Mini workouts, also referred to as minimalist workouts, are a big fitness trend for 2024. Gone are the days when people have an hour or more to spend in the gym. With everyone valuing their time a lot more, maximum efficacy and efficiency are cherished in whatever we commit to, including our workouts.
One of the reasons mini workouts are gaining popularity is because they are flexible. Some people focus on one body part per mini workout while others like to focus their attention on the entire body in one session. There is no right answer – just what works best for you and your schedule.
The American Heart Association recommends the following activity for adults:
- 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity (preferably a combination) a week
- Strengthening activity of moderate to high intensity at least 2 days a week
To utilize mini workouts to accomplish this threshold, you could do three 10 minute moderate intensity aerobic workouts a day 5 days a week or three 15 minute high intensity aerobic workouts a day 5 days a week, and add strength training separately two days a week or added on to two of the aerobic sessions. Alternatively you could train 3 days a week for 50 minutes each day (either as one session or split up into two or three sessions a day), and strength train on two others days that week. There are so many ways to break your workout sessions up. The bottom line is that multiple exercise sessions over the course of a day are just as effective as one continuous session.
And studies are showing that people get overwhelmed by finding time for long gym sessions, so breaking workouts into shorter chunks make fitness more accessible to more people, and with more accessibility comes more sustainability.
Other benefits of mini workouts, in addition to flexibility, accessibility, and sustainability, include improving overall health, mood enhancement, better focus, and improved muscle strength.
If you want to learn more about minimalist workouts, check out this article I was interviewed for in SEEMA magazine:
