If you’re looking for an all-round type of exercise, look no further than Barre which combines strength training with flexibility and balance.

“The small, controlled movements and core-centric positions target muscles in a way that builds endurance and strengthens focus for a well-rounded, full-body workout experience,” explains certified barre instructor Kelly Miliano McHale.

But it’s not just about the physical benefits. “Barre strengthens the mind-body connection too,” adds McHale, who is a member of the Mindbody Wellness Council for the Mindbody app.

With a focus on synchronizing action with breath, it’s a form of mindful movement that can offer stress relief, too.

Whether you’re new to exercise or want a add barre as a complementary routine, McHale’s five-move, five-minute barre routine will help to build lower-body strength and improve balance.

1. Plié pulse

Sets: 1 Time: 1min

How to do it:

• Stand with feet as wide as you can, toes turned out slightly, and hands on hips (or clasped close to your chest).
• Bend your knees and lower into a wide squat, keeping your knees tracking over your toes, and your shoulders over your hips.
• Keep your heels on the floor, with your chest upright, back flat, tailbone neutral and core engaged.
• From the bottom, pulse up and down one to two inches for one minute, squeezing your thighs at the top of each pulse.

Trainer tip: Focus on strong posture and joint alignment rather than the depth of the squat.

2. Curtsy lunge pulse

Sets: 1 Time: 30sec each side

How to do it:

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips.
• Step your right foot back and to the left, crossing it behind your left leg, placing the ball of your right foot on the floor.
• Bend both knees to lower into a curtsy lunge, keeping your shoulders over your hips, chest lifted, back flat, tailbone neutral and core engaged.
• Pulse up and down one to two inches for 30 seconds (not alternating legs like the video).
• Keep your front knee tracking over your ankle and squeeze your thighs and outer glutes at the top of each pulse.
• Return to standing and switch sides.

Trainer tip: Keep both hips facing forward. Add weights such as dumbbells or a kettlebell if you need more of a challenge.

3. Standing attitude leg lift

Sets: 1 Time: 30sec each side

How to do it:

• Stand with your heels together and your toes pointing out slightly, holding a wall or chair for balance if needed.
• Engage your core and keep your shoulders over your hips, your chest upright, back flat, and tailbone neutral.
• Bend your right knee slightly and lift it behind you and to the side.
• Keep your hips facing forward and don’t lean away from the lifted leg.
• Lower it with control.
• Switch sides after 30 seconds.

Trainer tip: Picture a clock and think of lifting your leg towards 4-5pm.

4. Relevé calf raise

Sets: 1 Time: 1min

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on hips, or resting lightly on a wall for balance.
• Engage your core and keep your shoulders over your hips, your chest upright, back flat, and tailbone neutral.
• Rise onto the balls of both feet as high as possible.
• Lower slowly with control, but don’t let your heels touch the floor.
• Move slowly enough to feel the calves working through the full range of motion.

Trainer tip: Spread your weight through all 10 toes, and avoid your ankles rolling in or out.

5. Standing core wrap and hold

Sets: 3 Time: 20sec hold Rest: 10sec

How to do it:

• Stand tall, with your feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees.
• Place your hands on your rib cage and inhale deeply, feeling your rib cage expand.
• Exhale slowly and lower your rib cage toward the midline of your body to activate your abdominals.
• Your spine should stay still—this is an internal engagement, not a crunch.
• Hold the engaged position for 20 seconds, breathing steadily.
• Release for 10 seconds, then repeat two more times.

Trainer tip: This is isometric core engagement, “wrapping” the ribs down and in.

This move requires mind-body connection; keep practicing if you’re not feeling your abs engage at first. You can also try this move lying on your back with your knees bent, and feet flat on the floor.

For the past few months, I’ve been waking up with stiff joints. I don’t know whether this is just one of the many perimenopause symptoms I have to get used to or simply a sign of getting older (I’m fast approaching 50).

Either way, I usually feel better once I start moving, so I created a quick mobility flow to do before beginning my day. It takes just five minutes and you can even do it in your pajamas. I also find it a relaxing way to wind down, so I’ve started doing it before bed, too.

Mobility exercises can be particularly helpful in the morning, after your body has spent hours relatively still during sleep. Gently moving your joints through a comfortable range of motion warms the surrounding muscles and connective tissues, encourages circulation and helps distribute synovial fluid which lubricates your joints. This can help your body feel looser and your movements more comfortable and coordinated.

In the mobility flow below, you’ll perform six moves, one after another. Complete the circuit once, or repeat it if you have more time. I may not spring out of bed quite as easily as I did in my 20s, but this routine is definitely helping me start the day feeling more flexible.

How to do the five-minute mobility routine

1. Arm twist and neck turn
2. Arm circles
3. Standing cat-cow
4. Windmill
5. Hip opener
6. Squat to heel raise

Complete each move for 45 seconds, allowing five seconds to transition to the next exercise. Perform one full circuit—or repeat it twice if you have more time.

1. Arm twist and neck turn

Time: 45sec Rest/transition: 5sec

How to do it:

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and extend both arms out to the sides at shoulder height.
• Hold your left arm so your palm faces down, rotate your right arm so your palm faces up and gently turn your head to face right.
• Rotate your arms so your right palm faces down and your left palm faces up, and turn your head smoothly so you look left.
• Continue, alternating sides in a smooth, controlled rhythm.

2. Arm circles

Time: 45sec Rest/transition: 5sec

How to do it:

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and extend both arms out to the sides at shoulder height.
• Circle both arms backwards, gradually making the circles larger.
• Change direction halfway through, keeping your shoulders relaxed and your movements controlled.

3. Standing cat-cow

Time: 45sec Rest/transition: 5sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, soften your knees, hinge forward from your hips and place your hands on your thighs.
• Round your spine, tuck your pelvis and drop your chin towards your chest.
• Arch your back, press your chest forwards, draw your shoulders back and gently lift your head.
• Flow slowly between the two positions.

4. Windmill

Time: 45sec Rest/transition: 5sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees.
• Lift your arms to waist height and rotate your torso to the right, letting your arms swing loosely, and moving your head so your eyes follow the direction of the turn.
• Rotate your torso to the left, letting your arms swing loosely.
• Continue, rotating from side to side, keeping the movement relaxed but increasing the movement of your arms and letting your right heel lift as you rotate left, and vice versa.

5. Hip opener

Time: 45sec Rest/transition: 5sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips (or hold on to a chair or other sturdy surface for balance if needed).
• Lift and bend one knee in front of you, then rotate it out to the side, moving from your hip, then lower your foot back to the floor.
• Repeat with the other leg, Alternate legs, keeping your torso upright.
• Reverse the movement halfway through by lifting each knee out to the side and circling it back to the front.

6. Squat to heel raise

Time: 45sec Rest/transition: 5sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and turn your toes out slightly.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower, reaching your hands towards the floor.
• Push through your feet to stand upright, sweep your arms out to the sides and lift both heels to rise onto your toes.
• Lower your heels to the floor with control.

Straw poll: who actually takes the time to warm up before a run?

I know I never used to. I’d lace up, set off, and wonder why my knees were grumbling from the first mile to the last.

Then I signed up for my first marathon—Berlin this month—embarked on a training plan, and realized I’d been missing an integral first step in the process.

Like any form of exercise, warming up makes the main part of your workout easier.

Mentally, it helps you focus for the session ahead.

Physically, it will gradually elevate your heart rate, increase oxygen delivery to your muscles so they can work more efficiently and act as shock absorbers with every stride, and lubricate joints with synovial fluid to help everything run more smoothly.

Crucially, especially for me and my fragile knees, introducing a light impact warm-up will also signal to your tendons and ligaments to become stiffer and more springy, helping stabilize your joints.

This routine, which I’ve borrowed and adapted from fitness app Runna, is a gentle way to ease into your next run.

I use it before every session, whether it’s a slow and steady long run or high-tempo interval workout.

I’ve also started using it with members of a weekly run club I lead—where ages can vary from early 20s to late 60s—to help reduce risk of injury.

Commit it to memory and put it to good use next time you plan to step on a treadmill or head out for a jog.

Use this five-minute running warm-up before your next session

This warm-up relies on dynamic stretches, an active form of gentle movement, which works your muscles, joints and ligaments through their full range of motion.

Rather than static stretches, which are best performed at the end of an exercise session, dynamic stretches get your body moving, with the aim to gradually build the intensity until you’re ready for action.

Always start gently, working well within your range of movement, then gradually increase your range or the intensity of each exercise as your body wakes up.

The warm-up consists of eight moves which are listed below. Keep scrolling down for an explanation and demonstration video of each movement, and finally a follow-along timer video.

The warm-up in brief

1. Torso rotation x 30sec
2. Side bend x 30sec
3. Standing diagonal toe tap x 30sec
4. Hip circles x 30sec
5. Open and close the gate x 30sec each side
6. Squat into calf raise x 30sec
7. Walking A-skip x 30sec
8. Pogo jumps x 30sec

1. Torso rotation

Time: 30sec

• Start with your feet hip-width apart.
• Gently rotate your torso from side to side, looking over your shoulder as you twist.
• Keep your arms soft at the elbow as you swing them, too.
• Increase your range with each twist, staying loose and relaxed.

2. Side bend

Time: 30sec

• Widen your feet and stand upright with your arms at your sides.
• Reach your left arm overhead and to the right, and lean your torso to the right.
• Feel a gentle stretch in your obliques that run down the left side of your torso.
• Return to the middle and repeat the reach on the other side.

3. Standing diagonal toe tap

Time: 30sec

• Widen your feet further still, then hinge forward at your hips to reach your hand to your opposite foot—letting the other arm extend above you.
• Rotate your torso to the other side, reaching your other hand to your opposite foot.
• Keep alternating side to side, looking up at the hand in the air to increase rotation through your core if mobility allows.

4. Hip circles

Time: 30sec

• Bring your feet back to shoulder-width apart and place your hands on your hips.
• Slowly trace big circles with your hips to help release tension around your pelvis and lower back.
• After 15 seconds, switch direction.

5. Open and close the gate

Time: 30sec each side

• Stand with your feet together.
• Lift and bend your right knee to hip height, then rotate your right leg to the right so your knee points to the right side and lower your foot to the floor—all in one flowing motion. This is called opening the gate.
• Reverse the movements back to the start to close the gate.
• Continue for 30 seconds, then switch sides.

6. Squat into calf raise

Time: 30sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Sit your hips back and bend your knees to lower, until your thighs are parrallel to the floor, or as close as your mobility allows, keep your heels down and knees wide apart.
• Push through your feet to stand upright.
• As you come to standing, flow into a calf raise, rising onto the balls of your feet.

Form tip: Initially, only lower into the squat as far as you can comfortably, increasing your depth as mobility improves.

7. Walking A-skip

Time: 30sec

• From standing, lift and bend your right knee to hip height while raising your left arm, aiming for a 90˚ bend in your hip, knee and ankle.
• Pause momentarily.
• Lower your right foot to the floor in front of you and continue into the next rep on the other side.
• If you feel able, add a small hop between each rep to progress this into a dynamic A-skip pattern, driving your foot down to the floor with each step.

8. Pogo jumps

Time: 30sec

• Stand with your hands on your hips.
• Jump vertically, starting with small hops.
• Keep your action springy and reactive, gradually increasing power with each rep.

Follow-along timer

Press play for a countdown that leads you through this five-minute warm-up for runners.

You don’t need to practice yoga for an hour a day to feel the benefits. You can work through all parts of your body and relax your mind in just five minutes, according to yoga teacher and founder of Wellness With La Rue, Jack Bryant.

“If you’re short on time, a five-minute yoga practice can help improve mobility and also leave you feeling better mentally,” says Bryant.

That’s why Bryant has created this five-minute flow. It moves through a dozen poses relatively quickly, so it suits someone who’s familiar with yoga and is confident joining them together dynamically.

“These yoga poses can shift your energy and ease tight spots or physical tension. It’s perfect if you spend a lot of time sitting during the day,” says Bryant.

“If you want to start a long-term practice, it has to be a sustainable and stackable habit within your life already, so this is a great place to start and see the benefits,” he says.

So whether you develop your asana (postures) practice, need a quick reset from your desk or want to start the day feeling energized, give Bryant’s five-minute yoga flow for mobility a try.

How to do the five-minute yoga flow for mobility

The flow begins by warming up your spine with cat-cow and downward-facing dog poses, before focusing on your right side with low lunge, a forward fold and twisted low lunge.

You transition back to downward-facing dog by way of eight-limbed pose, cobra and child’s pose, then repeat the lunges on your left side. The sequence finishes with a relaxation pose to settle your body back to balance.

Remember to breathe mindfully and gently as you move through the sequence, syncing your breath with each movement.

Ready to try it? Here’s a follow-along video with Bryant, followed by the full sequence and explanations of each pose, in case you would like to flow at your own speed.

Video: Yoga flow for mobility

Warm-up:

• Cat-cow
• Downward-facing dog

Right side:

• Low lunge
• Forward fold
• Twisted low lunge

Transition:

• Eight-limbed pose
• Cobra
• Child’s pose
• Downward-facing dog

Left side:

• Low lunge
• Forward fold
• Twisted low lunge

Transition:

• Cat-cow
• Child’s pose

Cool-down:

• Corpse pose

How to do the poses

Cat-cow (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)

• Start on your hands and knees with your shoulders over your hands and your hips over your knees.
• Inhale as you lower your belly, arch your back and lift your chest and chin.
• Exhale as you round your spine, tuck your chin and press your palms into the floor.

Benefit: Mobilizes your spine, improves posture, and gently stretches your back, chest and neck while warming up your core.

Downward-facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

• From your hands and knees, with your feet hip-distance apart, press your palms into the floor and straighten your legs as you raise your hips.
• Pedal your feet, lowering one heel as you raise the other.
• Keep your spine extended and neck loose. Bend your knees as much as you need.

