10-Minute HIIT Workouts You Can Do Anywhere

Does your schedule look different now from when it did last week? Maybe you have children at home and are trying to juggle being a SAHWP (stay-at-home-working-parent) or are simply trying to keep sane while working from home for the first time. Whatever your situation is, ease your stress by implementing these healthy habits today. You will feel better, physically and mentally, in a matter of minutes … guaranteed!

Establish a Schedule and Stick To It (As Much As You Can)

Let’s start with your nutrition. (It is 70 percent of the equation after all!) As much as it may seem like you have a hall pass to venture into the kitchen whenever you’d like, try to put up some boundaries. This is definitely harder if you have young children (or an eating disorder, in which case I recommend you reach out to an expert to get help ASAP), but establishing eating windows will help prevent mindless munching all.day.long.

The classic three meals and two snacks may work for you, but you also may find yourself not exceptionally hungry, especially if you are used to moving more throughout the workday in a large office building. Pay close attention to your hunger cues and eat only when you truly feel your hunger hormones kicking in.

Keep Nutrient-Dense Foods in Eyesight

Fill your kitchen (or hotel) with nutrient-dense foods and snacks like fruits and vegetables (all the varieties), lean proteins (beef jerky is shelf-stable), eggs, canned beans, nuts and seeds, and/or whole grains. Choose organic or conventional (both are equally nutritious), fresh, dried, canned or frozen produce. Dried wild blueberries and almonds can go a long way in the snack department (while providing fiber and antioxidants, too).

If you are used to having a “snack jar” in your office desk, consider moving this to your kitchen table and stocking it with a bounty of colorful produce. Grabbing an orange midday to nourish that hunger will make you feel a lot more energized while also providing you with fiber and vitamin C versus a handful of candy that will lead to a serious blood sugar crash (and likely stronger cravings) later in the day.

Set Aside Time to Move

Fit fitness in. Research shows prolonged sitting can have adverse health effects, like lower-back pain in addition to greater fatigue and job dissatisfaction. While I highly recommend opting to stand (your home desk can certainly be hijacked into a standing desk with a few books), there are certainly other opportunities to move your body while working

Plus, if you’re a regular at your local fitness studio, chances are when your routine gets thrown off track because of work, life or a pandemic, you’ll want a backup plan. You aren’t alone!

Don’t worry! You don’t have to search Pinterest to find a workout that may be a wash. We’ve got the intel from some of the top trainers at Bryan Clay’s (the 2008 Olympic decathlon gold medalist) San Diego Eat the Frog Fitness studio, sharing their favorite bodyweight workouts. These three, 10-minute total-body high-intensity interval training workouts will have your heart rate soaring in no time! Give these quick workout routines a try; they’re the perfect length to fit in between meetings (or nap times), keeping you moving throughout the day.

(New to HIIT? Grab the 411 on it here.)

Tips:

• Before beginning, consider downloading a free timing app, like Tabata Timer, to keep track of your intervals.
• Warm-ups and cool-downs are listed below in five-minute intervals each. If you don’t have an extra 10 minutes, make sure to allocate at least a minute to warm up and two for a cool-down for the safety of your muscles.

Warm-Up

Timing: 5 Minutes: 30 seconds each x 2 rounds

• Jumping Jack
• High Knee
• Butt Kick
• Reverse Lunge
• Mountain Climber

Workout #1

Target Areas: Lower Body + Core Workout

Timing: 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off every minute

Lower Body: 5 Minutes

Squat Jump (Modification: Squat to calf raise)

Lunge Jump (Modification: Reverse lunge)

Squat Pulse (Modification: Regular squat)

Around-the-World Lunge (Modification: Pick one lunge variation and alternate legs.)

Glute-Bridge Walkout (Modification: Glute-bridge hip thrust)

Core: 5 Minutes

Plank Jack 1

Modification: Step feet out and in.

Plank Jack 2

Modification: Step feet out and in.

