Wellness

9 Short Workouts You Can Do Between Zoom Meetings

You don’t even need sneakers for seven of them.

by Jay Polish
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
Try exercises like air squats and planks to boost your heart rate without any equipment.
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Want to fit in a quick workout when your 1 o'clock blessedly ends early? The possibilities are endless, says Nate Helming, co-founder of the training community The Run Experience and strength coach for the running app Strava.

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Workout To Refocus

"My refocus workout of choice? 30 burpees #sorrynotsorry," Helming says. "Don’t breathe faster than you burpee and don't burpee faster than you can breathe." Expect to take around five minutes, and to be pumped and ready to Zoom when you're done.

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Shadow Box

Meetings can be infuriating, so let it out with some shadow boxing between calls. Alternate between hooks, jabs, and uppercuts with proper boxing form for 30-second or minute-long rounds, resting as needed in between.

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Go For A Jog

Sometimes, keeping it at its most basic works best. A quick jog, even just around the block, can get you the sunlight and sweat your body needs before your next Zoom call.

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Use Music

"Pull up the song 'The Middle' by Zedd, Marren Morris, and GREY," Helming says. "Hold a plank for the entirety of the song. Every time Ms. Morris croons 'baby' or 'middle,' perform one full burpee or sprawl, then get back into your plank." Try your fave tunes with lyric-related workout twists.

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Bring Your Jump Rope Outside

You don't need fancy equipment for a solid 15-minute workout. Dust off ye old jump rope and see how many skips you can squeeze into the time that you've got. Remember to keep light on the balls of your feet — and breathe!

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4 Moves Are All You Need

Take a couple of minutes to warm up with some bodyweight squats, arm hugs, and leg swings. Then, set a timer for 10 minutes. At the top of each minute, follow Helming's prescription:

  • Even Minutes: Six to 10 lunges per leg + six to 10 pushups
  • Odd Minutes: 30-second bear crawl (make sure the floor’s clean!) + 30-second wall sit.

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Dance It Out

Turn up your tunes and channel your inner Cristina Yang — dancing and jumping around with abandon to your favorite pump-up playlist is a better workout than you might expect. It'll get your heart rate up while improving your coordination, balance, and endurance.

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15 Minute Yoga

It's pretty simple to find short yoga sessions online. Try to queue up your favs so you don't spend precious minutes scrolling.

Don't want to pull up a video? Take 15 to flow through a few steady sun salutations and you'll fight off that I've-Been-On-Zoom-For-Hours stiffness.

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Meditate

Okay, so it's not technically a "workout," but taking a few minutes between Zoom meetings to close your eyes and do a quick guided meditation with some deep breathing can help reset your body and your mind.