Benefit: Strengthens your shoulders and arms, while stretching your hamstrings, calves, spine and the back of your body.

Low lunge (Anjaneyasana)

• Bring your right foot forward and place it flat on the floor between your palms.
• Lower your left knee to rest on the floor—your toes can be tucked or you can rest the top of your foot on the floor.
• Raise your arms overhead, bring your palms together in front of your chest, or rest them on your front thigh.
• Hold for a few rounds of breath.
• Bring your back foot forward flat on the floor close to your front foot.
• Let your head hang with your back folding forward over your legs, keeping a soft bend in your knees.
• Place your palms on your shins, lengthen your spine, gaze forward and open your chest.

Benefit: Opens your hips and hip flexors, strengthens your legs, and improves balance and stability.

Forward fold (Uttanasana)

• Bring your left foot forward next to your right foot.
• Hold your elbows and gently rock from side to side.
• Inhale as you stand up and raise your arms above your head.
• Exhale as you fold forward, placing your palms on the floor.
• Inhale as you place your palms on your shins and lift your torso so it is parallel to the floor.
• Exhale as you place your palms back on the floor.

Twisted low lunge (Parivrtta Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana)

• Step your left foot back and bend both knees to lower.
• Place your left hand on the floor.
• Reach your right hand overhead, rotating your torso to face right.
• Hold for a few rounds of breath.

Benefit: Improves your spinal mobility, stretches the hips, and opens your chest and shoulders while engaging the core.

Eight-limbed pose to cobra (Ashtanga Namaskara to Bhujangasana)

• Place your right hand on the floor, so both arms are extended and your hands are under your shoulders.
• Step your right foot back so your body is in a straight line from your head to your heels.
• Bend your knees and lower them to rest on the floor, keeping your tailbone raised.
• Bend your elbows to lower your chin and chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
• Press your palms into the floor and move your shoulders forward and up, lifting your chest to face forward, and rolling your shoulders down your back and squeezing your glutes.
• Hold for a few rounds of breath.

Benefit: Strengthens your arms, shoulders and back while opening the chest, stretching the front body and improving spinal mobility.

Child’s pose (Balasana)

• Widen your knees and slide your hips back toward your heels.
• Rest your forehead on the floor and reach your arms forward.
• Hold for a few rounds of breath.

Corpse pose (Shavasana)

• Lie on your back in a comfortable position, with your legs extended or knees bent.
• Place a bolster or cushion beneath your thighs for more support.
• Rest here for 30 seconds (or longer if you have time).

Benefit: Allows the body to fully relax, absorb the benefits of the practice, and calm the nervous system.

If, like me, you struggle to switch off at night, a short yoga flow could be the answer.

“Yoga for sleep helps by relaxing your body and mind, not by tiring you out,” explains yoga teacher Cheryl McColgan.

Unlike other types of yoga like vinyasa or power yoga that raise your energy, bedtime yoga is all about moving gently with your breath to come into a more relaxed, resting state.

“Slow movement paired with intentional breathing shifts your body out of the fight or flight sympathetic state and into the rest and digest parasympathetic state that you need to be in to fall asleep,” explains McColgan, founder of Heal, Nourish, Grow.

I wanted to swap late-night scrolling for something that might actually help me sleep, so I asked McColgan to share her favorite five-minute yoga flow to do before bed.

Try the five-minute bedtime yoga routine

McColgan’s bedtime yoga flow is designed to be done every night. You can do it on your bed or on the floor, and in your pajamas so you’re ready to sleep.

“It’s short enough that consistency is realistic and consistency is what matters for your nervous system learning the pattern,” she explains.

“Over time, the wind-down habit becomes another cue that signals to the body that it’s time for sleep,” Mc Colgan adds.

McColgan uses a free app called Insight Timer with its gong timer to track her poses over the five minutes.

“Every pose should feel relaxing, there should never be an intense stretch where you have to brace or where it feels too strong,” she adds.

The yoga poses are:

1. Child’s pose
2. Supported seated forward fold
3. Reclined spinal twist
4. Legs up the wall
5. Shavasana

1. Child’s pose

Time: 1min

Benefit: The forward fold calms the nervous system and gently releases the lower back and hips, which is where most people hold tension after a day of sitting.

• From a kneeling position, bring your big toes together and widen your knees apart as far as it’s comfortable.
• Sit your hips back toward your heels. If they do not reach, put a pillow or folded blanket between your calves and thighs to rest on.
• Walk your hands forward and let your forehead rest on the floor, pillow or your stacked fists.
• Let your shoulders and abdomen hang toward the floor.
• Pay attention to your breath and body's sensations.

2. Supported seated forward fold

Time: 1min

Benefit: Lengthens the hamstrings and back of the body to release tension and encourage relaxation.

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you.
• Place a pillow or two on top of your thighs.
• Hinge forward from your hips and rest your chest and forehead on the pillows.
• Keep a soft bend in your knees—there’s no need to touch your toes.
• Let your whole upper body relax into the pillows.

Tip: Add a folded blanket or pillow under your buttocks if your lower back rounds during the pose and another under your knees if it’s difficult to fully extend your legs.

3. Reclined spinal twist

Time: 30sec each side

Benefit: Releases tension through the mid back and between the shoulder blades, while stretching the side of your hips.

• Lie on your back and hug both knees toward your chest.
• Drop both knees slowly to your right—place a pillow underneath your knees if they do not reach the other side.
• Extend your left arm out to the side at shoulder height and turn your head to the left if it’s comfortable.
• Keep both shoulders in contact with the floor.
• Hold for three or four slow breaths then repeat on the other side.

4. Legs up the wall

Time: 1min

Benefit: Relieves tired legs and encourages fluid to move out of the ankles and feet to reduce swelling.

• Sit sideways next to a wall or your headboard with your hip touching it.
• Lie back and swing your legs up the wall, bringing your hips close to the base of the wall.
• Have a thin pillow under your hips if your lower back needs support.
• Let your arms rest wide by your sides, palms up or place your hands on your abdomen or chest.
• Practice slow breathing with an extended exhalation.
• If your feet tingle or go numb, bend your knees or come out of the pose.

5. Savasana with extended exhale

Time: 1min

Benefit: The final resting pose where the nervous system fully settles, lowering your heart and breathing rate to support full relaxation.

• Lie on your back in bed.
• Part your legs slightly and lie your arms by your sides with your palms up. Alternatively, place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.
• Inhale through your nose for four counts, feeling your ribs and abdomen expand.
• Exhale slowly through your nose or mouth for six to eight counts, letting your ribs and abdomen fall.

A few of the regulars in my core strength training class are in their 70s.

They're fit and active, but don’t feel comfortable doing the floor-based core work.

So I’ve created a series of standing core exercises as accessible alternatives.

These moves will challenge your abs, obliques and deep core muscles while also improving balance, coordination and stability—all without having to get down and up from the floor.

You can do this four-move sequence on its own or add the exercises into your regular workout.

How to do the workout

1. Single-leg halo
2. Squat to opposite toe touch
3. Standing side crunch
4. Overhead march

Perform each move for 40 seconds (or 20 seconds on each side if it's a single-side exercise), then take a 20-second rest. Complete one round.

1. Single-leg halo

Time: 40sec each side Rest: 20sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a weight in front of your abdomen.
• Raise one foot to balance on the other, keeping a soft bend in your standing knee.
• Slowly circle the weight around your hips or waist, passing it from one hand to the other with control.
• Avoid leaning or twisting and keep your hips facing forward.

Make it easier: Perform the exercise standing on both feet if balancing on one leg is too challenging.

2. Squat to opposite toe touch

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing out slightly.
• Bend your knees and lower your hips until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• As you push through your heels to stand, extend your left leg and touch your toes with your right hand.
• Lower back into a squat and repeat on the other side.

Make it easier: Make it easier to touch your toes by keeping a slight bend in your knee as you raise your leg.

3. Standing side crunch

Time: 40sec each side Rest: 20sec

• Stand with feet hip-width apart with hands behind your head and elbows wide.
• Raise your right knee to the side and bend your torso so that your right elbow comes toward it.
• Repeat for 20sec then switch sides.

Trainer tip: Think about bringing your rib cage toward your hip rather than just lifting your knee.

4. Overhead march

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Stand with feet hip-width apart and a weight in both hands overhead, arms extended straight.
• Engage your core and raise your right knee to hip height.
• Lower and repeat on the other side.
• Continue alternating legs in a slow, controlled way.

Five minutes of Pilates might not sound like much, but in the middle of the working day it can do wonders to release physical and mental tension.

It’s less about getting a workout in and more about helping ease some of the strain built up in the body and mind.

“When we sit for long periods, our joints move less, the muscles around our hips and upper back become stiff, our glutes become less active, and even our breathing can become shallower as we slump into our desks,” explains Rebecca Dadoun, Pilates instructor founder of Pilates Prescription.

“Five minutes of movement gets the spine moving again, encourages circulation, wakes up muscles that have switched off and can leave you feeling both physically and mentally refreshed,” Dadoun tells Fit&Well.

She encourages desk workers to move every 45 to 60 minutes.

“Stand up to take a phone call, walk while waiting for the kettle to boil or perform a few gentle mobility exercises by your desk,” Dadoun adds.

Her short routine introduces gentle movement from your desk in a way that feels realistic when you’re busy at work—perfect when you only have five minutes between meetings.

How to do the five-minute desk-Pilates routine

This five-minute desk-Pilates routine features the following five movements. Perform each one for one minute.

1. Cat-cow
2. Arm opening
3. Side reach
4. Marching
5. Roll down

1. Cat-cow

Time: 1min

Benefit: Mobilizes your spine and relieves stiffness caused by prolonged sitting.

How to do it:

• Sit with your feet flat on the floor and your hands resting on your thighs.
• Inhale as you push your chest forward, extend through your spine and raise your chin.
• Exhale as you round your back and gently tuck your chin.
• Continue alternating slowly with your breath.

2. Arm opening

Time: 1min

Benefit: Improves spinal mobility and helps release tension through your upper back and shoulders.

How to do it:

• Sit with your feet flat on the floor and arms in front at shoulder height, palms facing.
• Sweep one arm out to the side and round behind you as far as it's comfortable, gently rotating your upper body too, while keeping your hips facing forward.
• Return to center and repeat on the opposite side.

3. Side reach

Time: 1min

Benefit: Stretches the muscles around your rib cage and improves side-body mobility, helping counteract desk posture.

How to do it:

• Sit with your feet flat on the floor and one hand holding the side of the chair.
• Reach the opposite arm overhead.
• Gently lean further over your head without collapsing forward.
• Return to center and repeat on the other side.

4. Marching

Time: 1min

Benefit: Activates your core and hip muscles while improving circulation after sitting.

How to do it:

• Sit toward the front of your seat with your feet flat on the floor and spine upright.
• Slowly raise one knee, then lower it with control.
• Repeat on the other side, then continue, alternating sides with each rep.

5. Roll down

Time: 1min

Benefit: Encourages segmental spinal mobility so your back feels looser and more mobile.

How to do it:

• Sit with your feet flat on the floor toward the front of your chair.
• Slowly roll your spine forward one vertebra at a time, reaching your arms down your legs.
• Pause briefly at the bottom.
• Slowly reverse the movement with control to the start.

Finishing a workout feels great—whether from a sense of accomplishment or relief that it’s over. Either way, most people are ready to hit the showers after the final rep.

A cool-down (and its cousin the warm-up) can feel like an optional extra, but here’s why you should make it a non-negotiable.

According to physician Dr Cristina Sciavolino-Day, even a few minutes of gentle movement and targeted stretching after your session’s main event can help your body recover.

“One of the biggest mistakes I see is people finishing a workout and immediately sitting down,” she says. “I do the opposite. After one of my regular walks, I gradually slow my pace and continue moving around the house for a few minutes before sitting.

“It helps your body make a smoother transition from exercise back to rest.”

Read on for everything you really need to know about cool-downs, as well as the eight simple moves Sciavolino-Day recommends to help your body transition from exercise to rest.

What happens to your body during a cool-down?

“When you exercise, your heart rate increases, your breathing speeds up and more blood is sent to your working muscles,” says Sciavolino-Day. “A cool-down helps your body gradually transition back to its resting state instead of stopping suddenly.

“Think of it like slowly pulling your car into the driveway rather than slamming on the brakes. Cooling down allows your heart rate and breathing to gradually return to normal, may help reduce feelings of dizziness after exercise, and gives tight muscles a chance to relax and regain their normal length and movement.”

Is it dangerous to skip a cool-down?

For most healthy people, it’s not dangerous to skip a cool-down, reassures Sciavolino-Day.

“But some people may feel lightheaded, dizzy or uncomfortable if they stop intense exercise suddenly. This is especially true after activities such as brisk walking, running, cycling or interval training because blood can temporarily pool in the legs when movement suddenly stops,” she says.

“A few minutes of gentle movement after exercise helps keep blood circulating while your heart rate gradually comes back down.”

Ditching the cool-down may also leave some people feeling stiffer after exercise, although this will vary from person to person and on the exercise you're doing.

How long should a cool-down take?

“I recommend spending about five to 10 minutes cooling down after exercise,” says Sciavolino-Day. “But if you’re in a time crunch, even three to five minutes is better than nothing.”

“The harder the workout, the more beneficial it can be to give your body a little extra time to transition back to rest,” she adds.

Cool-down routine

Sciavolino-Day’s cool-down routine is suitable to help your body recover after general exercise such as a full-body workout, gentle run or brisk walk.

If you have osteoporosis, have had recent surgery, balance problems, joint replacements, or chronic medical conditions, talk to your healthcare professional to check which exercises are appropriate for you.

1. Slow march and hold

Time: 30-60sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Slowly raise one knee hip height and hold briefly.
• Lower and repeat on the other side.
• Continue alternating knee lifts in a slow and controlled way.

“This slow march helps to gradually lower your heart rate, keeps the blood moving and improves balance,” says Sciavolino-Day.

