If you’re short on time, 10-minute workouts that combine the benefits of resistance training and cardio are the exercise you should do. They happen to be a favorite workout of personal trainer Jennifer Nagel when she doesn’t have much time. Nagel told Popsugar that one such training counts as daily cardio, “as long as your heart rate stays at a moderate to vigorous level for at least 10 minutes during an exercise.”
Traditionally, strength training sessions can’t be described as cardio because the rest periods bring the heart rate down. A resistance-training circuit, however, offers little to no rests and keeps your heart pumping while you’re working out the muscles.
“These types of workouts are effective when you include compound exercises that work large muscle groups such as legs, back, and chest, or even when you can combine multiple compound movements into one exercise,” says Nagel. This allows you to work more muscle groups in 10-15 minutes and is perfect for days when you’re too busy but you still don’t want to skip working out altogether.
If you’re just starting out, don’t be afraid to take breaks when needed and to modify the exercises to fit your current fitness level. It’s important not to get injured and to allow yourself to slowly reach the level where you can do a combined workout like this.
