Got 10 Minutes? Squeeze in a Leg Workout!

One of the biggest reasons many people don’t go to the gym is because they don’t have time. I agree – sometimes there’s just not enough time in the day to get yourself to the gym. And sometimes maybe you just don’t feel up to a full-on workout. But, neither of those are great excuses for not getting in some form of exercise. 

I admit, there are days where I skip the gym. But, I always try to do something at home – whether it’s crunches, cardio or whatever I can work up the strength to do that night. 

Here’s a quick 10-minute leg workout you can do at home:

Squats

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Start with your feet about shoulder width apart. Put your hands on your hips or keep them straight in front of you. Keep your back straight as you perform a sitting motion. Once you’ve bent your legs 90 degrees, stand back up.

Frog Jumps

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Start in a squat position. Jump as high as you can and try to land softly back in your squat position.

Walking Lunges

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Start by standing with your hands on your hips. Step forward with your right leg until your leg reaches a 90 degree angle. Don’t let your knee pass your toes. Stand up on your right leg and bring your left leg forward and step into a lunge with that leg. 

Sumo Squats

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Stand with your legs a bit farther than shoulder width apart. Point your toes outward. Squat down until both of your knees reach 90 degree angles. 

Side Lunges

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Start with your feet about shoulder width apart. Put your hands on your hips. Lift your right foot and step to the side while squatting. Keep your knee aligned above your toes and squat until your leg has reached a 90 degree angle. Try to keep your back straight. With this exercise, you can either work one side repeatedly for a stronger burn or go from side-to-side.

Perform each exercise for approximately 45 to 50 seconds. Rest for 10 to 15 seconds and move onto the next exercise. Do these five moves twice and you’re done! If you’d like, you can even hold dumbbells in your hands while performing some of these exercises to make them more challenging.

There are plenty of other leg exercises you can incorporate into this routine. Play around and see what works best for you. The whole point of any 10-minute routine is to get up and get moving. We all have those days where we’re either too busy to get to the gym or just don’t feel like it, so create some 10-minute workouts and use them as a back-up to make yourself get off the couch on those busy or lazy days!