2. Cross-body shoulder stretch

Time: 15-30sec each side

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Cross your right arm straight across your chest and use your left hand to gently pull your stretched arm closer to your body.
• Keep your shoulders down and relaxed and avoid twisting your torso.
• Hold for time, then repeat on the other side.

“This stretches the posterior shoulder muscles and helps relieve upper-body tension,” says Sciavolino-Day.

3. Overhead triceps and side stretch

Time: 15-30sec

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bending your knees slightly for balance.
• Raise your right arm overhead and reach to the left, as you reach over your left arm across your body to the right.
• Return to the start and repeat the movement on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

“This stretches the back of your arms, shoulders, side of your back and waist all while encouraging better mobility through your upper body,” says Sciavolino-Day.

4. Calf raise

Time: 15-30sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and use a chair or sturdy surface for support.
• Raise your heels and pause briefly at the top of the movement.
• Lower your heels back down with control.

“This movement promotes circulation while gently pumping blood back toward the heart,” says Sciavolino-Day.

5. Quad stretch

Time: 15-30sec each side

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and use a chair or sturdy surface for support.
• Bend your right knee and bring your heel toward your buttocks.
• Keep your knees close together and gently push your hips forward.
• Avoid leaning your upper body forward.
• Hold for time then repeat on the other side.

“This relieves tension in front of each thigh and hip,” says Sciavolino-Day.

6. Calf stretch

Time: 20-30sec each side

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart with your hands on a wall or sturdy surface.
• Step your right foot back, bending your left knee, straightening your right leg and pressing your right heel into the floor.
• Lean forward slightly to feel a stretch in your back calf.
• Hold for time, then switch sides.

“This stretches the calf and Achilles tendon. This one is especially good after a walk or run,” says Sciavolino-Day.

7. Cat-cow

Reps: 5-10

• Get on your hands and knees with your shoulders directly above your hands and your hips over your knees.
• Slowly arch your back and lift your tailbone, chest and chin.
• Slowly round your back upward and tuck your chin toward your chest, drawing your abdomen to your spine.
• Move slowly with control between these two positions.

“This stretch improves spinal mobility, relieves back stiffness and it’s relaxing. It can be modified to be done holding the back of a couch or even sitting if needed,” she says.

8. Child’s pose

Time: 20-60sec

• Kneel on the floor.
• Sit back onto your heels and lower your chest toward the floor—widen your knees if it’s more comfortable.
• Have your arms stretched out on the floor in front of you, by your sides or stacked for your forehead to rest on.
• Breathe slowly for time or longer.

“I love to end my strength training with this because it is a great way to slow down breathing and relax. It is a gentle stretch for your back, hips and shoulders. A pillow can be added under your chest or head if needed,” says Sciavolino-Day.

If you work at a desk, then it’s important to fit as much movement into your day as possible to avoid a build-up of muscle tension, create space in your spine, and maintain your mobility.

Desk yoga is a great solution for when you need a reset between meetings, when you only have a few minutes and can’t get away from your desk.

“It’s one of the simplest and most accessible ways for people to build movement into their working day,” Pauline Alonso, wellbeing expert at Hussle tells Fit&Well.

After research from Hussle revealed the benefits of exercise for employee stress levels and productivity, the fitness platform teamed up with Yogaia to create a five-minute yoga flow you can do from your office chair.

Combining gentle stretches with mindful breathing, this five-move routine from yoga instructor Shanine Collinson is designed to release tension in areas that commonly become tight during the working day. The movements encourage circulation and better posture through your neck, shoulders, back and hips.

“You don't need to change into workout clothes or leave your desk,” says Collinson. “Just a few simple movements can help your body and mind recharge.”

How to do the five-minute desk yoga routine

You should aim to move every 60-90 minutes, so as well as getting up regularly, you can repeat this chair yoga routine whenever you need throughout the working day.

“It can help reduce stiffness, improve posture, and maintain your energy levels,” says Collinson

1. Wrist circles

Reps: 10 each way

Benefit: Improves mobility, increases range of motion and warms up your muscles and joints before returning to your keyboard.

How to do it:

• Sit or stand and extend your arms in front of you at shoulder height.
• Gently close both hands into fists, but don’t clench.
• Slowly circle your wrists in one direction for 10 reps.
• Repeat in the opposite direction.
• Keep the movement slow and controlled.

2. Seated sun salutation

Reps: 5 sweeps and 2 sun salutations

Benefit: Helps reverse the computer hunch by opening your chest and shoulders, lengthening your spine and gently stretching the back of your body through a forward fold.

How to do it:

• Sit with both feet firmly on the floor.
• Sweep your arms overhead as you inhale.
• Exhale and lower your arms in front of your chest, palms together.
• Repeat this five times.
• On your next exhale, fold forward from your hips, relaxing your upper body.
• Inhale to a halfway lift by placing your hands on your ankles, shins or knees and lengthen through your spine.
• Exhale to fold forward.
• Inhale, sweep your arms overhead.
• Exhale and bring your palms together in front of your heart.
• Repeat the last sequence.

3. Seated twist

Reps: 3 each side

Benefit: Improves spinal mobility, releases tension through the back and shoulders and gently stimulates digestion after long periods of sitting.

How to do it:

• Sit and cross your right leg over your left knee if comfortable, or keep both feet on the floor.
• Bring your palms together in front of your chest.
• Inhale to lengthen your spine.
• Exhale as you gently rotate from your waist to the right.
• For a deeper stretch, place your left elbow against the outside of your right knee and look over your right shoulder.
• Inhale back to center.
• Complete your reps on one side then repeat on the other.

4. Seated side lunge

Reps: 3 each side

Benefit: Stretches your inner thighs while encouraging movement through your hips and torso—areas that often become tight after sitting.

How to do it:

• Sit toward the front of your chair with your feet on the floor, hip-width apart.
• Step your right foot out to the side and extend your leg, as you raise both arms to shoulder height out to your sides.
• Return to the center.
• Repeat on the left leg.
• Continue alternating sides using smooth, controlled movements.

5. Deep side bend

Reps: 1 each side

Benefit: Lengthens the sides of your body, improves spinal mobility, and helps restore an upright posture by releasing tension created from prolonged sitting.

How to do it:

• Sit with your feet hip-width apart and your palms together in front of your chest.
• Turn your torso slightly to your left.
• Place the back of your right arm along the inside of your right leg.
• Place your left hand on your left hip.
• If it’s comfortable, reach your right hand toward your shin or ankle for a deeper stretch.
• Extend your left arm overhead then reach over your ear, palm facing down.
• Breathe deeply for a few breaths, feeling the stretch through your side of your body.
• Inhale to release the position and repeat on the other side.

Tight hips are one of the most common complaints yoga teachers hear from their students, and unsurprisingly, sitting for long periods is often the culprit.

“Over time, prolonged sitting can cause your hip flexors to shorten as an adaptation—and that is usually what people mean when they say they have tight hips,” personal trainer and yoga teacher Cheryl McColgan tells Fit&Well.

This tightness can reduce mobility, impact movements like squatting and lunging, and make everyday activities like climbing the stairs harder.

McColgan’s three-move yoga routine for tight hips is designed to release tension, ease discomfort and combat the effects of prolonged sitting. And, it doesn’t take long to do—just five minutes.

It’s well documented that exercise snacking—breaking movement up into short bursts throughout the day—can boost fitness and support overall health, but McColgan reminded me that consistency is what makes the biggest difference.

“Research shows both stretching and resistance training can improve range of motion, but you have to be consistent with your workouts,” she adds.

McColgan, who is the founder of Heal Nourish Grow, recommends doing this short routine three to five times a week to reduce hip tightness and increase range of motion.

How to do the five-minute yoga routine

“For all these poses, aim for a gentle stretch sensation, not pain,” McColgan says. “Stop for any sharp pain, pinching in the hip joint, catching or numbness, and pay attention to any sensations that linger afterward as that can be a sign the stretch may not be right for your body.”

The moves:

1. Low lunge to half split
2. Kneeling side stretch
3. Reclined bound angle pose

1. Low lunge to half split

Time: 1min each side

Benefits: Targets your hip flexors at the front of your thighs. This move is especially helpful after long periods of sitting to ease tension and lengthen your hamstrings.

How to do it:

• Start on your hands and knees, then step your right foot forward between your hands. (Place a cushion under your left knee for comfort if needed.)
• Gently tuck your pelvis under to avoid arching your lower back.
• Lean forward over your front knee, stretching the front of your left thigh.
• Shift your hips back toward your left heel, stretching through the back of your right leg. Keep a soft bend in your right knee if needed.
• Flex your right foot and hinge forward from the hips over your right leg.
• Keep your spine long and straight to avoid rounding forward.
• Move between these two positions for one minute, then repeat on the other side.

2. Kneeling side stretch

Time: 1min each side

Benefits: Encourages movement through your hips and pelvis, releasing tension when your synchronize the movement with your breath.

How to do it:

• Kneel with your knees hip-width apart.
• Step your right foot out to the side, extending your right leg, so your toes facing forward and the inside of your foot on the floor.
• Reach both arms overhead, palms facing.
• Inhale and lengthen through your spine.
• Exhale to gently bend your torso to your right, reaching your right hand toward your right leg.
• Inhale to return to upright, arms overhead.
• Continue for time, then repeat on the other side.

Trainer tip: Move with the rhythm of your breath rather than trying to hold the deepest stretch.

3. Reclined bound angle pose

Time: 1min

Benefits: Provides a low-intensity stretch for your adductors (the inside of your thighs) and groin, while encouraging relaxation.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back and bring the soles of your feet together, letting your knees drop out to the sides.
• Place pillows, blocks or folded blankets under your thighs and knees for support if there is any strain.
• Rest one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen to connect to your breath. Alternatively rest your arms on the floor by your sides, palms facing up.

You don’t need an expensive gym membership, or to spend hours training each week, to build core strength.

Quick and easy, equipment-free workouts can help you fit movement into your day—even when you’re short on time.

“Consistency matters more than intensity,” fitness trainer Liam Hogan tells Fit&Well.

“Completing short workouts two to four times per week can help build confidence, routine, and long-term exercise habits without feeling overwhelming.”

Hogan has designed a five-minute core workout for beginners that can be done anywhere, and without the need for any equipment.

“The focus is on building stability, improving posture and strengthening the core with exercises that are beginner-friendly,” says Hogan, who is head of fitness at VEYR, an AI-powered fitness app.

Try Hogan’s five-minute beginner-friendly abs workout below.

For more personalized workouts that are adapted based on your available time, equipment and environment, check out the VEYR fitness app.

How to do the five-minute abs workout

Hogan’s five-minute ab workout consists of four exercises with no equipment needed.

He recommends doing his routine two to four times per week, along with other strength training workouts.

The four exercises in this five-minute workout are:

1. Dead bug
2. Bird dog
3. Plank
4. Side plank

1. Dead bug

Reps: 5-10 each side

Benefits: Builds deep core stability, improves coordination and control, and helps protect the lower back.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your arms extended above your chest.
• Lift your legs and bend your knees to 90°, with your shins parallel to the floor.
• Gently press your lower back into the floor to engage your core.
• Slowly lower your left arm behind your head and extend and lower your right leg.
• Return to the starting position, then repeat on the other side.
• Keep your lower back pressed into the floor throughout.

2. Bird dog

Sets: 1 Reps: 5-10 each side

Benefits: Strengthens the core and lower back, improves balance and posture, and develops full body stability.

How to do it:

• Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders, and your knees under your hips.
• Engage your core.
• Lift your left arm in front of you and extend and lift your right leg behind you, until your left arm, torso and right leg are in a straight line.
• Pause briefly while keeping hips stable.
• Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
• Move slowly and stay balanced.

3. Plank

Sets: 1 Time: 20-45sec

Benefits: Strengthens the entire core, improves posture and stability, and builds endurance in the abs and lower back.

How to do it:

• your Lie on your front, propped up on your forearms, with your elbows directly underneath your shoulders.
• Engage your core.
• Lift your body so you are on your forearms and toes, with your body in a straight line from head to heels.
• Hold this position for time, being careful not to let your hips drop.

4. Side plank

Sets: 1 Time: 20-45sec each side

Benefits: Strengthens the obliques, improves hip and core stability, and helps support lower back health.

How to do it:

• Lie on your left side with your elbow directly underneath your shoulder.
• Engage your core.
• Lift your hips so your body is in a straight line from head to feet.
• Hold for time, then repeat on the right side.

You’re probably aware that stiff hips can cause pain, limited mobility and impact other joints, potentially leading to more discomfort and injury. If you haven’t experienced it yourself, you probably know someone who has.

While it’s natural to think of stretching as the remedy, did you know that it may not be enough to fix immobile hips?

Physical therapist Thomas R. Denninger of ATI Physical Therapy says that hip mobility and stability are closely linked, and both need to be addressed.

“Improving one without addressing the other rarely leads to lasting results,” he tells Fit&Well.

“The hips need enough freedom to move through their full range of motion, but they also need the strength and control to support those positions safely.”

He explains that when muscles around your hip joints provide adequate stability, you’ll have a better range of motion.

“When that support is lacking, the body often responds with stiffness as a protective strategy.

“Building strength and control in those ranges reassures the nervous system that the movement is safe, allowing stiffness to gradually diminish over time.”

Denninger says that even just five minutes of focused work a day can help and encourages us to think of it “like brushing your teeth for joint health.”

Denninger recommends the following movements to improve your hip mobility and stability. If you’re pressed for time, just perform a single set of each, which should take just five minutes.

1. Hip controlled articular rotations

Sets: 2 Reps: 5 each side

Targets: Deep hip rotators, glutes and hip capsule

• Start on your hands and knees, with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
• Flex your right foot and slowly move your right knee to your right elbow.
• Move your right knee up and out to the right, until your right leg is behind you, with the sole of your right foot facing up—keep your pelvis square to the floor and don’t arch your back.
• Lower your right knee back to the start.
• Complete all repetitions on one side, then switch sides.

