These 30-second workouts can be done without changing clothes

They may not be running the race, but the Formula 1 drivers in today’s United States Grand Prix in Austin, Tex. are all in tip-top shape.

And if you want to follow their lead, trainer Bradley Scanes says you can start by carving out less than a minute to rev up your fitness routine. 

Scanes — who has worked with multiple F1 team and drivers, including world champ Max Verstappen — told The Post that incorporating his under-30-second micro-workouts will help you reach your fitness goal finish line faster. 

“Think of these as exercise snacks,” he said.

According to Scanes, microsessions can improve glucose control, boost mood and sharpen concentration when repeated throughout the day. 

“Just frequent, tiny bouts add up,” he said. “You don’t even need a change of clothes.”

“Drivers often do similar activations in the garage or on the grid between simulator runs,” he added. 

Quickie workout No. 1

One of his favorite “quickie” routines is a 30-second wall-sit, which gives a good workout to your quads, core and mental grit. He said these can be completed all “while the kettle boils.”

Stand with your back against a wall. Keep your feet about two feet away from the wall and shoulder-width apart, slowly sliding down until you’re in a squat position.

Quickie workout No. 2

Another of his speedy go-tos are single leg glute bridges for low back, core and leg strength. 

Lie flat on your back, starting with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Life one leg up, either straight out or bent. With your palms on the ground for support, lift your butt and back off the ground.

Three ten-second neck pushes from the front, back and sides while seated will also do the trick to get track ready. 

Quickie workout No. 3

Don’t forget to keep your eye on the prize — or F1 trophy — with an eye-hand reaction burst.

“Toss and catch a ball off a wall for 30 seconds with each hand,” said Scanes, who has a gym outside London and multiple online training businesses.

Quickie workout No. 4

Scanes has also trained Olympic basketball and gymnastics champions — but for drivers for WEC, IMSA, GTcup and junior series, “neck is king” for withstanding G-forces. 

“A simple banded neck isometrics routine includes pressing your head gently forward, back and sideways into a looped resistance band or small towel, building the support every driver needs for cornering,” he said.  

Add in some anti-rotation core work — which consists of doing a pallof press with a band or cable — and you’ve got an exercise that lasts just a couple minutes but makes a big difference.

“This routine teaches the trunk to stay rock-solid while the arms move, just like a driver fighting lateral G-forces,” he said.

How driver fitness can help you outside the racecar

Cockpits often exceed 120 degrees with race-long heart rates around 160 to 180 bpm, burning similar calories to a half-marathon. With G-forces at five to six grams, the driver’s head and helmet can feel like up to 90 pounds hanging off their neck. 

“They must cope with all of that while making high speed decisions at 190 miles per hour, communicating with a team, and pressing 20 plus buttons on the steering wheel,” said Scanes. 

Being in shape helps overcome mental barriers — whether you’re in a car or a cubicle. 

“Physical fitness underpins mental fitness,” he said. “The fitter you are the less you have to think about fatigue and tiredness, and the more you can focus on your mental tasks.”

And this can crossover into the office or home life. His drivers also utilize visualization techniques to improve mental performance. 

This has been shown to improve performance by over 30%, reduce anxiety by over 20%, and increase confidence by over 20%, which he explained is also “good crossover into your work and home.”

Breathing techniques like box breathing can also help to reduce heart rate in stressful times.