Making the most of your mornings doesn’t mean you need to get up two hours early just to fit in a workout—and this 10-minute cardio workout proves it. We designed this quick cardio workout so you can exercise quickly, and then get right back to your busy morning routine.
This quick cardio workout is only four moves and it doesn’t require any equipment. It’s a HIIT style workout, meaning that during the work intervals, you should be pushing yourself. Think of a 1-10 scale where 1 is completely at rest, 5 is comfortably hard, and 10 is an all-out effort that you can’t maintain for more than few seconds. For this workout you want to be working at about a 7 (except when you’re resting, of course).
And speaking of how hard you go, we’ve provided three options below, so you can select the work interval that’s right for you in this 10-minute cardio workout. If you’re new to morning workouts, you may want to start with the 30/30 option. That means you’ll do each exercise for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds before moving on to the next exercise. Because each of these moves are being done for time, focus on form first—rather than how many reps you can squeeze in. As you learn the moves, you’ll start to pick up the pace. And one more heads up: While the workout is just four moves, you’ll do one move (the lateral lunge to single-leg hop) on each side, so the entire circuit is five minutes long. Do the circuit twice, and that’s your 10-minute cardio workout!
If you’ve got a few extra minutes, we suggest a quick cool-down stretch, before you jump into the shower, throw together an easy breakfast, and then get on with your day.
Before you dive into any exercise, it’s important to start with a warm-up. You can do this one or do one of your own—just make sure you’re not rolling straight out of bed and into this cardio routine.
The Workout
Do each move below in order for the specified amount of time and then rest. At the end of the entire circuit, rest for 60 seconds. Then repeat the circuit one more time.
- Beginner: 30 seconds of work, 30 seconds of rest between moves
- Intermediate: 40 seconds of work, 20 seconds of rest between moves
- Advanced: 50 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest between moves