2. 90/90 hip rotation

Sets: 3 Reps: 6 each side

Targets: Gluteus medius, gluteus maximus and deep hip rotators

• Sit on the floor with both knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, wider than shoulder-width apart, and your hands on the floor behind you.
• Lower both knees to the right until they touch the floor.
• Reverse the movements to the start, then repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

Make it harder: once your knees are on the floor, lift both feet slightly off the floor.

Trainer tips:

• Aim to move slowly and with control.
• Keep your chest facing forward and avoid twisting your torso.
• Rotate from your hips, not your lower back.

3. Banded reverse lunge with hip opener

Sets: 3 Reps: 10 each side

Targets: Gluteus maximus, hip flexors and quads

• Stand with a short-loop resistance band above your knees.
• Step with one foot back and bend both knees to lower, keeping your torso upright and your hips level.
• When your back knee is just above the floor, gently push your front knee out against the band.
• Push through your front foot to return to the starting position.
• Complete all the repetitions on one side, then switch sides.

4. Hip airplane

Sets: 2 Reps: 8 each side

Targets: glutes, hip rotators, hamstrings and core

• Stand with a slight bend in your knees.
• Hinge forward from your hips, raising your right leg behind you until your torso and right leg are parallel to the floor.
• Slowly rotate your torso and hips to the right, raising your right hip.
• Rotate your torso and hips so they face the floor.
• Complete all the repetitions on one side, then switch sides.

Trainer tips:

• Move slowly and with control to maintain balance.
• Maintain a slight bend in your supporting knee.

If you spend most of your day sitting down, your glutes are probably paying the price, says Maddy Paupert, head trainer at Xceleration Fitness.

“We all need stronger glutes and hips because we all spend too much time sitting, whether that’s at work, at home, or driving,” she explains.

The importance of strong glutes can’t be overstated. They help support the lower back, knees and hips, and generally make moving around day-to-day easier.

That’s why Paupert has created a five-minute glute routine that can easily be done from home without the need for gym equipment.

How to do the five-minute glute workout

Paupert’s workout consists of five exercises, each done for a set number of reps, which should take around one minute per exercise.

Paupert recommends doing this workout twice a week alongside your other strength training.

The five exercises are:

1. Lying glute bridge x 15
2. Side-lying hip abduction x 15 each side
3. Lateral squat walk x 60sec
4. Donkey kick x 15 each side
5. One-and-a-half squat x 10

1. Lying glute bridge

Sets: 1 Reps: 15

Benefit: Strengthens glutes and hamstrings, and improves core stability.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Engage your core and push your feet into the floor to lift your hips until your knees and shoulders are aligned.
• Squeeze your glutes, then slowly lower to the starting position.

2. Side-lying hip abduction

Sets: 1 Reps: 15 each side

Benefit: Strengthens hips, thighs and glutes while stabilising the pelvis.

How to do it:

• Lay on your left side, propped up on your left forearm, with your right leg stacked on top of your left.
• Bend your left knee.
• Flex your right foot, pointing your toes towards your face (this helps protect the knee joint) and rotate your right leg, moving from the hip, so your toes point down—this is your starting position.
• Slowly lift your right leg.
• Lower with control.
• Do all your reps on one side, then swap sides.

3. Lateral squat walk

Sets: 1 Time: 60sec

Benefit: Strengthens hip abductor muscles and improves stability.

How to do it:

• Get into an athletic stance by pushing your butt back slightly and bending your knees. (Imagine you’re ready to play defense in basketball or you’re doing a half squat.)
• Stay nice and low in this stance as you take four wide steps to the right and four steps back to the left.
• Continue back and forth for 60 seconds.

4. Donkey kick

Sets: 1 Reps: 15 each side

Benefit: Strengthens the glutes, lengthens the hip flexors and engages the core, hamstrings and back.

How to do it:

• Get on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
• Keeping your right knee bent at 90°, lift your right leg behind you as far as you can without arching your back.
• Lower halfway, then go straight into the next rep.
• Once you have lifted your leg as high as you can, come back down halfway, and then drive your foot back up towards the ceiling.
• Do all your reps on one side, then swap sides.

5. One-and-a-half squat

Sets: 1 Reps: 10

Benefits: Boosts muscular endurance and builds lower-body strength.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and feet slightly turned out.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower until your hips are in line with your knees, or lower if your mobility allows.
• Rise halfway, then lower again.
• Stand all the way up, squeezing your glute muscles at the top to complete one rep.

You don’t have to go to a gym or work out for long periods to experience the benefits of exercise. I’ve been telling my personal training clients for years that short home workouts can boost their energy levels, improve strength, and even sharpen their focus without taking over their day.

That’s exactly why I created this simple five-move core finisher.

It builds strength for everyday life by including functional moves that train your ability to rotate and bend.

Tag this onto the end of your workout, or use it as a quick standalone core circuit whenever you like.

How to do the workout

1. Toe touch
2. High-plank knee tap
3. C-shape knee pull
4. Low-plank hip dip
5. Heel tap

Do each exercise consecutively for 40 seconds, rest for 20 seconds, then move on to the next move.

Here’s how to do each move.

1. Toe touch

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Lie on your back and lift your legs and arms to vertical, or as close as your mobility allows.
• Engage your core and keep your chin slightly tucked toward your chest to protect your neck.
• Use your core muscles to lift your shoulders off the floor and reach your hands toward your toes.
• Lower your shoulders to the floor with control.

Trainer tip: Avoid tension in your neck by engaging your core not your neck—imagine holding an apple between your chin and your throat to maintain good form.

2. High-plank knee tap

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Get on your hands and knees with your shoulders stacked over your wrists.
• Step your feet back so your body is in a straight line from head to feet.
• Lower both knees to tap the floor.
• Extend your legs to lift your knees so your body forms a straight line again.

Trainer tip: Look down throughout the move to avoid straining your neck.

Make it easier: If the high plank position feels too challenging or is uncomfortable on your wrists, drop down to your forearms.

3. C-shape knee pull

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• belly buttonSit with your legs extended in front of you.
• Make a C-shape with your spine by rounding your back and pulling your bellybutton in.
• Lean your torso back as far as you can—the further back you lean, the harder the move.
• Raise your arms to chest height—this is your starting position.
• Brace your core, then bring your left knee toward your chest.
• Return to the starting position, then repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

Make it easier: If you feel any strain in your back, rest your hands on the floor behind you, with fingers facing toward your body.

4. Low plank hip dip

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• From your hands and knees, place your forearms on the floor with your shoulders stacked over your elbows, and step your feet back so your body forms a straight line from head to feet.
• Engage your core.
• Rotate your hips to the left side, lowering your left hip.
• Return to the center, then repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

5. Heel tap

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and arms by your sides.
• Engage your core then raise your head and shoulders off the floor.
• Raise your arms to ankle height.
• Reach your left hand toward your left heel, then repeat on the other side.
• Keep alternating sides for 40 seconds.

Whether you’re new to exercise or pressed for time, five-minute workouts are a great way to add movement into your day.

“Anyone can fit in a quick and effective workout that delivers real value without needing a full gym set-up or dedicated space to do it,” says Victor Kanashiro, a NASM-certified personal trainer and fitness instructor at RISE Fitness.

With that in mind, Kanashiro has put together a five-move upper-body workout that takes just five minutes to complete.

“This is an efficient and well-rounded way to target every major muscle group in the arms,” he explains. “From the forearms all the way up to the shoulders, with little to no equipment needed."

It combines compound (multi-joint) and isolation (single-joint) movements to help build strength across the triceps and biceps.

“It’s especially effective for those with busy schedules who may not always have time to make it to the gym but still want to stay consistent,” adds Kanashiro.

How to do the five-minute arm workout

Kanashiro’s five-minute arm workout consists of five exercises with a mix of no-equipment moves and resistance band work, so it’s easy to do at home.

He recommends doing this workout twice a week. As you progress and get comfortable with this routine, you should increase the difficulty by adding more reps, picking up the pace, or increasing the resistance by stepping further along the band.

The five exercises are:

1. Triceps dip
2. Close-grip push-up
3. Pike push-up
4. Standing biceps curl
5. Single arm hammer curl

1. Triceps dip

Sets: 1 Reps: 10

Benefits: Targets all three heads of the triceps muscle while also improving core stability.

• Sit on the edge of a chair with both hands resting on the seat, either side of your hips, with your fingers facing forward.
• Move your butt forward just off the seat of the chair.
• Extend your legs with your heels on the floor (or to make the exercise easier, bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the floor and closer to the chair).
• Bend your elbows to 90° to lower your body.
• Push through your hands to straighten your arms, lifting your body back to the start.

2. Close-grip push-up

Sets: 1 Reps: 10

Benefits: Works the lateral and medial (side and middle) heads of the triceps while also building chest strength.

• Lie on your stomach with your legs exended and your toes tucked under.
• Place your palms on the floor either side of your chest.
• Tuck your elbows into your sides so your upper arms are pinned to your torso.
• Engage your core.
• Push through your hands to straighten your arms and lift your body, keeping your body in a straight line from head to heels (if this is too difficult, rest on your knees rather than your toes).
• Bend your elbows to lower back to the starting position, keeping your elbows tucked into your body.

3. Pike push-up

Sets: 1 Reps: 6

Benefits: Helps develop overhead loading strength while strengthening the anterior and medial deltoids (front and side shoulders).

• Get on your hands and knees.
• Step your feet back then lift your hips to create an upside-down V shape with your body.
• Shift most of your weight into your arms and shoulders while keeping your toes in contact with the ground for support and balance.
• Bend your elbows to lower your head with control.
• When your head is just above the floor, extend your arms to return to the start.

4. Standing biceps curl

Sets: 1 Reps: 12

Benefits: A foundational movement for strengthening the biceps brachii, the peak, or outer muscle, of the biceps.

• Step on one end of a long resistance band, and take hold of the other end in both hands, with your hands shoulder-width apart in front of your thighs, palms facing forward.
• Bend your elbows to lift the band to your shoulders, keeping your upper arms in contact with your torso.
• Slowly lower the band to the start.

5. Single-arm hammer curl

Sets: 1 Reps: 6 each side

Benefits: Effective for unilaterally (one side at a time) strengthening the brachioradialis muscle, which runs along the outside of your forearm, and the brachialis muscle underneath the biceps.

• Hold one end of a long resistance band in your right hand by your side and step on the other end with your right foot, so there is light tension in the band.
• Keeping your upper arm pinned to your torso, and your wrist in a neutral position, bend your elbow to lift the band to your shoulder.
• Slowly reverse the movement to the start.
• Complete all the reps on one side, then switch sides.

Shop resistance bands

The hamstrings and glutes play an unsung role in protecting your knees.

That was the major lesson I took away from my physiotherapist after tearing both anterior cruciate ligaments on the soccer field—in separate incidents in my late 20s and early 30s.

Running down the back of the thighs, from the hips to the knees, the hamstrings help to stabilize the back of the knee joint to prevent hyperextension.

At the same time, they work as shock absorbers to protect the ligaments and cartilage, and they also help you decelerate at high speed.

Meanwhile, the glutes, which form a major part of the posterior chain system connected along the back of your body, help to stabilize the pelvis and keep your hips aligned to stop your knee caving inward under strain.

I’ve tried countless ways to strengthen these two muscle groups over the years, but there is one exercise that has stuck with me: gym ball hamstring curls.

Now, whenever I have a few minutes spare at the end of my workout, I'll add them into my core finisher to keep my knees protected and the surgeon's scalpel away.

How I use gym ball hamstring curls in my workouts

I like to include this exercise as part of a gym ball core and posterior-chain finisher at the end of my regular workouts to make the most of this piece of equipment.

I will start by doing the exercise using both feet for eight to 10 reps—to wake up the hamstrings and glutes.

Then I progress to the single-leg variety for two or three rounds of six to eight reps on each side, resting for 30 seconds between sets.

To even everything out, I will finish with one more round with my feet together for a final eight to 10 reps.

Things to know before doing gym ball hamstring curls

Whatever level you are at, take your time and really concentrate on the muscles you are targeting at the back of your thighs and glutes.

Because this exercise pinpoints the hamstrings in a way rarely achieved with multi-joint exercises like deadlifts or even single-leg deadlifts, it can feel quite intense.

Modify the movement as required—even holding a static glute bridge will effectively build strength as your hamstrings fight to resist the instability of the gym ball.

If you tend to experience hypermobility, stop short of full extension to protect your knee joints or simply hold the static glute bridge version of this move for 30 seconds per set.

How to do the gym ball hamstring curl

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8-10 Rest: 30-60sec

To begin, start with two to three sets of eight to 10 reps with your feet together and 30-60 seconds of rest between sets.

When you’re ready to progress the movement, perform two to three sets of six to eight reps on each side, with 30 seconds of rest between sets.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your heels resting on the top of a gym ball. Your feet should be hip-width apart and your knees bent at 90˚.
• Lift your hips while maintaining the bend in your knees.
• Press your hands into the floor to help maintain balance.
• Slowly extend your legs, rolling the ball away from you.
• Pause for one second, then bend your knees to bring your feet toward you, lifting your hips and rolling the ball toward you.
• Pause for one second, then begin the next rep.

Make it easier: Switch this move to a static glute bridge with your knees bent and hips raised for 30 seconds per set—your glutes and hamstrings will still have to work hard to maintain stability.

Make it harder: After a set with feet together, switch to a single-leg hamstring curl—keep one foot elevated while performing the movement with the other for six to eight reps, before swapping sides.

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Yoga can be a great way to relax and unwind, especially after a stressful day. It can promote a sense of calm, making it easier to fall into a deep, restful sleep, according to yoga teacher Veronique Ory.

“Often worry, anxiety, or mental unrest linger in the body at the end of the day,” she explains. “Moving slowly with awareness allows that energy to soften and move through.

