Yes — with some honest caveats. A 10-minute workout will not turn you into a marathon runner, but it is far better than nothing, it is much easier to fit into a busy day, and for many people it is the difference between exercising and not exercising at all. Activity guidelines such as the World Health Organization's 2020 recommendations no longer require activity to be done in long continuous bouts: short sessions add up.
What short workouts are good for
- Building the habit. It is easier to start something that takes 10 minutes.
- Adding up across the week. Two 10-minute sessions a day, five days a week, is 100 minutes.
- Strength maintenance. A few hard sets of squats, push-ups and rows a couple of times a week goes a long way for beginners.
- Breaking up sitting. A short session between long stretches at a desk.
What they cannot do
- Prepare you for long events like a half marathon or a long hike — that needs longer sessions.
- Replace a full strength programme if your goal is to get significantly stronger.
- Undo a whole day of sitting on their own. Moving more throughout the day still matters.
How to make 10 minutes count
- Warm up inside the 10 minutes. Spend the first 2 minutes building up, not standing still.
- Use a timer so there is no wasted time between exercises.
- Work at a steady-hard effort. Short sessions can be a bit more intense than long ones — a 7 out of 10.
- Choose big movements that use lots of muscle: squats, lunges, push-ups, rows, swings.
Five 10-minute workouts
1. Beginner full body
2 minutes of marching and arm circles, then 8 rounds on the 30/30 timer: squats, incline push-ups, glute bridges, plank.
2. Tabata plus
3 minutes of warm-up, one Tabata block of squats (4 minutes), 1 minute rest, then 2 minutes of easy walking. See What is Tabata?
3. EMOM 10
On the EMOM timer, 10 rounds: odd minutes 10 squats and 5 push-ups, even minutes 20 jumping jacks. Do a minute of easy movement first.
4. Desk break
Work 40, rest 20, rounds 10 on the interval timer: step-ups on a stair, wall push-ups, chair squats, standing march, doorway chest stretch.
5. Shadowboxing rounds
On the boxing timer, set work 120, rest 30, rounds 4: light jab-cross combinations, moving your feet, with the last 20 seconds of each round faster.
How many per week?
For a beginner, three to five 10-minute sessions a week plus regular walking is a solid start. Over time, you can stack two sessions on the same day, or let one of them grow to 20 minutes. Check how much exercise you need for the full guidelines.