20 minutes, 9 moves and no equipment to build strength all over and boost your metabolism without weights

Now that the calendar has flipped over to December, it’s often harder than ever to fit in a workout. Your schedule between Thanksgiving and Christmas may be packed with work, social events and family get-togethers, so what you need is a quick, no-equipment routine that’ll raise your heart rate when you’re in a pinch.

And since you only need some space & 20 minutes plus a set of workout headphones this routine works great when time is limited at home or during travel. The session was created by personal training duo Juice and Toya and uses low-impact movements that are gentle on your joints. This makes it perfect if you have sore knees or need to keep the noise down.

I know a lot of people see “low-impact” and think that means it’s an “easy” option, but that’s not necessarily the case. These routines can still be intense, especially since Juice & Toya programmed a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout, where you can adjust the intensity by increasing the amount you do in the interval.

There are nine exercises in the session (although two variations, so it’s more like 18 moves). You’ll do two sets in total, working for 25 seconds on variation one, a five-second pause, 25 seconds on variation two, and then a 15-second rest between moves. The aim is to train as intensely as you can for those 25 seconds of work.

If you’re just easing back into an exercise routine before the New Year rush, or it’d be useful for a refresher, the duo demonstrates each move before the timer starts, so you can practice your technique as you go. And it’s important to do each move with good form and not just speed through if you want to get the best results and avoid injury.

Watch Juice & Toya’s 20-minute low-impact workout

HIIT workouts are a great option if you’re pushed for time; they’re efficient, work multiple areas of your body simultaneously and keeping breaks to a minimum raises your heart rate. This burns more energy during the routine, but also helps boost your metabolism, the amount of energy you burn throughout the day.

The customizable nature of these workouts is a major advantage. If you need something easier then slow down the pace and do fewer reps. When you have lots of energy & want to burn it off you can speed up the movements while keeping your form solid. With most HIIT workouts you could modify the rest periods but Juice & Toya have kept the breaks pretty short so I would not recommend reducing the five-second pause or 15-second rest between exercises. This particular session is low-impact so you will not put much force through your joints or make much noise from jumping. This makes it perfect if you need to stay quiet while working out at someone else’s place. It also works well if you want to maintain your cardio fitness without running. While intense workouts are great it helps to remember that movement does not always require fitness clothes & sweating. Walking is another low-impact exercise that benefits both body & mind. I walk for 90 minutes every morning & it has been one of my best decisions. I prefer reaching some green space but even city walking offers a good opportunity to practice mindfulness & move your body while having a good time. If you cannot make time for it during Christmas then when will you?