Start your day with a HIIT workout.
Image Credit: LightFieldStudios/iStock/GettyImages Starting your day with a HIIT workout is one of the best ways to make sure you get the calorie-burning, body-sculpting benefits of high-intensity interval training. It’s the perfect choice for people who are on a time crunch in the AM (so all of us, basically).
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HIIT involves "short stints of exercise that keep your heart rate up with little rest in between each move, torching a ton of calories when you're short on time," says Jami Rogenski, personal trainer and HIIT group training instructor at Sweat Garage in Los Angeles. "You can knock out a 10-minute sweat session anywhere, without any equipment — just using your body weight, going at your own pace!"
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Working out first thing in the morning means you head into the rest of the day feeling accomplished and hopefully a bit more energized. "I personally find that jump-starting my day with a HIIT workout increases my energy and restores mental clarity, setting an accomplished tone to the day bright and early," Rogenski says.
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Want to try it for yourself? Here are four different HIIT workouts from Rogenski you can do in just 10 minutes at home (or in the park or gym or wherever you choose!) first thing in the morning — no equipment needed.
All four workouts are simple, straightforward and effective, but not so intense or exhausting that you won’t have energy left for the rest of the day. Don’t forget to warm up before your workout and cool down afterward!
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Read more: HIIT for Beginners: 7 Tips to Jump-Start Your Workouts
Morning HIIT Workout #1
Do: Each move for 60 seconds and repeat the circuit twice
Jumping jacks Squat jump Push-up Mountain climber Forearm plank hip drop
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Move 1: Jumping Jack
Time (In Seconds)
1 Min
Start standing with feet together and arms at your side. Jump your feet out and raise your arms overhead. Jump your feet back together and lower your arms back to your side.
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Move 2: Jump Squat
Time (In Seconds)
1 Min
With feet shoulder-width apart, lower into a squat, keeping your knees behind toes. Drive through your feet and jump up. Land with knees slightly bent and go straight into the next rep.
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Move 3: Push-Up
Time (In Seconds)
1 Min
Start in a high plank, hands under shoulders and your body in a straight line from head to toe. Bend your elbows at a 45-degree angle to your body to lower your chest to the ground. Press back up into a plank.
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Move 4: Mountain Climber
Time (In Seconds)
1 Min
Start in a high plank position. Bring your left knee up toward your left elbow. Return to the start and repeat on the other side. Continue alternating between the right and left leg.
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Move 5: Forearm Plank
Time (In Seconds)
1 Min
Start lying facedown. Engage your core and glutes as you press into a forearm plank, forming a straight line from head to hips to heels. Keep your elbows stacked under your shoulders and your spine neutral.
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Read more: The Perfect 20-Minute HIIT Workout You Can Squeeze in Anywhere
Morning HIIT Workout #2
Do: Each move for 60 seconds
Jumping jacks Squat Burpee Alternating lunge Fast feet Walkout push-up High plank Superman Leg lift Bicycle crunch
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Move 1: Jumping Jacks
Start standing with feet together and arms at your side. Jump your feet out and raise your arms overhead. Jump your feet back together and lower your arms back to your side.
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Move 2: Squat
With feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees and hinge your hips back. Lower down into a squat, keeping your knees behind toes. Return to standing and repeat.
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Move 3: Burpee
Stand, then lower down into a squat, placing your hands on the floor in front of you. Jump your feet back into a high plank. Do a push-up. Jump your feet back to your hands. Swing your arms for momentum as you jump into the air and land with knees slightly bent.
Move 4: Alternating Lunge
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With feet hip-width apart, step one foot out about two feet. Bend both knees and lower back knee down into a lunge, keeping your front knee from passing your toe line. Return to standing and switch.
Move 5: Fast Feet
Run in place as fast as you can.
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Move 6: Walkout Push-Up
From standing, walk your hands out to a high plank. Do one push-up on your toes or knees. Walk your hands back up to standing.
Move 7: High Plank
Start on all fours, then press up into a plank so that your body is parallel to the floor and your core is tight.
Move 8: Superman
Lie flat on your stomach, arms extending straight out in front of you. Raise your arms and legs off of the ground at the same time Hold for one to three seconds and return to starting position.
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Move 9: Leg Lift
Lie flat on your back, tuck your hands under your booty. Lift your legs with control up to 90 degrees, keeping them straight. Lower them back to about an inch off of the ground.
Move 10: Bicycle Crunch
Lie on your back with hands behind your head, elbows out. Bring your right elbow toward your bent left knee. Come back through center and bring your left elbow to your bent right knee.
Read more: Why You Should Add Body-Weight HIIT Workouts to Your Routine
Morning HIIT Workout #3
Do: Each move for 30 seconds and repeat the circuit twice
Squat Squat hold Jumping jacks Burpee Alternating lunge Curtsy lunge Push-up Mountain climber Sit-up Russian twist
Move 1: Squat
With feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees and hinge your hips back. Lower down into a squat, keeping your knees behind toes. Return to standing and repeat.
