15-Minute Workouts at Home
Most people will find that doing their 15-minute Workouts at home is likely to be easiest and most enjoyable approach. The total amount of time you’ll need – once you include getting on your workout clothes and any other preparations you undertake – isn’t going to be much more than the 15 minutes of actual exercise time when you workout at home. Compare this to a workout at the gym, where you need to factor in the time it takes to drive there, find a parking space, get your locker, etc.
Building Your Own 15-Minute Workouts at Home
While it’s generally best to try to work out as much of your body as possible with the limited time available, some exercisers find it easier to focus on different things during each session. For example, you might dedicate one 15-minute workout per week on your core, and other workouts on your lower body, your upper body, your cardiovascular system, or your balance and coordination.
The advantage is that you can have a different type of workout following the last one, so you’re not having to do the same thing every time.
Come up with a routine that’s challenging but do-able, and that isn’t comprised primarily or exclusively of exercises that you absolutely hate. Here are some exercise ideas you can use to build your own 15-minute workouts at home.
DISCLAIMER: Again, it’s worth pointing out that if you haven’t been physically active for a while, you’ll want to visit your doctor for a checkup before you begin a new workout routine. Even if you have been active, it still may be a good idea to get a checkup before you start a new routine.
Body-weight Exercises. Think back to the gym classes you probably had in grade school. Believe it or not, some of the calisthenics and other exercises you learned are ideal for your 15-minute workouts:
- Push-Ups. This tried and true exercise still has a lot to offer. Push-ups work your arms, chest and core muscles. Depending on your current level of fitness, you can choose to do “strict” push-ups from your toes, from your knees, or even while standing up (with your hands against the wall). Whatever type of push-up you choose, be sure to engage your abdominal muscles and don’t let your hips sag.
- Squats. Another relatively simple but challenging body-weight exercise is the squat. To perform a squat, stand up straight with your feet approximately shoulder width apart, and your toes pointed slightly outward. Keeping your back straight (meaning that your spine maintains a relatively straight line from your hips to your head – not that your back stays straight up and down), bend your legs at the knees while you let your backside go down and backwards. Imagine you are slowly lowering yourself to sit down in a chair. Some people find that it helps to stretch their arms out in front of them. Don’t rush the motion, and don’t let your hips drop below your knees. In fact, it’s probably best for new exercisers to start with a relatively short range of motion as they get their muscles accustomed to the exercise.
- Jumping Jacks. Even something as simple as jumping jacks can be a great component of a 15-Minute Workout. Start standing straight up with your hands at your sides. In a single motion, jump off the ground a bit and land with your feet about shoulder width apart. As you’re jumping, bring your hands up from your sides and clap them directly overhead. The clap should occur just as your feet hit the ground at the end of your jump.
- Planks. The basic plank can form the foundation of all the exercises you do to strengthen your core. Get into a push-up position, except instead of placing your hands on the ground, rest your upper body on your forearms, with your elbows directly under your shoulders, and your hands pointed out in front of you. Make sure your back follows a straight line from your shoulders to your knees, and that your hips are neither sagging down toward the ground nor rounded upward. Start by trying to hold this position for 5 or 10 seconds at a time, and take a similar amount of rest between repetitions. Work up to holding a plan position for up to one minute per repetition. There are countless variations of the plank position, including side planks and dynamic planks where you rotate your chest upward as you alternate taking one hand off the floor.
- Lunges. Lunges are another exercise that can be varied as your fitness and strength develops. The basic lunge motion begins with you standing straight up and your hands at your sides. Take a step forward with one of your legs, and as that foot hits the ground continue to let your hips move forward so that the knee of the other leg drops toward the ground. Be sure to keep your torso upright, and not bend forward at the hips. Some people find it helpful to move their arms in an exaggerated “marching” motion to help them maintain balance. Push backward on that front foot to get yourself back up to an upright standing position then do another lunge with the other foot. Each lunge should take no more than a couple seconds, and you can work up to several minutes of lunges during a workout. As your fitness advances you can learn variations on the basic lunge, including backward, side-to-side, and diagonal lunges.
Combine one or more of those exercises above into a 15-Minute full-body workout routine.
Cardiovascular Exercises. The key to integrating cardiovascular work into your 15-minute fitness routine is just to get yourself moving. It’s really that simple. You might choose a brisk walk around your neighborhood, or choosing to run an errand (like a trip to the bank or post office) on foot instead of driving.
You might get up off the sofa and walk in place while you’re watching television. Don’t laugh! It might seem silly at first, but you may find that your 15-Minute session is over before you know it, you’ll feel better, and you may even be tempted to go for longer than 15 minutes next time.
Take a walk around the block. If you have a dog, they might be incredibly grateful for the exercise, and help motivate you on those days when you’re feeling a little low energy.
Even the simple act of doing some of the other exercises listed above (particularly lunges and squats) a little bit faster can trigger a cardiovascular stimulus.
When you structure your 15-Minute Workouts, strive for a balance between being challenged with new things and feeling safe and comfortable with the exercises you’re doing. You don’t have to create a new workout every time you exercise, but you might consider periodically varying the order of the exercises you do, or swapping in a new exercise every couple months so that your body gets a new stimulus.
