If the idea of a full workout before coffee makes your morning feel even harder, Brianna Steinhilber has a simpler answer: do 10 squats while your drink brews. The certified personal trainer and TODAY.com health editor said the move can fit into the minutes you already spend waiting for coffee or tea, and it can work just as well if you are not a caffeine fiend and want to place it elsewhere in your morning routine.
Steinhilber described the approach as habit stacking, which means pairing a healthy habit with something you already do every day. In this case, the healthy habit is 1 exercise: 10 squats. She said the same idea can be tied to watching the today show, brushing your teeth, eating breakfast, doing skincare or even brainstorming your outfit. The point is not to carve out a separate block of time. It is to attach movement to a moment that is already there.
That matters for people who wake up early, move slowly in the morning or simply do not have the energy for a full session before caffeine. Steinhilber said the method takes no extra time and little motivation because another task becomes the cue. For anyone staring at the coffee maker at 4 a.m. and wondering how to get moving, that is the appeal: the routine does the prompting for you.
Squats also do more than check the box for exercise. Steinhilber said they work the quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, core and lower back, while also helping elevate the heart rate and burn calories. She said regular squatting can improve balance and posture, and the motion can increase blood flow, which may help you feel more alert. It also releases endorphins, she said, which can boost mood and help combat stress.
Her advice is less about squeezing in a workout and more about using one small action to change the tone of the day. Steinhilber said starting with one healthy choice can put people in the mindset to make more small, healthy choices later, and that the little things add up. In other words, the first 10 squats may be the easiest part of the plan — and the one most likely to lead to the next good decision.
The practical answer to the morning rut is not a bigger workout. It is a smaller one, attached to a habit already built into the day.