Move 2: Squat Hold
Hold low squat position for 10 seconds at a time
Move 3: Jumping Jacks
Start standing with feet together and arms at your side. Jump your feet out and raise your arms overhead. Jump your feet back together and lower your arms back to your side.
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Move 4: Burpee
Stand, then lower down into a squat, placing your hands on the floor in front of you. Jump your feet back into a high plank. Do a push-up. Jump your feet back to your hands. Swing your arms for momentum as you jump into the air and land with knees slightly bent.
Move 5: Alternating Lunge
With feet hip-width apart, step one foot out about two feet. Bend both knees and lower back knee down into a lunge, keeping your front knee from passing your toe line. Return to standing and switch.
Move 6: Curtsy Lunge
Stand tall, then step your right leg behind and outside your left and bend both knees. You should look like you’re curtsying. Stand and repeat on the other side.
Move 7: Push-Up
Start in a high plank, hands under shoulders and your body in a straight line from head to toe. Bend your elbows at a 45-degree angle to your body to lower your chest to the ground. Press back up into a plank.
Move 8: Mountain Climber
Start in a high plank position. Bring your left knee up toward your left elbow. Return to the start and repeat on the other side. Continue alternating between the right and left leg.
Move 9: Sit-Up
Lie on your back and bend your knees so the point up to the ceiling. Bring your hands behind your head, elbows flaring out. Engage your abs to sit all the way up, stomach to thighs. Lower back down with control.
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Move 10. Russian Twist
Sit with your knees bent, torso leaning back slightly. Rotate your core to face the right side, bringing both hands over to the right side. Come back through center and twist to the left.
Read more: The Ultimate Body-Weight HIIT Cardio Workout
HIIT Workout #4
Do: 10 reps of each move, repeat as many times as you can in 10 minutes
Jumping jacks Squat Squat pulse Burpee Push-up Mountain climber Plank tap Glute bridge Leg lift Sit-up
Move 1: Jumping Jacks
Start standing with feet together and arms at your side. Jump your feet out and raise your arms overhead. Jump your feet back together and lower your arms back to your side.
Move 2: Squat
With feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees and hinge your hips back. Lower down into a squat, keeping your knees behind toes. Return to standing and repeat.
Move 3: Squat Pulse
From the low squat position, pulse up and down before standing.
Move 4: Burpee
Stand, then lower down into a squat, placing your hands on the floor in front of you. Jump your feet back into a high plank. Do a push-up. Jump your feet back to your hands. Swing your arms for momentum as you jump into the air and land with knees slightly bent.
Move 5: Push-Up
Start in a high plank, hands under shoulders and your body in a straight line from head to toe. Bend your elbows at a 45-degree angle to your body to lower your chest to the ground. Press back up into a plank.
Move 6: Mountain Climber
Start in a high plank position. Bring your left knee up toward your left elbow. Return to the start and repeat on the other side. Continue alternating between the right and left leg.
Move 7: Plank Tap
From a high plank, lift your right hand and touch your left shoulder. Set the hand back down and repeat with the left hand.
Move 8: Glute Bridge
Lie on your back, knees bent, feet a few inches from your butt and arms along your side. Press into your feet and upper back to lift your hips and back off the floor. Hold for a few seconds, then return to the start.
Move 9: Leg Lift
Lie flat on your back, tuck your hands under your booty. Lift your legs with control up to 90 degrees, keeping them straight. Lower them back to about an inch off of the ground.
Move 10: Sit-Up
Lie on your back and bend your knees so the point up to the ceiling. Bring your hands behind your head, elbows flaring out. Engage your abs to sit all the way up, stomach to thighs. Lower back down with control.
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Start your day with a HIIT workout.
Image Credit: LightFieldStudios/iStock/GettyImages
Image Credit: LightFieldStudios/iStock/GettyImages
Time (In Seconds)
1 Min
Start standing with feet together and arms at your side. Jump your feet out and raise your arms overhead. Jump your feet back together and lower your arms back to your side.
Show Instructions
Time (In Seconds)
1 Min
With feet shoulder-width apart, lower into a squat, keeping your knees behind toes. Drive through your feet and jump up. Land with knees slightly bent and go straight into the next rep.
Show Instructions
Start in a high plank, hands under shoulders and your body in a straight line from head to toe. Bend your elbows at a 45-degree angle to your body to lower your chest to the ground. Press back up into a plank.
Show Instructions
Start in a high plank position. Bring your left knee up toward your left elbow. Return to the start and repeat on the other side. Continue alternating between the right and left leg.
Show Instructions
Start lying facedown. Engage your core and glutes as you press into a forearm plank, forming a straight line from head to hips to heels. Keep your elbows stacked under your shoulders and your spine neutral.
Show Instructions
