7 Minute Total Exercise Routine

This 7-minute, Research-Based Workout Exercises Your Whole Body

Don't have an hour or even twenty minutes to exercise each day? You might not need it. This routine of 12 exercises is a complete workout based on the latest fitness research—and it only takes 7 minutes.

As with other short, but highly efficient exercises, this routine is based on interval training, where you're combining intense activity with brief recovery periods. We've seen interval training touted before as the most efficient type of exercise. You could do it with cycling, but this workout is an alternative guide and you can do it basically anywhere with almost no equipment.

The routine was posted in the May-June issue of the American College of Sports Medicine's Health & Fitness Journal and highlighted by The New York Times. In this program:

The exercises should be performed in rapid succession, allowing 30 seconds for each [with a 10-second rest between exercises], while, throughout, the intensity hovers at about an 8 on a discomfort scale of 1 to 10, [director of exercise physiology at the Human Performance Institute] Mr. Jordan says. Those seven minutes should be, in a word, unpleasant. The upside is, after seven minutes, you’re done.

As you can see from the chart at the top of this post, all you need is your own body weight and a chair to get "maximum results with minimal investment." However, this was designed for people with pretty sedentary lives, so if you're starting out somewhat in shape, you should probably do this a few times in a row.

This workout combines the best ten exercises to burn calories and stay fit and strong. You should do each for 30 seconds with a 10-second rest in between for the workout to be effective.

1. Jumping Jacks

Stand up straight with your feet together and your arms at your side, then bend your knees slightly and follow this with a jump. In mid-jump, bring your legs out to the side about shoulder width or slightly wider. Raise your arms up as you are moving your legs outward.

Target: quads, glutes, hamstrings, core

2. Wall Sit

                   

 Stand approximately 2 feet in front of a wall and lean against the wall slowly. Begin to slide down the wall until your knees are bent at 9o degree angle,  like sitting in a chair. Keep this position for a minimum of 20 seconds or a maximum of 60 seconds.

Target: quads, lowerback, shoulders, hamstrings, core


3. Push-up

With this exercise, you will target your pectoral muscles, triceps, and anterior deltoids. It’s simple, just push your body up and down using your upper body and arm strength. To do a correct push-up, you must raise your body up onto your toes, so you are balanced on your hands and toes. It is important to keep your body in a straight line from head to toe without sagging your torso or arching your back.

Target: chest, shoulders, triceps, and abs

4. Abdominal Crunch

Lie on the floor, facing up, with your knees bent, then curl your shoulders towards your pelvis. You can either place your hands beside your neck, resting gently behind your neck, or placed across your chest. To perform a proper crunch, your lower back must remain resting against the floor allowing your hip flexors to rest so all of the attention can be focused on your abdominal muscles.

Target: core

5.Step-up on to chair

This exercise not only does it work on your abdominal muscles, but it also builds lean muscle mass, boosts your metabolism and helps in weight control.

Position a sturdy chair in front of you and stand with your feet about hip-width apart and your arms at your sides. Next, step up onto the seat with one foot and press down while bringing your other foot up next to it. Step back with the leading foot and bring the trailing foot down beside it to finish one complete step-up.

Target: quad, harmstrings

6. Squat

To perform a proper squat, your feet should be flat on the ground, about shoulder-width apart and point your feet slightly facing outward, rather than straight ahead. Never let your knees extend beyond your toes, as this will increase the likelihood of damage to your knees. Keep your back straight and bend at your knees as if you were going to sit back in a chair, thrust your hips forward and pull in your abs while keeping your back only slightly arched. Slowly lower your body so that your legs are almost parallel to the floor.

Target: quad, harmstrings, calves

7. Triceps dip on chair 

Sit on the chair with the palms of your hands on the edge, and then slowly slide your buttocks off the seat while supporting your weight with your hands. First, straighten your right leg and keep your left leg bent at a 90-degree angle keeping your elbows bent all the time, slowly lower your buttocks towards the floor. Push back up until your arms are straight.

Target: shoulder, tricep

8. Plank

This exercise is excellent for building your core and arm strength. Lie with your face down on the floor with your elbows resting on the floor and your arms in a 90-degree position. You then push down on the toes of your feet to extend your legs and push your body, so it is off the ground and resting on your elbows and toes. Hold the position for as long as you can.

Target: abdominal muscles, lower back 

9. High knees running in place

You have to perform a regular running motion while lifting your knees high into the air. Ensure that your legs are at 90-degree angles when being lifted high into the air and point your toes forward to maintain the correct form and to benefit from this simple exercise. This exercise is great for the muscles in your legs and hips, and can even improve your lower body flexibility.

Target: quads, glutes, calves

10. Lunge

With this exercise, you will tone different areas of your body, so it is a particularly useful exercise.

To perform a basic lunge, you must first begin by standing up straight with your shoulders back and relaxed and your chin up, step forward with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle. Maintain the weight in your heels as you then push up to the starting position.

Target: quads, glutes, calves

11.Push-up and rotation

Literally a twist on a traditional push-up, the push-up and rotation requires more balance, skill and coordination, as well as more strength as you support your upper body with one arm momentarily. This advanced exercise is ideal for those exercisers who find the traditional push-up not challenging enough. It will provide a greater workout for the chest, shoulders, and arms, but also the core muscles.

Start with hands just wider than shoulder-width, hands and feet on the floor, body straight from head-to-heel, arms fully extended, but not locked. Lower your body until elbows are bent at 90 degrees, keeping core muscles engaged. Push up, rotate upper body and extend your right arm upwards. Return to starting position and repeat. (Alternating sides).

Target: chest, shoulders, triceps, core

12.Side Plank

Turn onto your right side with your legs extended and your feet and hips resting on the ground and stacked on top of each other. Place your right elbow directly under your shoulder to prop up your torso, and align your head with your spine. Gently contract your core and lift your hips and knees off the floor; this strengthens your sides and deep ab muscles. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds, gradually working up to a minute, and return to the starting position. Roll onto the other side and repeat.

Target: core, shoulders, triceps, and abs