Keeping fit should be a priority in everyone’s lives in order for our bodies and mind to remain healthy. But, not all of us physically have the time to do 40 minutes of exercise four times a week, we get it. If this is you, then first things first, don’t beat yourself up about it. Try these five quick exercises instead to get your heart pumping and body moving. All you’re going to need is an exercise/yoga mat, your favourite workout shoes and 10 minutes spare (so you can even do it while you’ve got tea on)
According to the NHS: “Exercise just once or twice a week can reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke.” The recommended physical activity time is 150 minutes a week of “moderate intensity activity” – that’s just around four 37 minute sessions. You could therefore couple this workout with one of our longer 20 minute bodyweight workouts but, don’t forget, you can also do really easy things like walking. Remember, doing a little bit is better than doing none at all.
This workout is ideal for breaking up your day if you’re sat down a lot, as it’ll add some movement back into it. You’ll have five exercises to complete and you’re going to do each one for one minute and do two rounds in total – then that’s your 10 minutes complete! If you need to have a little rest between each exercise, do, but otherwise try and do them back-to-back, so that you can fit this in within the 10 minutes. You can always take a 20 second break before going into the second round of the workout. Here’s what you’ll be doing:
- Stationary lunge with rotation
- Walk out to plank (keep a slight bend in the knees to make it easier)
- Tricep dip reaches (do this sat on the floor if it's too hard)
- Quad lean and hinge
- Superman push ups (to make this easier, do it from your knees)
We hope this has made you feel more energised and that your body feels better for moving. Over time, if you did want to make this a little more challenging, you could incorporate a light pair of dumbbells into some of the exercises, like the lunges, and you could rest one on your lap while doing the tricep reaches. Otherwise, if you don't have a pair, but feel ready to take things up a notch, give this 15-minute bodyweight workout a go and good luck!
