Fitness Trends 2022 - Mini Workouts

Written by: Stephanie Hodges, MS Nutrition and Exercise Science, edited by Martin Ebner, head PT and sports nutrition specialist at Ebylife.

Will mini-workouts be one of the biggest fitness trends in 2022? For years, some fitness experts have told us that three 10-minute workouts have the same health benefits as one 30-minute workout. That's good news considering we're all busy and constantly juggling multiple to-do's.

Shorter workouts could save you time, but you're probably wondering if they're genuinely effective. Can a mini-workout routine help you successfully build muscle, lose weight, get in shape, and meet your goals? Read on because the research looks promising!

What are Mini Workouts?

Mini workouts aren't inferior workouts when it comes to intensity and impact; they're just shorter. The mini workout routine involves breaking your training up into smaller chunks of time throughout the day.  

One older study with overweight college women measured the effects of exercising three times a day for 10 minutes, two times a day for 15 minutes, or one time a day for 30 minutes. Results showed that all three groups increased their aerobic capacity. Furthermore, they significantly decreased weight, body mass index, body composition, and circumference measurements.

A more recent study with sedentary older adults measured the effect of multiple exercise sessions of 5-10 minutes throughout the day. After exercising in <10-minute bouts 3-5 times a week, subjects had similar or better cardiovascular improvements compared to the standard recommendations.

Researchers are still studying the ideal length of time and number of sessions for the best results from shorter workouts. However, since everyone is unique, you can start with quick 10-minute workouts and see how your body responds. 

And remember, a shorter exercise session is always better than no workout at all, even if it's under ten minutes!

How Much Activity Do You Need?

The World Health Organization recommends regular physical activity for reduced depression and anxiety, decreased risk of death, and other health benefits. The WHO also recommends the following weekly activity levels for adults:

• at least 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or

• at least 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity; or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity throughout the week

• muscle-strengthening activities at a moderate or greater intensity involving all major muscle groups on two or more days a week

As you can see, the WHO and other national health organizations don't specify a minimum duration for each workout, just a total accumulation of activity per week. 

To fulfill a weekly recommendation of 150 minutes, you can exercise five days a week for 30 minutes. To use the mini-workout method, you could break each day's workout into three 10-minute sessions performed throughout your day. Remember to warm up and cool down within each session, but keep the intensity high enough to get maximum results.

Would Mini Workouts Work Better For You?

Are you too busy to work out? For most people, the main reason they struggle to maintain an exercise program is the four-letter word T-I-M-E.

We all have work and family obligations, projects to tackle, and items on our to-do list. With our hectic schedules, sometimes it's easier to find three 10-minute time slots throughout the day than one full hour to go to the gym. 

Also, consider the other health and wellness benefits of breaking up your day with exercise to improve your health at work.

• Decrease stress: instead of reaching for unhealthy snacks or scrolling social media, take a brisk walk or make yoga/stretching your primary method to combat stress.

• Screen-time breaks: screen fatigue is a real thing, and stepping away from the computer throughout the day gives your eyes and brain a welcome break.

• Reset your posture: back pain is prevalent and often linked to a poor sitting posture, but getting up to move and stretch will ease your musculoskeletal aches.

• Boost your mood: exercise will definitely improve your mood, especially if you can get outside in the fresh air and sunshine.

Enhance productivity and focus: our brains work better with regularly scheduled breaks, especially with an activity that gets fresh blood and oxygen pumping.

What Should You Eat Pre and Post Mini Workout?

As we've talked about before, pre and post-workout nutrition are vital for building muscle, getting stronger, and recovering well. If you're working out for ten minutes or less, you don't necessarily need to eat before and after each mini session. However, you want to time your meals throughout the day to ensure your body has healthy complex carbohydrates for energy and protein to build muscle. 

For most people, their macronutrient split should be somewhere between 45–65% of your daily calories from carbohydrates, 20–35% from protein, and 10–35% from fat. Consuming carbs and protein after a workout will help you recover faster and get stronger. One of our favorite protein supplements is Amandean's marine collagen. 

This marine collagen is sustainably sourced from wild-caught cod in the North Atlantic and free from toxins, pollutants, and contamination. In addition, Amandean marine collagen has high bioavailability and is both hot and cold soluble, so you can add it to coffee, oatmeal, smoothies, and more.

Collagen occurs naturally in the body. In fact, it's the most abundant protein and is critical for healthy connective tissue and a strong musculoskeletal system.

Other benefits of marine collagen include:

• Building muscle

• Improving flexibility

• Supporting gut health

• Promoting satiety (which could help with weight loss)

• Healthy hair, skin, and nails

Amandean recommends 10-20 grams of collagen a day. It would be ideal to take the collagen within 30 minutes to an hour after one of your strength workouts. Collagen supplementation has been shown to aid recovery, increase strength, and improve body composition in combination with resistance training. Try this collagen smoothie recipe before or after your workout.

Chocolate Collagen Smoothie

• 1 cup milk or milk substitute (almond, coconut, oat)

• 1/2 frozen banana

• 1 TBS almond butter or nut butter

• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder

• 1-2 scoops collagen protein

• 1 cup spinach (optional)

Blend all ingredients until smooth and enjoy immediately following your workout!

7 Intermittent Exercise Ideas

As you embrace the mini-workout routine, remember that mixing up your workouts will challenge your body and help break through plateaus. 

It's great if you have access to machines or resistance training equipment available, but you can also perform mini workouts with no equipment.

Here are seven ideas for mini workouts. You can mix and match the following activities for 5-10 minutes, three times a day.

1. Climbing Stairs

2. Brisk Walk or Jog

3. Body Weight Strength Training Circuit

4. Dumbbell Strength Training Circuit

5. Jump Rope Workout

6. HIIT Interval Training 

7. 10 Minute Yoga Flow

More articles you might enjoy:

• Progressive overload training principle: Why it's so important for results!

• What are the Benefits of Vitamin D3?

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Resources:

1. Effects of long versus short bout exercise on fitness and weight loss in overweight females. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11601564/

2. Effect of short moderate-intensity exercise bouts on cardiovascular function and maximal oxygen consumption in sedentary older adults. https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/6/1/e000672.abstract

3. Physical Activity. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity

4. Examples of Moderate and Vigorous Physical Activity. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/moderate-and-vigorous-physical-activity/

5. Specific Collagen Peptides in Combination with Resistance Training Improve Body Composition and Regional Muscle Strength in Premenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31010031/

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Disclaimer

The content on our blog is created to inform, but should never be taken as professional medical advice. The content of our articles is not intended for use as prevention, diagnosis and/or treatment of any health complications. Before making any lifestyle changes that include diet, using supplements or exercise regime, always consult your doctor or nearest health care specialist.

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