“At night, we’re not trying to stimulate the body, we’re inviting it to downshift.”

With this in mind, Ory has designed a short flow with gentle movement, breath and twisting to release physical tension while giving the nervous system space to settle.

“Gentle spinal movement and twisting help release tension from the day,” she explains, “while slow breathing encourages the nervous system to transition into rest.”

Before you begin, Ory recommends you take a moment to create a calming atmosphere by dimming the lights or lighting a candle. Dress in something comfortable and cozy, and silence any phone notifications.

“These small rituals signal to the body that the day is coming to a close and it’s safe to begin unwinding,” says Ory. “This short sequence helps the body process lingering worry or stress. Feel free to move through this flow as slowly as you wish.”

How to do the bedtime yoga flow

There are five poses in the flow:

1. Child’s pose
2. Cat-cow wave
3. Side stretch
4. Table-top with eagle legs
5. Gate pose stretch with thread the needle

There’s an extra, final seated, meditative pose to finish off the flow, which can also be done lying down. Some of the moves are repeated—such as a single cat-cow wave and child’s pose—which are added between each pose.

1. Child’s pose

• Kneel on a yoga mat.
• Lower your torso to the floor, resting your butt on your heels and your forehead on the mat.
• Extend your arms out in front of you, palms on the mat.
• Take a few slow breaths here, allowing your body to settle.

2. Cat-cow waves

• From child’s pose, lift your torso and hips into tabletop position, with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
• Inhale as you lift your gaze and squeeze your shoulder blades together to open your chest. This is cow pose.
• Exhale as you round your spine, drawing your navel inward and dropping your gaze towards your thighs or stomach. This is cat pose.
• Repeat several times, flowing smoothly from cat to cow.
• Return to child’s pose before the next move.

3. Side stretch

• Move into a high kneeling position, with your hips directly above your knees and your back straight.
• Slowly sweep both arms overhead.
• Lower your left arm to the floor as you reach your right arm up, leaning to the left to feel a stretch along your torso.
• Repeat on the other side.
• Return both arms overhead, then lower back into child’s pose briefly.
• Flow through cat-cow again.

4. Tabletop with eagle legs

• Return to tabletop pose and cross your left shin over your right calf.
• Sink your hips back toward your heels and lower your head toward the mat.
• Come back to tabletop position, then repeat on the other side.
• Then come back to tabletop position and flow through cat-cow again.
• Return to child’s pose.
• Add another side bend here, keeping both arms extended overhead, leaning over to each side.
• Finish with cat-cow and child’s pose.

5. Gate pose side stretch with thread the needle

• Move into a high kneeling position again with arms extended overhead.
• Extend your right leg out to the side.
• Reach your right hand down the right leg and reach your left arm up and over your head, lengthening through the left side of your body.
• Cartwheel your hands down in front of you into tabletop position, keeping your right leg extended out to the side.
• Cat-cow and push back into child’s pose.
• Return to tabletop and move into thread the needle pose, reaching your left arm under your chest, extending it towards the right side between your right elbow and knee, allowing your left shoulder and head to relax toward the floor.
• Open your chest again by reaching the right arm straight up, then behind you.
• Counter this twist by coming onto your knees, placing the right hand on the floor and extending your left arm.
• Come into cat-cow and then child’s pose.
• Come back to kneeling and repeat on the other side.
• Move through one last slow round of cat-cow before settling back into child’s pose for a few quiet breaths.

6. Close seated

• Slowly roll up to kneeling and settle down into a comfortable seated position.
• Roll your shoulders back and down, resting your hands gently on your legs.
• Let your breath become steady and easeful.
• From here, you might linger in quiet meditation—seated or lying down—allowing your body to fully settle before sleep.

It’s easy to let working out fall to the bottom of the to-do list when you’re busy. But, you don’t need an hour or a gym to introduce movement into your day.

Even just five minutes can make a difference, explains certified personal trainer Brandon Hultman.

“I’m a big believer that consistency beats intensity,” says Hultman. “Five focused minutes done daily is better than an hour you never do.”

Hultman’s five-minute full-body workout is designed to build momentum, so it can can be done anywhere, no equipment needed.

“This routine trains push, hinge and lunge patterns—which means you’re hitting chest, shoulders, arms, glutes, quads, hamstrings and core in just five minutes,” he tells Fit & Well.

“More importantly, this workout eliminates the mental barrier of ‘I don’t have time’.” Hultman adds.

Use this full-body routine as a dose of movement on busy days, or to warm-up for a longer workout.

How to do the five-minute full-body workout

This routine consists of three exercises. Do 10 reps of each in turn, taking breaks as you need them, and repeat until you hit five minutes on the clock.

Hultman recommends doing this workout three to six times per week.

The three exercises are:

1. Push-up
2. Single-leg hip thrust
3. Step-back lunge

1. Push-up

Reps: 10

Benefits: Builds upper-body strength and core stability.

• Start in a plank position, with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your body in a straight line from head to heels.
• Bend your elbows to lower your chest with control, letting your upper arms move out to the sides, so there’s about a 45° angle between your upper arms and torso.
• Push through your hands to extend your arms and return to the start position.

Make it easier: If full push-ups are too challenging, place your hands on a sturdy raised surface, such as a couch, or perform push-ups on your knees.

2. Single-leg hip thrust

Reps: 10 each side

Benefits: Strengthens glutes and improves hip stability.

• Lie on your back with your knees bent to 90° and heels on the floor.
• Push through your left heel to lift your hips and right leg.
• Pause when your hips form a straight line with your shoulders and left knee, then lower to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.

3. Step back lunge

Reps: 10 each side

Benefits: Build leg strength and balance, while protecting the knees.

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwYeVkqlOoo

Stand with feet hip-width apart.

Step one foot behind you and bend both knees to lower.

Keep your chest upright and front knee directly above your ankle.

Push through your front heel to return to standing.

Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.

Core workouts are about more than ripped abs.

They help build strength and stability, which supports posture and overall movement explains certified personal trainer Brandon Hultman.

“Building a strong and functional midsection is what’s most important to protect your spine and move better in everything you do,” he tells Fit&Well.

“A strong core makes other exercises—like squats and deadlifts— easier, improves posture and form, and reduces the risk of back pain.”

Hultman has a simple core routine that you can do from the comfort of your home—and it takes just five minutes.

He offers tips and modified rep counts throughout, so whether you’re new to exercise or you have been strength training for a while, this workout is worth trying.

How to do the five-minute core workout

This no-equipment workout consists of three exercises. Do one set of each exercise, taking breaks as needed, and it should take a maximum of five minutes, but probably less.

If you’re a more experienced exerciser, opt for the higher number of reps suggested or aim for two sets, or however many you can manage in five minutes.

Hultman recommends doing this low-impact workout three to six times per week.

“It’s perfect as a daily core habit, a warm-up before strength training or a finisher at the end of your workout,” he says.

The exercises are:

1. Bird dog
2. Side plank raise
3. Lying scissor kick

1. Bird dog

Sets: 1-2 Reps: 8-10 each side (advanced reps: 12-15 each side)

Benefits: Builds core stability and protects the lower back.

• Get on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
• Brace your core.
• Extend your right arm forward and your left leg back at the same time.
• Keep your hips square and avoid arching your lower back.
• Pause briefly, then return to the start and repeat on the other side.

Trainer tip: Move slowly. The goal is control, not speed.

2. Side plank raise

Sets: 1-2 Reps: 10 each side (advanced reps: 15 each side)

Benefits: Strengthens the obliques and improves lateral stability.

• Lie on your right side, propped up on your right forearm, with your right elbow directly under your right shoulder, and with one leg on top of the other.
• Lift your hips so your body is in a straight line.
• Slowly lower your hips, then lift them back to the side plank position, using your obliques (the muscles on the side of your torso) to power the move.

Trainer tip: If side planks on your feet are too challenging, keep your bottom knee on the floor.

3. Lying scissor kick

Sets: 1-2 Time: 20-30sec (advanced time: 45sec)

Benefits: Builds lower abdominal endurance and hip flexor control.

• Lie on your back with your legs extended, hands by your sides.
• Engage your core, gently pressing your lower back into the floor.
• Lift both legs just off the floor, keeping your lower back pressed into the floor throughout.
• Lift your right leg, keeping it straight if possible.
• Lower your right leg as you lift your left leg.
• Continue lifting one leg and lowering the other for time.

Trainer tip: If your lower back lifts off the floor, raise your legs slightly higher

Cardio might not be as trendy as Pilates or strength training, but that’s not to say it shouldn’t be an important part of your workout regime.

The good news is that you don’t need to train for a marathon or sign up to a bootcamp to look after your cardiovascular health.

A simple five-minute, at-home burst can do the trick, according to trainer Tara Riley, who specializes in Pilates, barre, cardio and strength training.

Riley has created a five-minute barre-inspired cardio burst to give her clients a boost when their energy is low.

Best of all, she’s soundtracked her routine to ’80s classic “Holding Out for a Hero” by Bonnie Tyler. The track is upbeat, fast-paced and most importantly, fun!

“This is my favourite way to weave in cardio,” she tells Fit&Well. “High energy but low impact, meaning you still elevate your heart rate.”

Riley went on to explain the many benefits of this type of exercise. “Cardio helps improve lung function and metabolic health, build endurance and power, increase energy levels, and strengthen bones,” says Riley.

“Plus, there’s simply no better way to tap into those mood-boosting endorphins.”

Riley’s routine is an easy way to add movement into your day without spending lots of time working out, and it features engaging movements such as lunges, toe taps and barre-inspired movements like passé knee lifts.

I decided to give it a go myself. Here’s what happened when I tried out Tara Riley's five-minute barre-inspired cardio burst.

My experience

When Riley told me this low-impact routine would get my heart rate up without the need for jumping around my kitchen, I was relieved I wouldn’t be disturbing my downstairs neighbors.

I popped on a pair of grip socks, rolled out my yoga mat and headed to YouTube where I found a four-minute and 45 second version of “Holding Out for a Hero” by Bonnie Tyler—perfect.

The soundtrack is high energy, which in turn means the routine is fast-paced—that combined with my poor coordination, meant I found myself getting things muddled up.

So, I hit pause and decided to first practice each move without the music.

I got familiar with how it felt to move through the sequence, made sure I was confident in what I was doing and happy that my form was on point, before hitting play again.

After that, it was smooth-sailing. Each of the moves fell effortlessly in time with the beat of the music, and once I got into it I found myself moving easily through the workout.

I was surprised at how quickly this routine got my heart rate up. And I couldn’t stop smiling as I tapped, lunged and bounced to the beat.

I'm fairly new to barre, but the barre-inspired moves in this routine are beginner-friendly. As I spent a few reps with each move, I was able to get into the groove without feeling rushed or like I was falling behind in the routine.

I enjoyed it so much the first time, I hit play for round two, and found I was flowing even more effortlessly between the moves the second time around.

Running is my go-to cardio, but I’ll be filing this one away for those days I’m short on time, or I need to lift my spirits.

See Riley’s step-by-step guide to the routine below. And next time you’re feeling flat, give it a whirl—trust me, it’s an instant mood booster.

How to do Tara Riley’s five-minute cardio burst

Six moves make up one round of this workout, and then you repeat this round until the end of the song. Feel free to add in toe taps or lateral side-to-side movements in between rounds. I've listed how to do each move below, so you can practice them in advance.

1. Side toe tap with arm push

Sets: 1 Reps: 8

• Make a small tap out to the left with your left foot and then do the same on your right to the beat of the music.
• As you move from side to side, press the opposite arm across the body, adding a twist to the torso.
• If you feel able to, add in a slight bounce as you tap it out.

2. Lunge and drive

Sets: 1 Reps: 8 each side

• Move into a reverse lunge by stepping the left leg back.
• At the same time extend the arms forward so the hands meet.
• From here, drive the left knee forward up to the chest, pulling the elbows back and pressing the chest forward (move quickly through the movement to stay with the beat).
• Complete the reps on the left leg before moving to the right.

3. Lateral lunge

Sets: 1 Reps: 8 each side

• Start in a wide leg stance with arms out to the sides.
• Lean towards the left, bending the left knee, into a lateral lunge. Keep arms out to the sides.
• Then quickly lean into the right side.
• Move from side-to-side to the beat.

4. Arm / leg coordination challenge

Sets: 1 Reps: 8 each side

• Stand with your feet together and your arms by your sides.
• Tap your left toe out to the side, while extending your right arm overhead.
• Raise your left leg into a passé knee lift, while lowering your right arm and extending your left arm up.
• Complete the reps on that left leg before moving onto the right side.

5. Lateral lunge with toe touch

Sets: 1 Reps: 8 each side

• Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Bend your left knee to lower into a lateral lunge, while extending your left arm overhead, and reaching towards your left toe with your right hand.
• Repeat on the other side.
• Continue, moving side-to-side with the beat.

6. Lateral side step with arm rotation

Sets: 1 Reps: 8 each side

• Stand with your feet together and arms extended above your head.
• Step your left foot out to the side and sweep your arms in a circular motion in a clockwise direction to your left foot.
• Step back to center, returning your arms overhead, moving counterclockwise.
• Repeat on the other side.

Upper-body workouts are about more than toning your arms. They help build strength and mobility, so you can move more easily throughout your day.

“Upper-body circuits reinforce healthy shoulder mobility, improve posture and strengthen through positions you use in daily life—lifting, reaching, pushing and pulling,” says certified personal trainer Felicia Hernandez.

But that doesn’t mean you need to lift heavy weights, or head to a gym, to look after your upper body.

Hernandez, a trainer at Eden Health Club, has a five-minute upper-body workout you can do from the comfort of your home, at any time of day.

“This mini workout keeps your arms strong, your shoulders moving smoothly, and your body primed to support the real things you care about—like carrying groceries, reaching high shelves, or simply standing tall with confidence,” says Hernandez.

