If You Want To Lose Weight and Only Have 10 Minutes, Here’s What Trainers Say You Should Do

Kelli Acciardo

Woman doing burpee exercises

Taking better care of your body can be a struggle. There will always be more important things to do, meetings to get to and events to make, but when it comes to losing weight, nothing will work unless you do. 

If you're guilty of foregoing fitness in lieu of anything more fun, we get it. We all interpret self-care differently and sometimes it's all too easy to skip one workout and then stop working out altogether. 

Related: How Many Calories Should I Eat To Lose Weight? 

But if one of the biggest reasons you've been failing to get in a few extra steps, miles or sweat sessions is because you think you don't have time, we're here to tell you: all you need is 10 minutes. 

To prove it, we enlisted the help of personal trainers to show you just how much you can accomplish in such a short amount of time. You don't even need weights, a gym or expensive equipment for the best 10-minute workouts for weight loss—all you need is a bit of motivation.

Best 10-Minute Workouts for Weight Loss, According to Trainers

1. Burpees

If you only have 10 minutes of free time to move your body, SLT NYC master instructor Jess Paris, NASM, CPT, says to make the most of it with burpees. Specifically sets of 10-15 reps with only 30-45 seconds of rest in between sets.

"Burpees are a compound exercise that targets many muscle groups at once," she explains. "The burpee combines a sprawl, squat jump and push-up to hit every muscle in your body (shoulders, chest, triceps, core, quads, inner thighs and glutes) and they elevate your heart rate sky-high, making them a staple of HIIT circuits." She also loves burpees for weight loss since they provide great cardio and conditioning benefits, boost your flexibility and help you burn fat at the same time.

This TikTok video breaks down how to properly do a burpee:

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Paris says to see how many sets you can complete in 10 minutes, but aim for 4 or 5 to start, then build on that over time.

2. A High-Intensity (HIIT) Workout

Denise Chakoian, CPT and founder of CORE Cycle.Fitness.Lagree prefers a high-intensity workout for 10 minutes that's a mix of cardio and weights. She says to start with one minute of running/sprinting outdoors or on a treadmill, followed by a 1-minute strength exercise using your body weight or weights (depending on what you have), then continue this 1.1 workout of high-intensity cardio and a strength full-body exercise. 

As for the best exercises for the latter, Chakoian says push-ups, tricep dips, planks, squats, lunges and burpees are all examples of strength exercises and can be done without weights.

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3. Hinge Hold with Crossbody Reach

Fitness expert and founder of Get Mom Strong, Ashley Nowe's favorite 10-minute workout is a weight-optional hinge hold with crossbody reach because this one move works many muscles in unison. "Most notably, it trains the deepest core muscles—the transverse abdominis," she says. "Not only does this muscle help your waistline, but more importantly, it works to reduce back and hip pain."

While Nowe says this exercise can be done with or without a weight, the key to making it effective for the core is to be sure you don’t overextend your back leg.

Here's the proper way to do a hinge hold with crossbody reach:

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Nowe says to use a wall or chair for support, keep a slight bend in the knee and hinge at the hips, lengthening your glutes. Then, inhale through the nose while your leg and arm are down. Exhale out through your mouth, extending the opposite arm and leg. As you do, lift the pelvic floor and draw the belly button in and up.

To make the move more challenging, extend your arm out at a diagonal or incorporate a weight. Stop when you feel a good squeeze of the glute at the top and repeat 10 reps on each side for four rounds. 

Related: This Morning Habit Will Help You Lose Weight Faster

4. Planks

"If you only have 10 minutes a day to work out, definitely prioritize planks!" shares Lauren Nilsson, owner of The Bar Method Huntington Village where they focus on low-impact, high-intensity barre classes. "Planks are a great exercise for getting the body back into shape because they sculpt the core (glutes, abs and posture muscles) helping the body appear longer and leaner."

Nilsson recommends trying to hold a plank for 30 seconds, then slowly working your way up to two minutes. "Once two minutes feels doable, you can add in small movements that will continue challenging your body," she says. Try a one-inch rock back and forth on the balls of your feet, or try tucking and untucking at the hips for 30 seconds. 

Once you mastered the basics of planking, Nilsson suggests attempting a walking plank, which really sets your core on fire. "Begin on the balls of your feet (or start on your knees and build up to planking on the balls of the feet) and forearms so your palms are facing toward one another," she instructs. "Then, lift your hips in line with your ribcage to protect the back, and walk your elbows back so they are in line with your shoulders. Raise your head so it's in line with your spine to stay in proper neck alignment, and exhale sharply." Her #1 tip: Whether you begin on the balls of your feet or on your knees, keep your legs hip-width apart for proper hip alignment.

Here's the proper way to hold a walking plank position:

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5. Unilateral Full Body Workout Circuit (No Equipment Needed)

If you've ever been to one of Barry's Bootcamp-style classes, you know you're in for a serious workout. While their signature cardio-strength training sessions usually run 50 minutes followed by a five-minute stretch, their chief curriculum lead at Barry's LA, Matt Conrad, broke down a few signature moves for Parade. This 10-minute circuit will target the upper body, lower body and core, but Conrad suggests doing the full routine three times, then giving yourself a 45-second to 1-minute break in between each circuit.

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Step 1: Tricep Dip

Place one hand behind you onto an elevated surface like a chair or bench so that your fingers face forward; the other hand should rest comfortably on your knee or leg. Extend your legs a bit as if you are going into a seated position and start bending your elbows; lift your body back up until your arms are straight, then back down and repeat 10 times on each side until your triceps really start to burn.

Step 2: Elevated Reverse Lunge

Begin with one foot on an elevated surface, then step up—driving through the heel that’s on the elevated surface, and lifting the opposite knee up. Lunge back to where your back knee almost touches the ground (but doesn’t), then step up again driving through the heel, and lifting the opposite knee up again. Do this 10 times on each side to fire up your quads and glutes.

Step 3: Uneven Push Up

Start with one hand on an elevated surface and do a pushup as you normally would, but as you come up, tap the opposite shoulder with a brief hold. This will create that core engagement that also targets the chest and back. Repeat for 10 reps on each side.

Step 4: Elevated Glute Bridge

Lay on your back with one foot on an elevated surface and the other up into the air. Drive through your heel as you raise your hips, squeezing the glutes at the top, then bring the hips back down and repeat for 10 reps on each side for a killer glute workout.

Step 5: Side Plank with Rotation

Go into a side plank on your forearm, and place your top leg on an elevated surface. Bring your elbow to the opposite knee and extend back out, then repeat 10 reps on each side to build a stronger core.

Whether your preferred method of working out involves low-impact moves to build strength and endurance or heart-pumping HITT circuits to burn fat fast, these trainers prove all you need is 10 minutes a day to get started—and a motivated mindset. Now the only question is: Which workout to try first? 

Next up: If You're Trying To Lose Weight, Here's Exactly How to Time Your Afternoon Snack

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