10-Minute Tuneups: Quick Full-Body Workout Video

Source: Best Health Magazine, October 2012; Photo and video by Roger Kao

This workout is designed to increase strength and endurance, and to help you create an overall well-toned and muscled body. The workout incorporates a combination of upper body and lower body moves using just your own weight to work all of your major muscle groups. Because it exercises several key muscles at the same time, this whole-body approach is efficient’perfect for those who are pressed for time.

Of course, ideally adults should be getting 30 minutes of fitness a day. But when time is tight, doing our 10-Minute Tuneups whenever you can fit them in can still make a significant difference to your overall fitness.

Each exercise has an easier option. If you do those ones, aim to try an increasing number of the tougher version each time until you can do that move for the entire time allotted.

How it works:

Warm up: The first minute of exercise will provide a brief warm-up and a first move to get your major muscles moving.
Gauge the intensity: Use a stopwatch, the timer on your phone, or a clock to keep track of the time. Your working muscles should feel ready to change to a new exercise by the end of each segment.
Customize moves to your needs: An easier option is provided for each of these moves. But do the tougher version for as much of the time as you can, without overdoing it.
Cool down and stretch: You will do a less intense move, then stretch the major muscle groups you’ve just worked.

Bruce Krahn is a personal trainer and the author of bestseller The Fat-Fighter Diet.

Fitness model: Midori Rutledge

This article was originally titled "10-Minute Tuneups: Quick Full-Body Workout" in the October 2012 issue of Best Health. Subscribe today to get the full Best Health experience’and never miss an issue!