10-minute strength training exercises for busy people

Are you always too busy to hit the gym? Does that morning meeting stop you from exercising? You’re not alone! Most of us are pressed for time, but that shouldn’t keep you away from fitness. And by fitness, it does not mean just focusing on weight loss. Your body also needs strength, so all you need is 10 minutes of strength training, and your body will thank you for it. For the unversed, strength training is about using weights, resistance bands, or your body weight as resistance to build and tone muscles. It is all about improving your muscular strength, endurance, and power.

Health Shots checked with fitness expert Varun Rattan about effective strength training exercises that you can do in just 10 minutes.

Is 10 minutes of strength training good enough?

Strength training not only increases muscle mass and metabolism, but also improves bone density, improves mood and cognition, and keeps you energetic. Rattan says that ideally, 30 to 60 minutes of training session gives you enough time to warm up, perform the exercises, and then cool down. However, a 10-minute strength training session can still be beneficial for those who are short on time. You need to make sure that it will challenge you. You need to include a variety of exercises targeting different muscle groups.

10-minute strength training exercises

There are several strength training exercises, but those who want things to be done quickly can perform the following moves. These exercises will cover all major muscles within a 10-minute timeframe.

1. Push-ups

• Place your hands slightly wider than your shoulder and get into a high plank position with your feet hip-width apart.
• Keeping your core engaged, lower yourself towards the floor by bending your elbows.
• Push back up to the starting position and get ready to do it all over again.

2. Bent over rows

• Hold a barbell with either supinated or pronated grip.
• Keeping a neutral back and engaging your core, slightly bend your knees and push the hips back.
• Pull the barbell towards your navel while bringing your shoulder blades together.
• Pause for a moment before lowering the barbell back to the starting position.

3. Squat to shoulder press with medicine ball

• Hold a medicine ball at the chest height while standing with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Lower your hips into a squat position, keeping your chest up and core engaged.
• As you stand back up, push the medicine ball overhead, extending your arms fully.

4. Deadlift

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a barbell or dumbbells in front of your legs with your palms facing your body.
• Hinge forward at the hips, keeping a neutral back and core engaged, and lower the weight toward the ground.
• Keep the weight close to your body and drive through your feet to stand back up while engaging your glutes.

5. Rotational wall slams with dead ball

• Stand about 2 feet away from a wall with the side of your shoulder pointing towards the wall.
• With your feet shoulder-width apart, hold a dead ball with both hands.
• Rotate your torso away from the wall and then forcefully slam the ball into the wall, catching it on the rebound. Complete the repetitions and then perform on the other side.

The expert suggests to do 8-12 repetitions of each of these exercises twice. But don’t take too much rest while doing them. Do 10 minutes of strength training every day, but be mindful of proper form to avoid injury and adjust the number of repetitions or sets to match your fitness level.