Ten 10-Min Workouts That Actually Boost Mental Health

What if I told you it took just 10 minutes a day to boost your mood, develop healthy habits, and squeeze in a good workout? Mixing-and-matching the following ten 10-min workouts can be a game changer for busy teens juggling academics, extracurriculars, and personal commitments.

10 minutes of...running

A study conducted in Japan investigated the mental health and cognitive functioning benefits of just 10 minutes of jogging each day. Professor Hideaki Soya states that “the results surprised [them], in that 10 minutes of moderate running enhances not only executive function but also pleasant mood coinciding with bilateral prefrontal activation.”

Steps:

Acquire appropriate dress (shorts, shirt, shoes, etc.)
Go to indoor treadmill or outside on flat ground (concrete sidewalk, grass, outdoor track, etc.)

10 minutes of...yoga

Yoga and stretching are a great way to start or end your day, releasing energy and cramps accumulated from sleep or from throughout the day. Additionally, flexibility and mobility are crucial for injury prevention!

Steps:

Acquire appropriate dress (shorts or pants, shirt, socks, etc.)
Go to soft ground (grass, carpet floor, etc.) or acquire a yoga mat.
Follow along to one of these short stretching YouTube videos

10 minutes of...bodyweight exercise

Bodyweight exercises are a powerful and accessible way to build strength, improve balance, and boost overall fitness with no equipment needed. They're especially important for teens because they promote body awareness, reduce injury risk, and can be done anywhere, making it easier to stay active consistently. Plus, movements like squats, push-ups, and planks engage multiple muscle groups and support long-term physical and mental health.

Steps:

Acquire appropriate dress (shorts, shirt, shoes, etc.)
Go to soft ground (grass, carpet floor, etc.) or acquire a yoga mat.
Follow along to this circuit compiled by the Northwestern Family Circuit:

1-Minute Warm-Up: Marching in place, jumping jacks, butt kicks, or high knees.

25 squats

10 push-ups

10 tricep dips

25 crunches

10 reverse lunges

10 walkouts

25 sumo squats

10 second plank holds

Self-Care Solutions: Your 10-Minute Anywhere WorkoutIf you have ever had a scheduling conundrum, you know that getting everything done in a week, a day, or even an hour can have you throwing your hands up in the air in exasperation. Rather than getting lost in the chaos, turn that feeling into motivation. Life can be a puzzle and you have to see where the pieces fit — especially when it comes to finding a place for exercise.

10 minutes of...pilates

Pilates is similar to yoga, but is notoriously more core-focused and can get very difficult as one's abilities improve. Taking care of the core is crucial for balance and a strong core can improve performance ability in other exercises such as running, cycling, or weight-lifting.

Steps:

Acquire appropriate dress (shorts, shirt, shoes, etc.)
Go to soft ground (grass, carpet floor, etc.) or acquire a yoga mat.
Follow along to one of these short YouTube videos

10 minutes of...HIIT

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a great way to improve the cardiovascular system via alternating bursts of intense repeating heart-rate-raising exercises and rest periods. As you get better, you can decrease the rest periods between exercise intervals.

Steps:

Acquire appropriate dress (shorts, shirt, shoes, etc.)
Go to hard ground or acquire a yoga mat.
Follow along to this HIIT circuit from PureGym for Teenagers:

Warm up (30-60 seconds each):

Arm circles, leg swings, lung walks with a twist, walking knees to chest, straight leg kicks

HIIT portion - 30 second exercises with 20 seconds between each

Plank

Push-up

Sit-up

Standing squats

Mountain climbers

Jumping jacks

Burpees

Cool down (30-60 seconds each):

Quadricep stretch, hamstring stretch, standing calf stretch, cobra stretch

The Best Workout Plans for TeenagersLearn all about teenage fitness, with PT Sunny Deo explaining why it's so important, how to do it safely and offering examples of workout plans to try.

10 minutes of...dance workout

Dance workouts are a super fun way to listen to good music and move in a less-intimidating environment - easily in your own bedroom, living room, or backyard!

Steps:

Acquire appropriate dress (shorts, shirt, shoes, etc.)
Go to an area with lots of space for movement.
Follow along to one of these dance Youtube videos:

10 minutes of...low-impact cardio

For days with less energy or willingness to get a full sweat out, low-impact cardio is a great alternative. Also, it is designed for people with less mobility or who are unable to jump on their floor.

Steps:

Acquire appropriate dress (shorts, shirt, shoes, etc.)
Go to an area with lots of space for movement.
Follow along to one of these Youtube videos:

10 minutes of...a pyramid workout

A pyramid workout is when you start small and increase the reps/durations per exercise as you continue. This makes it increasingly more difficult and exciting! If you prefer to start out strong and decrease, you can also start from the bottom and work your way up.

Steps:

Acquire appropriate dress (shorts, shirt, shoes, etc.)
Go to an area with lots of space for movement and a firm ground.
Follow along to this routine from YouAligned:

Burpees - 10 reps

Lunges - 20 reps

Tuck jumps - 30 reps

Tricep dips - 40 reps

Jumping jacks - 50 reps

Leg lifts - 60 reps

Side-to-Side Shuffles - 70 reps

Plank - 80 seconds

Jump rope - 90 seconds

Squat jumps - 100 reps

A great part about this workout is that you can change up the order to change reps/durations per exercise each time you do it - there are 3,628,800 combinations!

Try This Full Body Workout for a Killer Workout Anywhere – No Equipment NeededRock this pyramid workout! This entire full body workout can be done anywhere using your body weight alone. Oh yeah, no equipment workout - so, no excuses!

10 minutes of...at-home leg workout

As hated as "leg day" often is, the legs do hold the largest muscles in the body and are necessary for everything - walking, sitting, dancing, etc. So, be sure to incorporate these quick leg workouts to round-out your routine.

Steps:

Acquire appropriate dress (shorts, shirt, shoes, etc.)
Go to an area with lots of space for movement and a firm ground.
Follow along to one of the below YouTube videos

10 minutes of...walking

Walking is amazing low-intensity exercise that reaps all the same benefits as running when the same distance is completed. So, follow the two very simple steps below, put on your favorite playlist, podcast, or Netflix episode, and get walking!

Steps:

Acquire appropriate dress (shorts, shirt, shoes, etc.)
Go outside!!!! (or to a treadmill)

Sources:

[1] Prefrontal and premotor cortices are involved in adapting walking and running speed on the treadmill: an optical imaging study

[2] https://counseling.northwestern.edu/blog/self-care-solutions-your-10-minute-anywhere-workout/

[3] https://www.puregym.com/blog/the-best-workout-plans-for-teenagers/

[4] https://youaligned.com/lifestyle/total-body-pyramid-workout/

Written by: Siena

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