Can Short Workouts Really Be Effective? 

At this point, we probably don’t need to tell you how beneficial daily movement is for your health. From your head to your feet to even your mental health, research has repeatedly shown that regular exercise is good for just about everything – and doctors, including Dr. Todd VanKerkhoff, an internal medicine physician, agree.  

“In the short-term, exercise can help boost our mood and energy, and improve our daily function and confidence. In the long-term, exercise can dramatically reduce the risk of many of the leading causes of illness and death, including heart disease, stroke, and complications of diabetes,” VanKerkhoff says when asked how exercise can benefit our bodies and minds. 

Now you might love those benefits, but if you’re feeling stressed about finding the time to move your body each day, you’re not alone. Whether you’re a student, a parent, or have a demanding job, hours of exercise just aren’t always possible for everyone. 

But the good news is that you really don’t need hours of exercise to reap those health benefits. In fact, all you really need is about 30 minutes per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The real key to making shorter workouts effective is making that time count. 

The Key to An Effective, Short Workout 

As a full-time Internal Medicine hospitalist and dad of three, VanKerkhoff knows how challenging it can be to fit in fitness. “Home workouts are the key to my consistency -- I recommend that everybody invest in some basic at-home equipment (kettlebells are my personal favorite), so that you never have to commute further than your living room or basement to exercise.  Even just 10 or 15 minutes is WAY better than nothing,” VanKerkhoff recommends. 

When you’re short on time, but still want a killer workout, VanKerkhoff suggests a workout that he calls the “2x4 method.”

“The ‘2x4’ workout format is four rounds of two compound exercises – one upper and one lower – performed as a superset. For one session, you might do overhead presses and lunges. On another, pull-ups and squats,” he explains. “It’s a great way to include quality strength work into your week, spread out among multiple quick sessions.”

“Frequent full-body sessions promote consistency and flexibility because they are easy to fit in, and you don’t have to worry about sticking to a rigid or complicated gym split. They also leave plenty of time for cardio, which is so important for athletic performance, health, and longevity.”

“The key to getting the most out of these sessions is to stick with compound exercises, or multi-joint movements like push-ups, squats, rows, or deadlifts, as opposed to isolation exercises like bicep curls; to use supersets and circuits (rotate through exercises instead of sitting around resting), and to choose challenging weight and rep schemes. If you’re only doing a few sets, you need to make them count!” VanKerkhoff emphasizes. He adds that he seeks to include a balance of movement patterns which include pushing, pulling, squatting, lunging, and hinging. 

So, ready to steal this doctor-approved, busy schedule-friendly workout plan? All you need is a kettlebell, dumbbell, or just your body weight, and a few of your favorite movements. Play around with which exercises feel right for you, and experiment with what gives you the best results in the least amount of time. 

On the days you have more time, try adding in a quick walk or jog, or use those few extra minutes for a little core finisher. You can also skip planning out your own workouts, and use VanKerkhoff’s training app, Playbook, which has dozens of simple at-home workouts in an organized, follow-along interface. 

Whatever exercises or workouts you choose, just remember to give it your all, and as VanKerkhoff reminds us, “view movement as a joy, not a chore. It’s a ‘get to,’ not a ‘have to!” 

Want more from Dr. Todd VanKerkhoff? Follow him @dr._dadbod or check out his app for additional effective and efficient home workouts.