How to do the five-minute upper-body workout

The workout consists of five exercises that you perform for one minute each. There’s no need to count how many times you do each exercise.

“Make sure to take your time and focus on controlled form and breathing,” says Hernandez. If you feel rushed, slow down and go at your own pace.

Hernandez recommends doing this low-impact routine three to four times a week, using it as a morning shakeout, workout warm-up or midday reset.

You can choose to do this workout with or without weights. With some of the exercises, you can incorporate dumbbells, but they work just as well with bodyweight only.

The five exercises are:

1. Wall shoulder roll
2. Wall push-up
3. Alternating overhead reach and pull
4. Lateral raise
5. Isometric biceps hold with pulse

1. Wall shoulder roll

Time: 1min

• Stand with your back and head against a wall, elbows bent to 90° and in line with your shoulders.
• Press your arms, shoulders and back gently into the wall.
• Slowly slide your arms up to form a Y shape—avoid arching your lower back.
• Slowly return to the starting position.

Benefits: The wall shoulder roll improves shoulder joint mobility, posture and scapular control (movement from your shoulder).

2. Wall push-up

Time: 1min

• Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart on a wall.
• Take a step away from the wall, ensuring your body forms a straight line from head to heels. The further you step away from the wall, the more challenging the move.
• Bend your elbows to lower your chest slowly towards the wall, keeping your body in a straight line and your elbows close to your body.
• Extend your arms to press back up.

Benefits: This modified push-up strengthens your chest, arms and shoulders in a joint-friendly range, ideal for beginners or those easing back into strength work.

3. Alternating overhead reach and pull

Time: 1min

• Stand tall or sit upright.
• Raise both arms overhead.
• Pretend you’re slowly pulling down a rope, drawing your elbows toward your rib cage.
• Extend arms back up with control.
• Alternate sides or perform both arms at once.

Benefits: The movement targets your lats and upper-back muscles, while delivering a surprising core challenge.

4. Lateral raise

Time: 1min

• Stand with a slight bend in your knees and elbows. You may hold light dumbbells by your sides, but the exercise can be performed without weights.
• Slowly raise your arms out to the sides to shoulder height.
• Keep your shoulders relaxed; the movement should be powered by your mid-back and shoulder muscles.
• Lower with control.

Benefits: This strength training staple builds shoulder stability and improves joint health even without weights.

5. Isometric biceps hold with pulse

Time: 1min

• Stand with your hands in front of your thighs, palms facing forward. You may hold dumbbells if you wish.
• Keeping your upper arms pinned to your torso, bend your elbows to lift your forearms to horizontal.
• Squeeze your fists or the dumbbells, and pulse your hands up one inch and back down.
• Perform pulses for one minute, focusing on muscle activation, not speed.

Benefits: You will engage your biceps and forearms, while building muscular endurance and grip strength.

Got five minutes spare? Then you’ve got time to strengthen your core with this yoga teacher-approved abs workout.

It comes from certified yoga teacher Leanne Lent from fitness app Yoga-Go.

“What I like most about this workout is that it’s short, effective and easy to stick to, which makes it a great option for busy days or for people just getting started,” Lent tells Fit&Well.

“It’s also really versatile. You can add it to the start or end of a workout, or just do it on its own.

“For beginners, it’s a great way to build the habit [of regular exercise] without feeling overwhelmed. For more experienced movers, it’s a simple way to stay consistent with core work.”

That said, some elements of the workout are rather challenging, even for well-versed gym-goers, so Lent has explained how to scale some of the moves back.

“If you’re a beginner, one round is more than enough, especially if you’re focusing on good form and breathing through each rep,” she says. “Build up slowly so you’re not overdoing it or carrying unnecessary tension into other movements.”

If you’ve got more experience and want a bit more of a challenge, Lent says “you can repeat it two or three times as long as your technique stays solid.

“The goal isn’t to blast through it. It’s about quality over quantity.”

The five-minute core workout

The five moves

1. Flutter kicks x 30sec
2. Side plank march x 10 each side
3. U abs x 10
4. Side plank hip abduction x 10 each side
5. Lying leg raises x 20

How to do the five-minute abs finisher, plus modifications

“You can do it as a quick standalone session or fit it around other strength or cardio days,” says Lent, adding that core muscles recover fairly quickly but they still need rest.

To make the flutter kicks, U abs and leg raises easier while still enjoying their benefits, Lent suggests bending your knees to shorten the range of motion.

“You can also keep your head down and just lift your legs slightly to take pressure off your neck and core,” she says.

For the side plank variations, Lent recommends starting on your knees instead of your feet.

“If the [side plank] marching or leg lifts [involved in the hip abduction exercise] feel like too much, just hold the side plank with control,” she says. “That alone is plenty for beginners.”

Regardless of the version you opt for, Lent says you want to feel “gentle core activation—not strain.

“You should be able to breathe steadily, keep your neck and shoulders relaxed, and move without pain. If that’s not the case, scale it back again until it feels more manageable.”

There is little more demoralising than seeking out a beginner workout, only to find it isn’t that beginner-friendly after all, says Dr Devin Trachman.

The doctor of physical therapy and board-certified orthopedic specialist, spends most days working with older adults and people she describes as true beginners.

“Much of my clinical work focuses on helping people later in life stay strong, mobile and confident using simple, safe and approachable movement,” she tells Fit&Well.

One of her go-to routines to build “foundational strength and balance” takes a little over five minutes, requires minimal equipment and can be practiced anywhere.

“I like to focus on using slow tempos, good breathing mechanics and including optional support, so people feel successful rather than overwhelmed,” she explains.

For example, this routine includes a sit-to-stand squat using a chair and push-ups against a wall that will teach good technique without demanding excessive strength or mobility.

The workout is low-impact, yet scalable to make it easier or harder depending on your ability and energy levels on the day.

“This routine works well as a daily habit and can be safely progressed over time,” says Trachman.

“It’s ideal for beginners and older adults because it emphasizes clear instructions, pain-free ranges of motion and movements that directly translate to daily life.”

How to do the workout

Perform all five exercises back-to-back, resting as needed. “Start with one round and build up to two as you build your strength and stamina,” she says.

Trachman says one round of this circuit should take between five and seven minutes to complete.

Workout overview

1. Sit-to-stand x 8-10
2. Heel raise x 15-20
3. Wall push-up x 8-10
4. Standing march x 30-45sec
5. Step-back to toe tap x 30-45sec

1. Sit-to-stand

Reps: 8-10

• Sit on a stable chair with your feet flat on the floor.
• Cross your arms on your chest to avoid the temptation to use them.
• Lean forward and press through your feet to stand.
• Sit your hips back and bend your knees to slowly lower yourself back to the seat.

Trachman says: “This exercise builds leg strength for daily tasks, like getting up from a chair or toilet.”

2. Standing march

Time: 30-45sec

• Stand side on to a counter or chair, so you can place one hand on it for support if needed.
• Lift one knee to hip height, or as close as your mobility allows, then the other, to march on the spot.
• Start slowly with caution and speed up as you feel more comfortable.

Trachman says: “Standing marches improve balance, hip mobility and coordination.”

3. Wall push-up

Reps: 8-10

• Stand close to a wall and place your palms on a wall at chest height, shoulder-width apart.
• Take a few small steps back from the wall, keeping your hands in contact with the wall.
• Once at a manageable angle, press your hands away to straighten your arms. This is the starting position.
• Bend your elbows to move your chest toward the wall.
• As you move, keep your shoulders, hips and ankles in a straight line.
• Press the wall away to return to the start.
• Once this feels easy, step further back to increase the angle.

Trachman says: “This scaled push-up builds upper-body and core strength without stressing the shoulders or wrists.”

4. Heel raise

Reps: 15-20

• Lightly place your hands on a wall or counter for support, and stand with your feet together and legs straight.
• Push through the balls of your feet and your toes to lift your heels as high as you can manage.
• Slowly lower your heels to gently tap the floor, then go straight into the next rep.

Trachman says: “Strong calves support ankle strength and balance, which is critical for fall prevention.”

5. Step-back to toe tap

Time: 30-45sec

• Stand tall with feet hip-width apart.
• Lift one foot slightly off the floor and move it behind you to gently tap the floor with your toes.
• Bring the foot back to the start and repeat with the other foot.
• Reach as far back as you can manage without losing balance, bending your front knee slightly if you can to work your thighs.
• Continue alternating sides for the allotted time.

Trachman says: “A regression of a reverse lunge, this exercise challenges coordination and hip extension without excessive impact.”

I blame the walking lunges.

Last week I ran my first solo HYROX race in London. It was fun, at first. Until my lack of adequate preparation caught up with me during the penultimate workout station.

Every few walking lunges, with a 45lb sandbag over my shoulders, sent my quads into an uncomfortable spasm.

I just about managed to shake off the cramp and get round the rest of the course, but over the next few days delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) bit in a big way.

I tried some gentle active recovery. I tried using a massage gun and compression boots. I stretched, rehydrated and replenished with copious helpings of carbs and protein (aka pepperoni pizza).

But, ultimately, a five-minute pre-bed yoga flow I discovered on Instagram got me back on my feet—ironically by getting me off them.

What I thought of the yoga flow

This four-move routine from yoga teacher Leanne Lent via Yoga-Go, is designed as a bedtime flow to improve sleep quality.

I found the legs up the wall pose especially helpful to relax my central nervous system, boost circulation and make my legs feel generally less heavy and tender.

According to a 2024 review of research, this happens through lymphatic drainage and the flow of deoxygenated blood from the legs, back to the heart (aka the venous return), helping reduce swelling and clear lactic acid.

Lent holds this pose for 60 seconds, but I extended it for two to three minutes, which felt like it did the trick. After a light pins-and-needles sensation in my feet and calves, a soothing wave of relaxation came next.

Child's pose that followed eased tension in my chest, hips and lower back.

I found the reclined butterfly pose a bit challenging for my hips, so I would recommend popping bigger cushions under each knee if you need it.

The reclined twist was a nice way to finish, helping mobilize my thoracic spine and get more blood flowing around my body.

How to do the five-minute bedtime yoga flow

Legs up the wall

Time: 60sec

• Remove the pillows from your bed and shuffle your buttocks close to the wall or your headboard.
• Extend your legs straight up against the wall.
• Lie back, relax and breathe deeply.

Child’s pose

Time: 60sec

• Kneel with your knees wider than hip-width apart and a pillow in front of you.
• Sit your butt back onto your heels, then fold forward, pressing your chest into the pillow.
• Reach your arms forward, rest them on the pillow or place them by your sides.
• Breathe deeply into the stretch.

Reclined butterfly pose

Time: 60sec

• Lie on your back with two pillows on either side of your hips.
• Bend your knees, place the soles of your feet together and let your knees drop onto the pillows.
• Breathe deeply into the stretch.
• Adjust the height of the cushions for your mobility.

Reclined twist

Time: 60sec each side

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, legs together, arms extended to the side and spine neutral.
• Slowly and with control, lower your knees to the right until they rest on the bed, or as far as is comfortable.
• Hold for time, then repeat on the other side.

Gym session or park run calling, but chained to your desk all day?

When time is extra tight and inactivity is making her feel cramped, trainer Eryn Barber likes to turn to a few light exercises and stretches—all of which can be done using nothing but a chair.

Combined into a five-minute workout, these simple moves help offset the downsides of sitting for long stints while helping boost circulation and restore mobility.

“Calf raises [the first exercise] improve circulation to your lower body—especially when sitting down for long periods,” explains Barber, who works with The Fitness Group, a leading provider of personal training courses.

“Box squats and triceps dips build lower and upper-body strength, while aiding your ability to get in and out of your chair,” she continues.

“Arm swings will boost range of motion around the shoulder joint, which is vital when sitting at your desk with arms lowered at your keyboard all day.

“And torso twists increase spinal flexibility—something that is especially important as most people simply don’t move their spine through this plane of motion.”

Here, Barber breaks down each exercise.

Five desk-side exercises to boost circulation and mobility

Next time you're feeling stiff, take five minutes to gently move and mobilize your body.

Perform two sets of each exercise, noting the repetitions below, with a few seconds of rest between sets if you need to catch your breath.

1. Seated calf raise

Sets: 2 Reps: 15-20

• Sit upright with knees bent at 90° and feet flat on the floor.
• Shift the weight into the balls of your feet as you lift your heels off the ground as high as you can.
• Pause, then lower with control.
• To add resistance, place a heavy object on your thighs, such as a book.

2. Box squat

Safety tip: make sure the seat you’re working with is secure and not on wheels.

Sets: 2 Reps: 10-12

• Sit upright with knees bent at 90° and feet flat on the floor.
• Without using your hands, shift your weight forward and push through your feet to stand.
• Sit your hips back to lower yourself to the seat with control, rather than letting yourself flop onto the chair.
• Gently tap your bum on the seat, then drive up to stand.

3. Overhead arm swings

Sets 2 Reps 10-12

• Sit upright with knees bent at 90° and feet flat on the floor.
• Straighten your arms by your sides.
• Move your hands from beside your chair to an overhead position, while maintaining a neutral spine, engaging your core and keeping your shoulders relaxed.
• Lower your arms and repeat.

4. Seated torso twist

Sets: 2 Reps: 8-10 each side

• Sit upright with knees bent at 90° and feet flat on the floor.
• Cross your arms over your chest and rest them on your shoulders, raising your elbows slightly.
• Gently rotate your torso to one side, exhaling into the stretch.
• Pause, then inhale as you return to the center and continue to the other side.

5. Chair / Bench dips

Safety tip: make sure the seat you’re working with is secure and not on wheels.

Sets: 2 Reps: 6-12 depending on strength

• Sit upright with knees bent at 90° and feet flat on the floor.
• Shuffle your butt forward until it's just off the seat and hold the edge of your chair with both hands.
• Lower your body until your elbows are bent 90°, pointing back rather than flaring out
• Extend your arms and raise your hips again. The movement should only come from your elbow joint; nothing else moves.
• As you improve over time, step your feet further from your body until they are straight, which will increase the difficulty of the exercise.

