Boxing Basics Workout
Don’t think you need a punching bag to take part in this workout. This 15-minute workout would be a beginner’s guide to punches, jabs, and hooks. It may also include working your feet, which can help with coordination. A boxing workout will build strength and cardiovascular fitness.
AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible)
This is a circuit of exercises performed for as many rounds as possible within 15 minutes. It can include a mix of cardio, strength, and flexibility exercises. This type of workout will encourage you to push your fitness and personal limits. It’s a great exercise to choose if you want to track your fitness goals.
Mobility and Movement Routine
This exercise focuses on dynamic stretches and mobility exercises. It aims to improve joint ranges and reduce any stiffness that can come from age. This type of exercise is great to use as a warmup or for beginners. Exercises include hip movements, ankle rocks, and deep squats.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Workout
HIIT workouts are a great option because they engage the entire body. It’s a form of interval training; for example, Circle Health Group writes, “HIIT workouts involve short bursts of intense physical activity followed by brief periods of rest or lower-intensity exercise.” It includes exercises such as lunges and burpees.
Yoga Flow for Stress Relief
A gentle yoga sequence can calm the mind and reduce large amounts of stress. It incorporates breathing exercises, stretching, and basic poses to make a person more flexible in the body but also more mindful. It’s a form of exercise that is suitable for people of all fitness levels, including beginners.
Core Strengthening Circuit
This 15-minute workout will target the core muscles through exercises such as planking, Russian twists, and leg raises. Adding equipment such as dumbbells would make the workout more intense, but they aren’t necessary. Core strengthening will increase stability and the overall strength of the body.
Lower Body Blast
This workout focuses on the legs and the glutes. Lower body workouts are an important part of increasing strength in the body. For example, Moduvated writes that training your glutes will help to improve posture and increase strength. Not only will it reduce your risk of injury, but it will also help to improve your posture.
Calisthenics Circuit
Calisthenics is a great workout to do in 15 minutes because you don’t need any equipment. This is supported by WebMD, which writes, “These low-resistance exercises use your body weight rather than other equipment.” This workout includes exercises such as push-ups, squats, and lunges.