Minna's 10-Min. Workout

A Morning Routine To Rev Up Your Day

(CBS)  When it comes to starting your day with a workout, a lot of people like the idea, but can't seem to actually motivate themselves to get up and go. But the truth is, just 10 minutes of exercise in the morning can make a difference, and The Early Show fitness expert Minna Lessig shows us how.

Basically, the exercises are multi-muscle movements - targeting many muscle groups all at once to save time. Light hand weights and one's own body weight are used. If done every day, it can serve as a maintenance program for strength, complimenting your cardio exercise. It's also a great way to start your day - getting your energy levels up in place of using caffeine and sugar.

Warm up: One to 2 minutes marching in place, alternating knee lifts, or any low impact aerobic movement to get your blood circulating and body temperature increased.

Exercise 1: Squat and biceps curl combined with side leg lift and shoulder press. Add a straight leg kickback to change or alternate sides, using light hand weights.

How to do it:

• Stand with legs shoulder distance apart, holding a pair of light hand weights (2-8 pounds). As you lower down into a squat, simultaneously do a hammer style (palms facing in towards body) biceps curl.
  
  
• Then, press the weights overhead (a shoulder press) as you stand back upwards and abduct one leg (lift to the side).
  
  
• Lower back into a squat, lowering the arms and sneak in a backwards kickback to target the glutes and enable a shift in weight distribution, so that you may alternate sides.
  
  
• Start from the beginning, then abducting the other leg.

This targets front and back of legs, outer thighs, butt, biceps, shoulders, and triceps. Do 20-30 alternating reps. It should take 2 minutes max.

Exercise 2: Push-up and row.

How to do it:

• Either in a regular pushup position or modified on the knees, perform one full pushup and upon pushing back up to the top of a pushup position, bend one elbow 90 degrees, lifting the arm off the floor, utilizing the back muscles, (this is a row).

Can use light hand weight for extra challenge. Targets chest, shoulders, triceps, and back muscles. Do 20-30 alternating reps. Exercise should take 1-2 minutes.

Exercise 3: Core zapper: shoulder stance hold with leg lift and knee bend.

How to do it:

• Place your forearms on the floor, keeping your elbows aligned underneath your shoulders. Lift your body off the floor, contracting your abs and back (all your core muscles) to hold the position.
  Your body should be one long line from head to heels.
  
  
• Lift one leg off floor, squeezing butt muscles, then bend knee and sweep leg inward, towards chest for an extra abdominal crunch.
  
  
• Lower leg and alternate to other leg.

Targets core muscles by holding the position, and hamstrings, butt, abs, and entire back. Do 20 alternating reps. Should take 1-2 minutes

Cool Down with Yoga: Up dog to down dog and roll up through spine to standing. Hold upward facing dog for a stretch on entire front side of body, then push back into downward facing dog and hold for a stretch of entire backside of body. Step feet together and slowly roll up through spine, stretching back, coming to standing position. Should take 1-2 minutes.