The older I get, the more I need to practice mobility to reduce the daily aches and pains I’m (sadly) starting to feel.

Hip stiffness is my biggest problem. My right hip in particular gets achy when I’ve been sitting for too long, which is why I wanted to try a five-minute hip mobility routine every day for a month to see if it could help.

After a quick YouTube search, I found a routine by NASM-qualified fitness instructor Alyssa Schwartz, which looked ideal for stretching out my stiff hips and fitting in on a daily basis.

Instead of practising the routine at the same time each day, I decided to slot it in as and when I needed it; on a break when working from home, as a warm-up before a run, and a wind-down before bed.

After committing to this routine for a month, I noticed three tangible results.

The routine

The changes

1. My stride feels longer and more relaxed

It took around three weeks of daily hip stretching for me to notice a difference in my walking and running stride, but I was really pleased once I did.

I hadn’t actually realized that my stiff hips were limiting my stride length, but after this experiment my steps now feel smoother, like my hips aren’t blocking any motion.

It’s subtle, but I can tell I’m covering more ground with less effort.

2. My pangs of stiffness are less frequent

As I mentioned earlier, my right hip will start to twinge when I’ve been sitting for a long time.

It’s the sort of discomfort that borders on painful, so I’m glad to report that just five minutes of daily stretching has massively reduced this.

I also find that I don’t need as long to limber up before going on a walk or run, as everything in my lower body feels ready to move much sooner.

3. My balance has improved

This one surprised me.

The routine I followed focuses on loosening the hips, but after a month, I can feel a big difference in my single-leg balance and control.

When I perform any unilateral exercises now, I feel less wobbly and more stable. My hips don’t drop to one side during moves like lunges and I feel like my pelvis is more stable when running.

A good piece of advice Schwartz shares in the video is to notice whether we sit cross-legged, or stand with our weight shifted to one side more than the other.

I’ve definitely become more aware of when I’m doing this, which could be making as much of a difference to how my hip feels as the routine itself.

After a long week at work, stiffness can easily creep into areas of your body, especially your wrists which can feel the strain from working at a computer, and ankles which are stuck in the same position while you’re sitting.

But simple movements can bring life back to these extremities, improving mobility to help ward off problems in the future.

I spoke to Balanced Body educator and certified personal trainer Portia Page, who gave me her favorite energizing stretches and breath exercises to start the day. It’s a great combination, because breathwork can help you to settle your mind and bring your focus to the day ahead.

1. Breathwork

• This can be done in any position, with your eyes open or closed.
• Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth three times.
• Add a hold of a few seconds after the inhale and again after the exhale, completing another three breath cycles.

2. Wrist circles

• Raise your hands in front of you and circle your wrists four to six times in each direction.

3. Fist open and close

• Hold your hands in front of you, at shoulder height, palms facing forward.
• Open and close your hands four to six times, focusing on stretching the fingers out wide each time.

4. Windshield wiper

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you and your heels on the floor.
• Moving just your ankles, keeping your legs still and your heels on the floor throughout, move your feet side to side like windshield wipers.
• Repeat four to six times.

5. Ankle circles

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you and your heels on the floor.
• Moving just your ankles, keeping your legs still and your heels on the floor throughout, circle your ankles in one direction, then the other.
• Repeat four to six times.

6. Ankle point and flex

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you and your heels on the floor.
• Moving just your ankles, keeping your legs still and your heels on the floor throughout, point your toes forward, then flex your feet so your toes point up.
• Repeat four to six times.

7. Breathwork

Close with a breathing exercise to help you acknowledge your body and feel aware of your surroundings.

• Stand with your feet under your hips, your ribs over your hips, and your head balanced over your ribs.
• Stand and breathe, noticing the height of your body and the space your body occupies.
• Connect to the contact between your feet and the floor and become aware of the length of your legs and the energy they carry to your pelvis, torso and up and out through the top of your head. One long line of energy, strength, and power.
• Breathe and smile. You are awake, alive and ready to go!

It can be hard to find time for exercise, which is especially bad if you have a full-time job that involves a lot of sitting, because you’ll need to dedicate more time to counteracting the effects of your nine-to-five.

I know firsthand how difficult it can be to squeeze movement into your day, and as a result, I log off from work with a cranky back and stiff hips.

To address this, I caught up with Peloton trainer Joslyn Thompson Rule and asked her what I should do if I only have five minutes to move.

She suggested a mobility routine that targets lower-body muscles like the hip flexors and glutes, while also encouraging rotation through the mid- and upper back.

I tried her five-minute session after a long spell at my desk and I finished feeling significantly looser and, surprisingly, a lot less stressed afterwards. Here’s how to do it.

The moves

1. Child’s pose: 2min
2. World’s greatest stretch: 30sec each side
3. Pigeon pose: 30sec each side
4. Adductor rockback with thoracic rotation: 30sec each side

1. Child’s pose

Sets: 1 Time: 2min

• Kneel on the floor with your feet together and knees wider than hip-width apart.
• Bend forward from the hips and stretch your arms in front of you.
• Rest your head on the floor and breathe deeply.

Child’s pose opens up the hips and stretches out the back, which will feel satisfying if you’ve been hunching over your laptop for a while.

The real point of this pose, however, is that it allows you to relax and slow down your breath, which can help you ease into the stretches that follow.

“I really like child’s pose for just relaxing you a little bit, helping you breathe in, slowing you down,” says Thompson Rule.

2. World’s greatest stretch

(Video credit: Getty Images / Iuliia Zavalishina)

Sets: 1 Time: 30sec each side

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Bend over, place your palms on the floor and walk your hands forward until you are in a high plank position, with your hands under your shoulders and your body in a straight line.
• Step your left foot forward, to the outside of your left hand.
• Lift your left hand up, straightening your arm.
• Lower your left arm, reaching your left elbow to your left foot.
• Continue for time, then repeat on the other side.

“I love the world’s greatest stretch,” says Thompson Rule. “It’s called that for a reason.”

This move will stretch tight hip flexors and help you get some rotation through your thoracic spine,. I also felt a satisfying stretch in my shoulders and quads.

3. Pigeon pose

Sets: 1 Time: 30sec each side

• Get on your hands and knees, with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
• Bring your right knee towards your right hand and right foot towards your left hand, so that your shin is horizontal between your palms, or as close as your mobility comfortably allows.
• Extend your left leg behind you.
• Keep your hips level as you hold the pose.

It’s a great stretch for targeting the hip flexors, at the top of your leg, and your glutes, too. If you find it difficult, you can maintain a soft bend in the back knee, or try this elevated pigeon pose variation.

4. Adductor rockback with thoracic rotation

Sets: 1 Time: 30sec each side

• Get on your hands and knees, with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
• Step your right foot out to the side and extend your right leg.
• Keeping your hands on the floor, rock back and forth for 10 seconds.
• Place your right hand behind your head.
• Bring your elbow down towards the floor, then rotate your torso the other way to point your elbow up.

Thompson Rule says this is a great warm-up move to do before squats, because the initial back-and-forth movement stretches the inner thighs. Adding the rotational element will also loosen up your back after a day at the desk.

I regularly deal with aches and pains during work hours, whether it's tight hips when I'm sitting at my desk or a knot in my shoulder that just won't go away.

I know that I should be stretching more to offset the effects of my desk job, but I struggle to find the time.

However, one of my favourite yoga instructors, Mara Cimatoribus, recently shared a super simple morning stretching routine that only takes five minutes.

I decided to give it a go for a week to see if it could help my body feel better.

How to do Mara Cimatoribus' morning stretching routine

The routine features five poses. I held each pose for 30 seconds on each side, or one minute when the move incorporated both sides.

What happened when I stretched for five minutes every morning for a week

I often wake up with stiffness but tend to ignore it, diving straight into my day.

However, I discovered that taking the time to do Cimatoribus' stretching routine from my bed provided immediate relief to my muscles and joints.

The seated side stretch and twist soothed my upper back and shoulders, where I hold the most tension.

The forward fold was also incredibly satisfying for my lower body. I was feeling pretty inflexible when I woke—likely from being horizontal for eight hours—but my leg muscles relaxed deeply into this stretch after just a few seconds.

Stretching as soon as I woke up also meant that I had five minutes for myself before the day started, which helped me feel less stressed.

Although some general stiffness did return throughout the day, the discomfort in my upper body was significantly reduced.

It's definitely a habit I'm going to stick with, as the mental and physical benefits were well worth the time, and practicing it from bed meant it was easy to fit into my morning routine.

Not everyone has time to go to the gym, but most of us can find five minutes to squeeze in some movement.

Breaking up prolonged periods of inactivity with short bursts of activity is known as exercise snacking, and it has all kinds of benefits, like boosting your energy levels throughout the day.

“I love exercise snacking—especially for people who have sedentary jobs, because it's easy to sneak five minutes in a couple of times a day, but not always so easy to get away to the gym for 30 minutes,” says personal trainer Tara De Leon.

“Small, frequent movement breaks, especially if you're doing something cardiovascular, like walking, can help regulate blood sugar and improve your cardiovascular health.”

If you want a quick routine that will challenge your mid-body muscles, try this five-minute deep core workout from Pilates instructor and physiotherapist Lilly Sabri.

It targets muscles like your transversus abdominis (side-lying abdominal muscles), multifidus (spinal support muscles) and pelvic floor muscles.

Five-minute deep core workout

There are nine moves in this workout and the goal is to complete each one for 30 seconds before moving onto the next.

If you find you need a longer rest, press pause and give yourself a break.

Sabri also includes modifications throughout, so you can opt for easier versions of each exercise.

The instructor says doing it regularly will strengthen your mid-body muscles and improve your posture.

The benefits of exercise snacking

“Exercise snacks are super beneficial,” says De Leon. “They’re time-efficient, non-intimidating, they boost your energy throughout the day, help you improve your consistency and are great for metabolic health.”

Structuring your exercise into short bouts throughout the day is similar to doing more vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA).

VILPA refers to short, one to two-minute bursts of intense physical activity that are performed throughout the day as part of daily living rather than during structured exercise.

This could include running to catch a bus or carrying heavy groceries to and from your car.

According to 2024 research in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, you only need to do very small amounts of VILPA, approximately 1.5 to 4 minutes per day, to substantially lower your risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular events.

The spine is the central pillar of your body, so keeping it strong and supple is important. Taking the time to look after it now will make sure you can move easily as you age.

I’m a yoga teacher, and I regularly practice this simple five-minute routine to support my spinal health.

It’s suitable for all levels and is designed to lengthen the spine, open the chest and release tension in the neck, shoulders, and back.

These movements can also help improve flexibility and mobility in areas like the hips and pelvis.

Five-minute yoga routine for spinal health

Seated flexion and extension

Reps: 2-3

• Sit in a comfortable seated position, spine lengthened.
• Interlace your fingers and place your hands behind your head.
• Inhale, open your elbows wide to the sides, lifting your chest and chin.
• Exhale, tuck your chin toward your chest while keeping your spine lengthened, drawing your elbows toward each other.
• Repeat, moving with your breath.

Cat-cow

Reps: 3-5

• Come onto your hands and knees, with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
• Inhale, arch your back so your belly drops toward the floor and lift your chest and chin.
• Exhale, round your spine, tuck your chin to your chest and your tailbone under.
• Repeat, moving with your breath.

Puppy pose

Hold: 3-5 breaths

• From your hands and knees, walk your hands forward and lower your chest toward the floor.
• Keeping your hips lifted, rest your forehead or chin on the floor.
• Engage your arms, pressing your palms into the floor, letting your chest sink.
• Breathe fully in this position, feeling your back and shoulders stretch.

Wide cobra

Reps: 5-8

• Lie on your front, legs extended and feet hip-width apart.
• Place your hands as wide as your mat in line with your head, elbows close to you.
• Inhale, lift your chest, pressing through your palms, keeping your buttocks and lower body relaxed.
• Exhale, lower down with control.
• Repeat, moving with your breath. If you feel pain or pinching in your lower back, walk your hands further away.

Open book

Reps: 5 on each side

• Lie on your side with a bolster or cushion under your head, with one leg stacked on top of the other and both knees bent.
• Extend your arms in front of you, with palms touching.
• Inhale, sweep your top arm up and behind you, rotating through your spine, watching your fingertips and keeping your lower body stable.
• Exhale, return your top arm to the starting position.
• Repeat the repetitions on one side, then switch sides.

Windshield wiper pose

Reps: 4-6

• Lie on your back, with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart.
• Slowly, drop both knees to one side, raise them back to center then drop them to the other side.
• Continue swaying side to side, feeling a massaging effect through the lower spine.
• Move gently with your breath.

End the routine by hugging your knees into your chest. Wrap your arms around your legs or with your hands on your knees, rock gently from side to side a few times before extending your legs.

Take a few deep breaths as you feel your body breathing before coming up to sitting and returning to your day.

Getting a good night’s sleep can transform your day. It improves your cognitive function, lifts your spirits and upgrades your performance in the gym.

However, knowing all this doesn’t help you fall asleep faster. That’s where yoga can help.

The gentle practice combines breathwork and movement, encouraging you to focus on the present moment and forget the anxieties of the day.

I spoke to YogaSix master trainer Nicole Wood, who has been teaching yoga for eight years, and asked for a gentle pre-bed routine. Here’s what she recommended.

Yoga for sleep routine

Wood recommends doing the following poses as a flow, which means you move seamlessly from one pose to another without rest.

