As anyone who's had to maintain focus during interminable Zoom meetings throughout the past year knows, one can only pay attention to a task for so long before they experience diminishing returns in productivity. Breaks are necessary, and often the impulse is to fill them with mindless social media scrolling as a well-deserved mental reprieve. But what if you instead opted to power through a 10-minute full-body Pilates workout, such as the one demoed in the latest episode of
Good Moves?
Initially, you might meet this idea with resistance; after all, a challenging workout doesn't sound like much of a break. Pilates, however, is an excellent in-the-moment stress buster and mood booster. And if you're considering your long-term health and happiness, it's a better choice than a social scroll, too, as regular Pilates practice can improve bone density, prevent injury, and reduce back pain—all of which are upsides you'll thank yourself for later in life. Plus, research suggests that exercise breaks can improve focus, meaning you'll make the rest of your workday easier and more productive if you opt into a quick exercise "snack."
This particular workout is from Chloe De Winter of Go Chlo Pilates, and while it's only 10 minutes long, it packs a serious punch. "It's quite a challenging one, but remember to listen to your body and take breaks whenever you need," she says. Expect leg lifts, pulses, and circles that will burn out your lower extremities, and oblique crunches, several sit-up variations, and a little bit of upper-body work to top things off.
If your daily breaks from computer screen time tend to consist of even more screen time on other devices, it might be worth giving this bite-sized Pilates timeout a shot as a change of pace (literally). Press play on the video above to jumpstart a new healthy habit, or simply fit a super short workout in on your busiest, I-don't-have-time-to-work-out days.
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