The Art of the 10-Minute Workout

The Art of the 10-Minute Workout

The Art of the 10-Minute Workout

Ten minutes can change your entire day.

When I first started training, I believed I was a good trainer only if I could get a client to burn 1,000 calories in an hour. It became a personal mission to push people to their absolute limits. And if I’m being honest, that mindset isn’t entirely wrong—challenge matters. The problem was the expectation that every single workout had to look like that. It wasn’t realistic, and it definitely wasn’t sustainable long-term.

I carried that same belief into my own workouts. If I didn’t spend 30–45 minutes on a cardio machine, sweat profusely, and follow it up with at least 60 minutes of lifting, then the workout didn’t “count.”

Why did I believe this? Because as a young athlete, I trained for five or more hours a day between club sports and school teams. Later, as a professional NFL cheerleader, I lived in two-a-days—my own workouts plus rehearsals. Do you see the pattern? By the time I retired and eventually became a mom, the unspoken rule in my head was: If I’m not training like an athlete, it’s not good enough.

Then motherhood happened—and everything shifted.

I had to meet myself with grace and love, because taking care of myself looked completely different. I was now responsible for another human being 24/7. I was his everything. Two-a-days weren’t just unrealistic—they were laughable.

And that’s when I learned something powerful: movement doesn’t have to be long or extreme to be effective. Sometimes, ten intentional minutes is exactly what your body—and your season of life—needs.

That realization changed everything about how I coach moms today.

Most moms don’t work out—not because they don’t care, not because they’re lazy—but because they believe they need a full 60 minutes for it to be worth it. And when that kind of time feels impossible, the workout gets pushed to “someday.”

Here’s the truth I’ve seen over and over again:

10 minutes done consistently creates far more results than

long workouts done rarely.

Short workouts lower the barrier to starting. They fit into real life. And when done with intention, they still deliver big benefits—improving consistency, metabolism, mood, and even self-discipline. You stop waiting for the perfect window and start showing up in the one you actually have.

And no, 10 minutes doesn’t mean it’s easy or ineffective. It just means it’s focused.

Here are a few of my favorite ways to make a 10-minute workout count:

• 10-minute EMOM (Every Minute on the Minute) to challenge strength and endurance without overthinking it

• 10-minute walk to clear your head, boost energy, and reset your nervous system

• 10-minute bodyweight circuit you can do anywhere—no equipment, no excuses

• 10-minute strength block focused on one or two key movements to build real strength over time

Ten minutes is approachable. Ten minutes is repeatable. And ten minutes is often the difference between doing nothing… and doing something that actually moves the needle.

I hope you hear my heart when you read this.

This isn’t about lowering the bar or doing the bare minimum. It’s about giving yourself permission to care for your body in a way that actually fits your life—this season of your life.

You’re not too busy because you don’t care. You’re busy because you’re carrying a lot. And that’s exactly why movement doesn’t need to be complicated to be powerful.

You are never too busy for 10 minutes. Ten minutes fits into any season.

So today, don’t overthink it. Set a 10-minute timer. Move your body. Let it count.

Because it does.