The 10-Minute Rule That Changed My Fitness

You don’t need an hour. You don’t need the perfect outfit or the perfect playlist. You need 10 minutes. That’s it. And once you stop making workouts an “all or nothing” thing, you’ll finally see progress and keep it.

For years, I told myself “If I can’t do a full workout, it’s not worth doing at all.” Guess how many workouts I skipped because of that? More than I’d like to admit. Then I tried something new: I made a rule that I only had to move for 10 minutes. If I wanted to stop after that, fine.

Why 10 Minutes Works:

• It kills perfectionism. Ten minutes doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to happen.

• It’s a low barrier to entry. No mental gymnastics about whether you “have time.”

• It builds consistency. Ten minutes today makes tomorrow’s workout more likely.

How to Use It:

1. Pick simple moves. Squats, push-ups, planks. No overcomplicated routines.

2. Stack it with something you already do. After coffee, before a shower, during a TV episode.

3. Stop or keep going. If you feel good, go longer. If not, you’ve still moved.

Three Quick 10-Minute Workouts:

• Full-Body: 1 min squats, 1 min push-ups, 1 min plank → repeat 3 times.

• Cardio Burst: 30 sec jumping jacks, 30 sec high knees, 30 sec mountain climbers → repeat 5 times.

• Core Focus: 45 sec plank, 45 sec side plank (left), 45 sec side plank (right) → repeat 2–3 times.

Ten minutes might not sound like much, but it’s the difference between waiting for the perfect moment and creating it. You don’t need more time. You just need to start.

I found a love for pilates, but this summer I have not been able to go nearly as much as I do in the school year. I found this to work on days I cannot fit anything else in.