Is Exercising in Ten-Minute Increments Just as Effective as Longer Periods?

By the time you arrive home from a long workday, prepare dinner and spend time with your family, you no longer have enough time to spend a couple hours at the gym. Instead of shrugging off the idea of exercise altogether, get moving -- even if it's only for 10 minutes. A short workout won't have the same benefits as a longer one, but if you're short on time, it can still improve your health.

  1. Exercise Length

    • The length of your workout isn't the only factor that influences how effective it is. As such, a 10-minute workout can be more or less effective than a longer workout, depending on the nature of each period of exercise. If you're busy, a short workout is better than no workout at all. If your level of endurance is low, several short workouts can be more suitable than one long workout period. For example, if you want to walk or jog for 60 minutes per day but only have the endurance for 10 minutes of exercise, perform six 10-minute workouts to get the benefits of an hour of exercise. MayoClinic.com reports short bursts of exercise are ideal if you aren't able to perform a continuous workout.

    Gauging Effectiveness

    • The benefits of short versus long workouts depend on how you gauge your workout's effectiveness. A medium-paced walk for 10 minutes won't burn nearly as many calories as a 30-minute medium-paced walk, for example. A short, high-intensity workout, however, can provide benefits that a moderate-intensity workout does not -- or, at least does not in the same amount of time. High-intensity interval training is a workout in which you alternate short periods of high intensity with short recovery bouts of lower intensity; for example, sprinting on the treadmill for one minute, then walking briskly for two minutes over the course of a session. During this style of workout, your body can produce energy anaerobically and increase its maximal aerobic capacity without a long period of exercise -- as such, a HIIT workout can be more effective than a longer, traditional cardio workout for improving overall aerobic capacity, the American Council on Exercise notes.

    Workout Length Considerations

    • When developing your workout regimen, evaluate the reasons you're only able to exercise for 10 minutes. To lead a healthy lifestyle, you should aim for a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise and two strength-training workouts per week. If you don't physically have time for exercise, consider creating more spare time by rising earlier each morning or reducing the amount of TV you watch. If you get tired quickly and can't exercise beyond 10 minutes, switch to an easier workout.

    Exercise Intensity

    • The intensity at which you exercise can play a key role in the length of your workouts. If you enjoy jogging but are unable to jog beyond 10 minutes, don't just end your workout. Instead, alternate periods of jogging and walking or lessen the pace of your jog; by doing so, you'll likely be able to exercise beyond 10 minutes. MayoClinic.com cautions against overexerting yourself during your workout. If you experience shortness of breath and feel pain in your body, decrease your exercise intensity.