192. Is 10 Minutes Enough?

A ten-minute HIIT workout is enough. Gone are the days we need to slog through a long, moderate workout that doesn’t make us feel good… and deep down, we know we won’t stick to it. It’s time to become a ten-minute workout person. Work out smarter, not harder, and create long-lasting body composition changes. In this episode, I talk about how long to work out for and when, the dangers of overexercising, and why exercise alone isn’t a great weight loss strategy.   Commit to three to four tasks on a daily basis. Once you’re done, you need to check out. You need to rest as much as you need to work. This is like my 3-2-1 strategy. 3 things you have to do. 2 things you want to do. 1 thing you’re willing to leave on the to-do list.   The 10 Minute HIIT Workout Ten minutes of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is as effective as 50 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise. That’s why I want you all to become people who exercise for ten minutes. You can build on your times when you have a consistent routine at this length. There’s also new research that shows the best time to exercise is, in fact, in the morning. Exercising in the morning increases insulin sensitivity and decreases insulin resistance. Ten minutes of HIIT in the morning? That’s what I call working out smarter, not harder.   Is 10 Minutes Actually Enough? I understand some people don’t think that a ten-minute workout is long enough to burn fat. But, exercise is not a great weight loss strategy. It’s necessary for other bodily functions and your mental health, but you lose more weight by making changes to your nutrition. Besides, there are actually downsides to overexercising. Overexercising causes your cortisol to spike, your body to hold onto excess water, making you look puffy and bloated, and it’s really hard on your body. It’s about the quality of the work you do, not the quantity. Become a ten-minute exercise person and see how it transforms your approach to movement. As of today, from this moment forward, you are a ten-minute exercise person. Try this for yourself and see how it goes. Let me know in the comments on the episode page.   In This Episode  How ten minutes of HIIT training has the same metabolic benefit as 50 minutes of steady exercise [6:00] The best time of day to exercise [7:00] Why you have to work out smarter, not harder [9:15] How to burn enough calories during 10-minute workouts [13:00] What happens when you overexercise [20:00] Why what you’re doing is enough [23:00]   Quotes “It turns out that ten minutes of exercise is enough. In fact, it’s a pretty big deal.” [2:18] “Consistency is what’s going to determine long-term, sustainable results. If a 60-minute workout routine is never going to be sustainable for you or isn’t sustainable for you in the moment, then that’s not going to be a good strategy. Ten minutes. The idea that you can work out for ten minutes and it’s doing something.” [8:40] “Exercise is not a great weight loss strategy. Exercise is necessary to remain functional, to remain strong, and to maintain your muscle mass, which will maintain your basal metabolic rate. But in general, using exercise to burn enough calories to create a deficit for weight loss – that’s not going to be a very realistic and sustainable strategy.” [13:55] “Here’s the magic sauce. The magic is finding the minimal amount of exercise that will give you the most bang for your buck in terms of body composition without significantly increasing your appetite and enjoying doing what you’re doing.” [17:12] “What I’m really trying to push you with on this episode is the idea that less can be more and what are your limiting beliefs that are surrounding your wanting to keep the same schedule of doing more.” [21:50] “Becoming a person who exercises for thirty minutes has to start with a person who is a consistent exerciser for ten minutes. You have to identify with that.” [26:39]   Resources Mentioned 31 Days of FIT. Learn more HERE. Muscle Maintenance During Fat Loss. Waitlist HERE. Fit Woman Collective™. Learn more HERE. Transform® 8.0 deposit link is now open. Sign up HERE. Follow Dr. Ali Novitsky on TikTok | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube Subscribe to The Muscles and Mindset Podcast on Apple Podcasts *** Ali Novitsky MD, this podcast, and podcast write-up are NOT providing medical advice ***   Related Episodes  Episode 176: Optimizing Your Health with Strength Training Episode 177: Tracking Body Composition Changes Episode 169: Let's Make Muscle