It can be hard to convince yourself to work out in the morning, but once you buckle down and do it, you literally feel like a badass energizer bunny for the rest of the day. Sometimes, though, even if you've talked yourself into squeezing in an a.m. sweat sesh, you snooze your alarm one too many times and end up with a lot less time than you'd planned on. In that case, there are plenty of quick workouts you can do in the morning so that you're still able to get your body moving a little, but you're not sacrificing that much-needed time to shower, grab breakfast, and get out of the house.
Contrary to popular belief, you actually don't have to work out for an entire hour in order for it to be effective, friends. According to a 2012 study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, workouts that last anywhere from five to 15 minutes can still be extremely beneficial for your body — especially in the morning, when you're craving a natural boost of energy that your beloved cup of coffee just can't provide sometimes.
And, look, if you have time in the a.m. to flow through a 45-minute yoga practice or hit up the gym for a whole hour, respect, girl — keep doing you. But for those days when you're in a hurry and only have about 10 minutes or so to spare, here are seven quickies you can squeeze in right at home.
01A Pilates Punch To Wake You Right Up
Pilates is a subtly challenging exercise that'll provide you with tons of energy right when you wake up. According to Prevention, pilates "streamlines your silhouette," which is basically a very fancy way of saying the workout is awesome for your posture.
Cassey Ho's above Blogilates workout is amazing for when you're short on time in the morning, as the video is only about 10 minutes long altogether, and yet she still manages to zone in on all the good spots.
02A Quick Total-Body Workout
"Quick and effective" would be an understatement when it comes to describing professional dancer and personal trainer Danielle Peazer's seven-minute morning workout. Damn this sh*t burns, but it's so worth it.
If you want to gauge just how challenging this bad boy will be, one of the YouTube comments reads, "My favorite part was when the workout ended." Yikes, y'all.
03A Five-Minute Energizer
If you're a ~non-believer~ who thinks a quality workout simply cannot be done in just five minutes' time, I invite you to try this workout tomorrow morning and get back to me about how pooped you are after the fact.
This challenging workout routine will strengthen and lengthen your whole body, and trust me, you'll be completely out of breath by the time you hop in the shower. Who needs an alarm clock when you've got some energizing a.m. movement, amirite?
04Some Cardio Before You Go
On those days when you can't make it to the treadmill, or it's not nice enough to run outside, this at-home cardio workout sans equipment will definitely come in clutch.
I never thought jogging in place would pump me up so much for the day, but somehow, this sunrise cardio sesh has become a staple of mine. Fitness Blender, you guys are the real MVP.
05A Yoga Flow To Release All The Tension
A 10-minute yoga flow that targets all the parts of your body that are begging for some love and TLC is an incredible way to salute your morning and set yourself up for success the rest of the day.
From high lunges to hamstring stretches, you'll be the least stressed person at the office by the time you get to work.
06An Ab Workout To Get Your Least Favorite Exercise Out Of The Way
I know, I know, who the heck wants to start their morning off with ab exercises? But think about it this way: If you get them out of the way before your brain even has time to wake up and process what you're doing, then you won't even have the chance to talk yourself out of it later on when all you want to do is melt into your couch and watch The Office.
Ah, beating the system has never felt so good.
07An Intense Dance Workout To Boost Your Mood
I don't know about you, but starting my day off with an uplifting and sweaty dance party sounds like the actual best thing ever. I don't know why I've never thought of squeezing a short dance workout into my a.m. routine before, but you better believe I'm trying this one out first thing tomorrow morning.
BTW, you don't even need to follow Peazer's above video if you don't feel like it (though her dance moves are fire, I have to say). If you have some good songs in mind, simply put on your playlist, and just move to the beat, girl. You energy levels will soar, and who knows, you might even crack a smile before 8 a.m.
