Top 5 Mini Workouts For Busy People

By Sean Lynam

We all know how hard it is to find time in the day to work out, especially if you’re busy. But can’t busy people be healthy as well? Of course, they can! They just need to find a good way—mini workouts.

To prove our point and help everyone stay in shape or maintain their physical health, we’ve decided to share the best five mini-workouts to help you achieve your goals.

If you’re someone who has a lot of things on your plate during the day, you’ll most definitely find these mini-workouts useful.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to go to the gym to be healthy.

All you have to do is put at least 30 minutes of your day towards your physical well-being, and that’s all.

Now, let’s see how you can do that!

(Elly: Note the following workout routines contain intermediate-advanced level exercises suited to those who have a good strength level and are currently working out regularly. For something a little easier, download this “anywhere” bodyweight exercise pdf)

(This post includes affiliate links for which I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you should you make a purchase)

1. The “Core Clock” Mini Workout

The core clock mini workout is a fantastic way of working your core, so don’t just keep scrolling; give this one a chance.

It’s an exciting training technique that utilizes an imaginary clock built into the ground below you (you’ll act as the clock’s center).

Move your head clockwise to 1, and hold the position or do the exercise for the exact number of seconds that your head is showing on that imaginary clock. Then, proceed to the following number until you finish all 12.

In this workout, you’ll have three rounds, and they’ll look something like this:

  • “Core clock” mountain climbers
  • “Core clock” plank to pikes
  • 2-minute rest
  • “Core clock” ab rollouts

Don’t forget – you should do three complete rounds of these, so don’t underestimate this workout. 

For ab rolls and plank to pikes, use socks under your palms to slide across the floor for ab rolls and plank to pikes.

2. Strength-Mobility Bodyweight Challenge Mini Workout

Let’s examine the exercises in this mini-workout and then talk about them.

Strength-Mobility bodyweight challenge, three rounds of:

  1. 5 world’s greatest stretch (per side)
  2. 10 inchworms with pushup
  3. 15 beast holds with toe tap (per side)
  4. 10 crab reaches (per side)
  5. 30-second deep squat
  6. 30-second tricep pushup hold (at 90 degrees)

The world’s greatest stretch is a trendy variation of a full-body stretch that’s done by lunging forward with, let’s say, your right leg. You put your opposite (in this case, left) hand in line with that right foot, and you’re going to lower your forearm between your right foot and your left hand. Then you should hold for at least 10 seconds, raise that right forearm extended over your head, hold for another 10 seconds, and bring it down under your left arm.

Inchworms are done from the standing position; you bend and touch the ground with your hands, continue to move your hands forward until you reach the pushup position, and finish with a standard pushup. 

This exercise also puts pressure on your hamstrings which is an amazing component, and you should remember that workouts for hamstrings are often overlooked.

Crab reaches are very popular these days. Assume a sitting-up position with hands pointing behind you and your palms and feet flat on the floor. Then, lift your hips as high as possible to form a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.

Then, you should simultaneously reach with your right arm over your left shoulder while thrusting your hips up. Hold for maybe 5 seconds, and return to the crab position. The secret is in controlled movement and slow reps. If you do these right, you will feel the burn!

Deep squat, or as powerlifters like to call it, “ass-to-grass,” is the best form of squatting. If you hold that position and slowly go up, you’ll drastically improve your hip movement range and mobility and work on your quads and hamstrings.

And best for last – tricep pushup hold at 90 degrees. By doing this variant of the pushup, you’ll engage your tricep muscles more and work on your arm strength for pushing movements.

Remember, this can be done from your knees, so feel comfortable experimenting!

mini workouts for busy people-tricep pushup hold

3. Cardio-Strength Bodyweight Challenge

Strength and cardio go together, and anyone who tells you differently is probably doing something wrong. The heart is a muscle, and it needs exercise, so why not do both at the same time?

Here’s what you’ll do for four rounds:

  • 15 jumping lunges (per side)
  • 5 clapping pushups 
  • 20 squat jumps
  • 20 plank jacks
  • 20 squat jumps
  • 15 jumping lunges
  • 5 clapping pushups

These are very simple and popular exercises, and you’ve probably seen them before. Because of their simplicity, why not base a proper mini-workout on them?

Jumping lunges, clapping pushups, and squat jumps are all widely used in PE classes since they use large portions of muscle mass, and they’re great for your body. (Elly: providing you’re adequately warmed up and you’re injury-free with a good fitness level).

One thing you should keep in mind is that over time, you’ll feel that your body is dealing with these exercises more easily. You can work up to higher rep numbers if that’s the case.

But remember that this will expand the time frame you’ll need to complete this cardio-strength bodyweight challenge!

4. HIIT Training 

HIIT training is a broader term that confuses people who take an interest in it. But can you use HIIT training to burn fat and stay in shape? Of course, you can!

The beautiful thing about HIIT is that it can take between 4 and 20 minutes to complete a HIIT training, depending on which HIIT program you take up.

Kettlebell swings, jumping jacks, and cardio are all viable exercises for HIIT training. You can even do a combination, making this a HIIT mini-workout.

We propose the following plan:

  • 1-minute kettlebell swings (high intensity to low intensity)
  • 1-minute rest
  • 1-minute jumping jacks (high intensity to low intensity)
  • 1-minute rest
  • 1-minute burpees (high intensity to low intensity)

Do as much as you can in 20 minutes. That’s how long this mini-workout lasts.

If you do as such, you’ll engage your whole body, and that’s what HIIT mini workouts are all about. 

Kettlebell swings are excellent, but some people simply don’t have kettlebells at home. You can replace this with a bag filled to your desired weight or anything heavy that you have a good grip on.

Jumping jacks and burpees are amazing since you don’t need anything, and just by cranking up the speed of doing these exercises and slowing down, you’ll get the most out of a HIIT program.

5. Full Body Yoga

Full-body yoga is a fantastic way of engaging your whole body. All you’ll need for that is a foam pad or just a towel.

You can engage in full-body yoga positions and hold them for extended periods while controlling your breathing.

Downward-Facing Dog is a popular full-body yoga position. This position stretches your shoulders, hamstrings, calves, and arches of the feet and hands while strengthening your arms and legs.

full body yoga is a great at-home workout for busy people-downward dog is a popular posture

When you master this position, you can look into more complex positions, such as Chaturanga or the Locust pose. You can also choose yoga postures for specific health benefits, such as improving back pain, digestion, or relieving tension headaches.

Best mini workouts for busy people | in Conclusion

Now that we’ve looked at all 5 mini workouts for busy people, the only thing left to do is choose. Choose which one you’ll try out first and which is your favorite!

All of these mini-workouts are optimal for people who don’t have two hours in their day to go to the gym or don’t like doing so.

These exercises will engage the entirety of your body productively and will leave you feeling exhausted but very satisfied.

So, let’s get to work and burn those calories!

If you enjoyed this post, you might also want to try this jump rope workout or these TRX workouts for your chest, back, and legs. Or, check out these articles about functional fitness and natural movement.

(Elly: Click on the image below to learn more about FIIT, a top-rated home workout app. Or, read my review here).

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these recommended service provider links, like an insurance broker, or a travel agent, I may earn a commission – at no extra cost to you. [For my full disclosure, please see my DISCLAIMER page].

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Sean Lynam

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