Tack One of These 10-Minute Classes Onto Your Next Workout

The Peloton Bike and Tread are known for their exceptional cardio workouts. Whether it’s Power Zone, HIIT and Hills, Tabata, Climb or one of our music or themed rides or runs, you’re guaranteed to get your heart pumping. And while the benefits of cardiovascular exercise are numerous, crafting a well-rounded fitness regimen that features different types of workouts can take your wellness to the next level.

Fortunately for all you cardio lovers out there, you don’t need to skip your heart rate-revving workout in favor of other classes to reach your fitness peak. You can start by stacking a 10-minute class with your next ride or run. For a minimal additional time commitment, you’ll reap big-time benefits. Here are six types to try.

Arms & Shoulders Strength

Running and cycling primarily recruit the muscles of the lower body and proper form for both calls for loose and relaxed arms and shoulders. For this reason, tacking on a 10-minute Arms & Shoulders class at the end of your cardio will help provide a more balanced, total body workout, plus offer the muscle-toning moves that will give you strong shoulders and tight, toned upper arms. If the only weights you have are those that came with your Bike, there are arms toning workouts available that just use these—on your Bike or in the app, simply filter to 10 minutes and choose Arms & Light Weights. But if you have larger dumbbells on hand as well, an Arms & Shoulders Strength workout on the floor is a fantastic option.

Core Strength

Every single movement, from those you do on a daily basis to those you do in your workouts, activates the muscles of your core. Working them will help you avoid back and joint pain, injuries and mobility issues as you age. The best part: It’s easy to work the core to exhaustion in a super short amount of time. A 10-minute core class is more than enough to challenge these muscles and give them the strength to support you. Seek out these classes in the Strength section.

Yoga Flow

If you’ve never considered yourself a yoga person, a 10-minute class after you get your sweat on is a great place to start. With your muscles already warm and fatigued, you’ll feel better stepping into unfamiliar poses, plus you may be surprised to feel how hard your body is working to hold them. Yoga stresses the mental aspect of exercise, forging a connection between the mind and the body and existing in the present moment, all of which can help make you a better athlete as well as make you more successful in your daily life. One of Peloton’s 10-minute Yoga Flow classes will provide a full-body, balanced addition to your workout.

Full-Body Stretch

No matter how old you are or how long you’ve been exercising, everyone can benefit from more stretching. Taking the time to stretch regularly improves flexibility, which helps maintain mobility and balance to prevent joint problems and lower your risk of injury. And this doesn’t just apply to the older crowd: Parents with young children who are constantly bent over or moving up and down off the floor will benefit from having supple, pliable muscles. Depending on how you’re feeling and the time of day at which you’re working out, adding a 10-minute Full-Body Stretch class before your workout can be just as beneficial as adding one afterwards.

Barre

Barre is a low-impact, strength-based workout that utilizes tiny, repeated movements to tone your muscles. This makes barre a perfect add-on to a cardio class because it’s going to challenge your body in an entirely different way. While running sprints or cycling through a HIIT ride are big, powerful movements that quickly increase your heart rate, the lifts and pulses utilized in barre emphasize stability and balance, and place the focus on specific muscles. Barre workouts live under the Strength tab; try one today.

Pilates

The newest addition to the family of Peloton classes, Pilates is another great way to mobilize your spine and stabilize your core. Although it’s easy to confuse it with yoga or barre, this core-centric workout focuses more on finding your center and drawing out the length in your body. The low-impact practice will improve muscle tone, flexibility, alignment and strength, while also helping prevent injuries. Get ready to feel taller and stronger than ever before—10 minutes is all it takes!

Breathing Meditation

It’s true that exercise, by nature, is characterized by movement. But incorporating stillness into your wellness routine can deliver impressive benefits—and meditation is a great way to do so. Finishing your workout with a 10-minute meditation provides an opportunity for you to check in with your body and become more aware of how you feel. What’s more, while your ride or run may be your daily anxiety reliever, exercise is still physically stressful on your body. Taking the time to meditate afterwards allows your body to rest and reset, ensuring that you continue into the rest of your day from a place of balance and strength. Start with a 10-minute Breathing Meditation; these classes have you focus on the breath so your mind won’t be wandering or drifting to your to-do list.

Which 10-minute class will you try first? Visit the Peloton App to choose one for your next workout!