V-Up 1

Modification: Single-leg V-up

V-Up 2

Modification: Single-leg V-up

Plank Spider-Man 1

Modification: Kneel with less range of motion.

Plank Spider-Man 2

Modification: Kneel with less range of motion.

Straight Leg Raise to Hip Lift 1

Modification: Bend knees and minimize range of motion.

Straight Leg Raise to Hip Lift 2

Modification: Bend knees and minimize range of motion.

Hollow-Body Flutter Kick 1

Modification: Rest upper body and bend knees with less range of motion.

Hollow-Body Flutter Kick 2

Modification: Rest upper body and bend knees with less range of motion.

Workout developed by Taj Rockitt, BS, CPT, head coach at Eat the Frog Fitness, @tajrockitt

Workout #2

Target Areas: Chest + Triceps

Timing: EMOM (every minute on the minute) Complete exercises in the rep range listed within 60 seconds. Any time left over within the minute can be used as recovery. Allow 20 seconds for recovery between moving to the next set.

EMOM #1 x 3 Rounds

Elbows to Palms: 8 to 10 reps (Modification: On knees)

Triceps Dip: 8 to 10 reps (Modification: Bend legs)

EMOM #2 x 3 Rounds

Side-Lying Triceps Extension: 3 to 5 reps each side (Modification: Use bottom arm for leverage.)

Staggered Push-Up: 3 to 5 reps each side (Modification: On knees)

EMOM #3 x 3 Rounds

Kneeling Bodyweight Triceps Extension: 8 to 10 reps (Modification: Place arms on an elevated surface.)

Incline Push-Up: 8 to 10 reps (Modification: On knees)

Workout developed by Taylor Desmond, head coach at Eat the Frog Fitness, @ibtd

Workout #3

Target Areas: Back + Biceps

Option #1: Bodyweight Superset With a Towel

Timing: 2 superset sets; 30 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest between exercises, 30 seconds of rest between supersets

Supersets:

Supine Back Wide Row 1

Supine Back Wide Row 2

Prone Superman to Row 1

Prone Superman to Row 2

Bent-Over Row 1

Use a rolled-up towel.

Bent-Over Row 2

Use a rolled-up towel.

Prone Lying Lat Pulldown 1

Use a rolled-up towel.

Prone Lying Lat Pulldown 2

Use a rolled-up towel.

Split-Stance Towel Curl 1

Split-Stance Towel Curl 2

Single-Arm Towel Hammer Curl 1

Single-Arm Towel Hammer Curl 2

Option #2: Bodyweight With an Elastic Band

Timing: 2 superset sets; 30 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest between exercises, 30 seconds of rest between supersets

Supersets:

• Bent-Over Wide Row
• Biceps Curl
• Bent-Over Narrow Row
• Prone Superman to Row
• Split-Stance Reverse Flye
• Hammer Curl

For a tutorial of the workout, check out the YouTube video here.

Workout developed by Damien Evans, SoCal fitness leader at Eat the Frog Fitness and Lululemon ambassador, @coachdamien_sd

Cool-Down

Timing: 5 Minutes

• Deep Squat Hold: 30 seconds
• Rag-Doll Hang: 30 seconds
• Lateral Lunge Hold: 30 seconds (each leg)
• Seated Hamstring Stretch: 30 seconds (each leg)
• Seated Quad Stretch: 30 seconds (each leg)Pigeon Glute Stretch: 30 seconds (each leg)

Remember, allow yourself some flexibility and focus on fitting in fitness when and where you can. Aim to fit in the warm-up, workout and cool-down daily. Alternate between the three workouts and try to engage in more activities around the house (and outside, if possible) that naturally help keep you moving, such as cleaning the house, walking the dog, gardening and chasing your kids.

Shoot to stand at least 10 minutes each hour to prevent excessive sitting (an Apple Watch is great at keeping you on track here), and take some meditation breaks. But, above all else, give yourself lots of grace. Your routine will fall back into place when everything settles and returns to normal. Eat mindfully, and take a peek at these other health tips you can implement from anywhere, too!