• Pigeon pose
• Reclined butterfly
• Supine twist
• Legs up the wall
• Banana pose

Pigeon pose

• Start in downward-facing dog, with your hands and feet on the floor and hips elevated towards the ceiling. (If it’s more comfortable, you can start on your hands and knees instead, with your torso parallel to the floor.)
• Inhale and extend your right leg behind you.
• Exhale and bend your right leg, bringing your right knee under your body and down to the floor, just behind your right wrist.
• Adjust your shin so that it’s parallel to the shorter side of your yoga mat. You can tweak the angle of your knee to find a comfortable position. Keep your back leg extended behind you.
• Bring your elbows down to the mat. If it’s comfortable, you can fold your torso forward over your right shin.
• Hold for a few breaths, then repeat on the other side.

Reclined butterfly

• Lie on your back.
• Inhale, bend your knees and bring your feet toward your groin and the soles of your feet together.
• Exhale and allow your knees to fall to the sides and relax.
• Place one hand on your heart, and one hand on your belly, and take a few breaths here.

Supine twist

• Lie on your back.
• Inhale, hug your right knee into your chest, keeping your left leg extended on the floor.
• Exhale and guide your right knee across your body with your left hand, so that your knee falls to the left side.
• Hold for a few breaths, then repeat on the other side.

Legs up the wall

• Lie on your back, with your butt positioned close to a wall.
• Inhale, bend your knees towards your chest.
• Exhale, extend your legs up the wall, keeping a soft bend in your knees.
• If you prefer, you can do this pose without the wall, allowing your legs to float freely.

Banana pose

• Lie on your back
• Inhale as you extend your arms and legs for a full-body stretch.
• Exhale as you walk your legs and arms to the right, to create a curve with your body. Keep your butt and hips connected to the floor.
• Repeat on the other side.

My experience trying this yoga for sleep routine

I’m a parent of two small children, so sleep can be elusive sometimes! My youngest has had a run of tricky nights lately, and I’ve found it increasingly difficult to relax into sleep.

Instead of my usual go-to method of reading, I tried this yoga flow before bed for a few nights.

I found that it forced me to slow down and gave my nervous system a chance to calm and recalibrate before bed, which made it much easier to fall asleep.

It can be hard to find time for yourself when you have a busy schedule, but you don’t need to spend hours in the gym to do something good for your body.

If you’ve only got a few minutes, you can make a positive impact on your mental and physical health with routines like this one from yoga instructor Alexis Mann.

Her five-minute full-body stretch opens up stiff joints and tense muscles while encouraging you to slow down and focus on your breathing.

I’ve recently developed a few new tight spots in my body that need some attention, but finding the time for a full-length yoga class has been impossible. This quick routine seemed more realistic, so I decided to give it a try.

The five-minute routine

Mann’s program features basic stretches that most people can do. The only equipment you’ll need is a yoga mat.

You’ll be on your knees for a lot of the routine, so you may also want a rolled-up towel or pillow handy for extra cushioning. If your mobility is limited, you can decrease your range of motion as needed.

My takeaways after doing the routine

This five-minute stretch is beginner-friendly, but you should always check in with your medical team before starting any new activities.

As Mann promises at the opening of her video, I did in fact feel much better after doing the routine. Here are some other things I noticed.

It’s a little longer than five minutes

Technically, this full-body stretch takes closer to seven minutes to complete.

That’s a nitpicky observation, but those extra two minutes can make a difference for those with packed schedules.

I still enjoyed this routine even if it was longer than advertised. It never felt rushed or hurried, and each stretch opened up my stiff spots.

I was able to truly relax into each position, and Mann’s transitions between stretches were natural and flowed nicely.

My hips loosened up

My hips were the area most affected by this full-body stretch. I’ve been dealing with tight hips for years, and they’ve gotten even tighter after pregnancy and childbirth.

Mann held the runner’s lunge stretch for a while, and that allowed me to explore a deeper range of motion in my hips.

After the stretch was over, I felt like I could walk and move a lot easier.

Mann gives great verbal cues

It’s very easy to perform movements incorrectly, especially when you’re following a video instead of a live instructor.

Verbal cues become really important in this scenario, and Mann does a great job of describing each stretch while providing corrections for common form issues.

During the runner’s lunge, Mann instructs you to “actively press and push the skin off of your thigh.”

I’m a certified personal trainer and know how to perform this move correctly, but hearing her specific cue helped me to go even deeper into the stretch.

That aspect alone made me want to come back to this full-body stretch in the future.

If you deal with mild pain or discomfort in a particular area of your body, you might have become resigned to just having to live with.

But this isn’t always the case and getting an in-person diagnosis from a qualified practitioner can make a world of difference.

Pilates instructor Rebecca Dadoun dealt with a lingering pain in her arm for years before she did anything about it. But she’s now completely pain-free, thanks to following a simple exercise programme.

“I had pain in my deltoid that I was convinced was caused by injuring my arm,” she tells Fit&Well. “But when I went to physio, it turned out to be caused by tightness in my shoulders and my upper back.”

Consulting a physical therapist about your pain is always the best idea because, like Dadoun, you might find that it’s being caused by something completely unexpected.

Often, the root cause is a lack of mobility in a particular area. Exercises that stretch and strengthen those muscles and joints in that area can therefore reduce pain.

This is what Dadoun found, and between five to 10 minutes of movement everyday helped her get rid of the niggle for good.

Even though the pain is gone, she still tries to do these exercises regularly. “If I neglect these exercises, the pain comes back,” she says.

But five to 10 minutes a day for a pain-free life is a small price to pay, right?

Rebecca Dadoun’s rehab routine for arm pain

The exercises that are right for you will depend on a professional diagnosis of the root cause, so it's best to consult a physical therapist in person.

However, Dadoun has shared the three movements that have helped her deal with tightness in her shoulders and upper back.

They are all movements you’ll find in modern Pilates classes, so as long as you can complete them without pain, they’ll help to keep the muscles in your shoulders and upper back strong and mobile.

1. Scapular press

Reps: 8

• Get on your hands and knees with your hands directly underneath your shoulders and knees directly underneath your hips.
• Keeping your arms straight throughout, squeeze your shoulder blades together.
• Again, keeping your arms straight, push the floor away and spread your shoulder blades apart.
• Move slowly between these two positions. Count one rep when you’ve flowed through both positions.

2. Cat-cow

Reps: 8

• Get on your hands and knees with your hands directly underneath your shoulders and knees directly underneath your hips.
• Arch your back, and lift your tailbone and your chin.
• Round your back, and tuck your chin and tailbone under.
• Move slowly between these two positions. Count one rep when you’ve flowed through both positions.

3. Dart

Reps: 8

• Lie face down with your arms by your sides and your palms facing.
• Lift your chest and arms slightly off the floor, keeping your legs in contact with the floor.
• Hold for a couple of seconds then slowly lower.
• Hold a 1kg weight in each hand to increase the challenge.

When life is hectic, taking time for yourself might be the first thing to go. I’m certainly guilty of this—on busy days, I’ll often skip lunch or work late instead of doing things I enjoy.

That’s why many people recommend meditation. It’s a great way to step away from your routine, and reset the mind and body.

However, I’ve always struggled with it. Sitting still and focusing on my breath for 10 minutes or longer can feel frustrating and difficult—quite the opposite of relaxation—so I rarely make time for it.

But when my favorite yoga instructor Adriene Mishler—better known online as Yoga With Adriene—recently shared a five-minute meditation and gentle stretch routine that promised “instant calm”, I decided to give the practice another chance.

How to do Yoga With Adriene’s five-minute meditation

This breathwork and stretching routine by Mishler is fully guided so just press play and follow Mishler’s instructions.

Mishler sits cross-legged on a yoga mat on the floor, but you can be in any comfortable seated position and even on the couch or in bed.

I decided to skip the yoga mat and went straight from my desk to the floor.

What I thought of Yoga With Adriene's five-minute meditation

One of the reasons I return to Mishler’s yoga practices is her down-to-earth, unpretentious style. She doesn’t use jargon or cliché as she guides you through a practice and that feels like a breath of fresh air.

This meditation practice was no different. Mishler’s breathwork was not complicated—it synchronizes deep inhalations and exhalations with some arm movements and gentle stretches. I appreciated this approach because guided meditations can often feel fussy.

After the deep, slow breaths I felt my body and shoulders relax and I realized how tense I’d been. The stretching was gentle and simple, and felt great after sitting at my desk all day. The focus on lengthening the shoulders and back, which get stiff after hours at my desk, was a welcome release.

I felt more relaxed when I finished this short session. The day’s stresses were still there, but I felt noticeably lighter. I even wished the video was longer—it left me wanting more.

Mishler’s practice was a great way to become more comfortable with mediation—simple is always best when it comes to starting anything new, and sticking with it.

I’ll come back to this when I need a reset, but don't have much time. I’d also recommend it to anyone keen to try meditation for the first time.

Exercising before bed might seem counterintuitive, and generally it's a good idea to avoid intense activity late in the evening.

But some gentle movement could actually relax your body and brain, and help you sleep better.

A recent study found that participants who did just three minutes of exercise every 30 minutes over a four-hour period in the evening slept for nearly 30 minutes longer, on average.

Gemma Folkard, a Pilates instructor and the founder of online platform Shape Pilates, agrees and recently posted on Instagram that better sleep is one of the biggest benefits of exercise she experiences.

I caught up with Folkard to find out more and she shared a gentle Pilates routine to end your day.

"A pre-bed Pilates session may include the moves you normally do in class, but the difference is how you do them and what your intent is," she says.

"Each exercise should be executed with the intention of being gentle with yourself and your nervous system, moving with ease, and allowing the mind to slowly wind down rather than moving to build muscle or sweat," says Folkard.

How to do Gemma Folkard's evening Pilates routine

1. Breathwork

Time: 5min

• Sit cross-legged or any way that is comfortable. Relax your eyes to soften your gaze, place your hands on the sides of your ribs and relax your shoulders.
• Inhale deeply, expanding the sides and back of your ribs so you move your hands out. When you exhale, think about softening the bones and muscles.
• Move through this for five minutes.

2. Spinal twist

Reps: 8 each side

• Sit cross-legged or any way that is comfortable.
• Place your hands behind your head, with your elbows in your peripheral vision.
• Rotate your upper body to the side, starting from the lower ribs and opening the mid back.
• At the furthest point of rotation, pulse back and forth twice, then repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

3. Shoulder bridge

Reps: 8

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet parallel on the floor and your arms by your sides.
• Inhale to prepare, and as you exhale lengthen your tailbone and peel your spine off the mat up to your shoulder blades.
• Inhale again, then exhale as you slowly roll your spine down.

4. The hundred

Reps: 100

"This might seem like an odd one to do before sleeping [it's a challenging Pilates move people love to hate], but often is useful to use up the last bits of nervous energy before totally relaxing," says Folkard.

• Lie on your back with your legs lifted, knees bent to 90° and lower legs parallel with the floor. Raise your arms so your hands are directly above your shoulders.
• Lift your head, neck and chest a couple of inches off the mat and lower your arms so your wrists are next to your hips with a slight bend in your elbows.
• Using small movements, lift and lower your arms above and below your hips, inhaling for five pulses and exhaling for five pulses.
• Repeat 10 times then release and relax your whole body onto the mat.

5. Cool down

• Lie on your back with your arms extended behind your head.
• Allow your heart rate to slow and let your breath return to a normal rhythm.

If you spend hours sitting—whether at a desk, on the couch or driving—it can lead to tightness, aches and limited range of motion.

The best way to counteract this is with regular movement like stretching.

“Spending long hours sitting at a desk can lead to stiffness, poor posture and discomfort,” explains Bonnie Strati, who is a NASM-certified personal trainer, yoga instructor and master flexologist at StretchLab.

Here are five desk stretches she recommends, which will help “break up sedentary time, prevent pain and improve posture.”

How to do the five desk stretches

You can perform these stretches as a sequence or individually if time is short.

• Seated cat-cow with neck tilt
• Shoulder mobility stretch
• Chest opener with side neck stretch
• Seated hamstring and calf stretch
• Seated side bend into spinal twist

Watch the video and check out the step-by-step form guides below to learn how to do the moves.

Seated cat-cow with neck tilt

Reps: 5-10

• Sit tall with feet flat on the floor, hands resting on your thighs.
• Inhale, arch your back, lift your chest and tilt your head slightly upward (cow pose).
• Exhale, round your spine, tuck your chin and press through your hands (cat pose).
• Flow through the movement, allowing your neck to flow naturally, without strain or force

Trainer tip: “This targets the spine, neck, shoulders and core, and improves postural alignment, spinal mobility and releases tension from prolonged sitting.

“Gentle neck tilts relieve stiffness in the cervical spine [the section at the top]. Focus on initiating movement from the pelvis and upper back, keeping the neck relaxed.”

Shoulder mobility stretch

Reps: 5-10 in each direction

• Sit tall and extend your arms out to the sides at shoulder height.
• Rotate your right arm to point your thumb down, while rotating your left arm to point your thumb up, moving the rotation from your shoulders.
• Feel the stretch through your arms and upper back.
• Hold for a few seconds, then reverse the direction.

Trainer tip: “This targets shoulders, upper back and arms, and improves shoulder range of motion and relieves tension from a hunched posture.

“It also helps counteract tight shoulders from long hours of typing. Keep your chest lifted and move through the shoulders, not just the hands.”

Chest opener with side neck stretch

Hold: 15-30secs on each side

• Sit or stand tall and interlace your fingers behind your back.
• Straighten your arms and gently lift your chest.
• While holding the stretch, gently tilt your head to one side, to stretch your neck.
• Hold for 15–30 seconds, then switch sides.
• Breathe deeply, feeling the stretch across your chest, shoulders and neck.

Trainer insight: “This targets the chest, shoulders and upper back, and counters rounded shoulders and tech neck.

“It also opens the chest and improves breathing, and releases tightness in the neck and upper traps for better overall flexibility. Keep your core engaged and shoulders relaxed as you open the chest.”

Seated hamstring and calf stretch

Hold: 15-30secs on each side

• Sit on the edge of your chair and extend one leg straight, heel on the floor, toes pointing up.
• Hinge forward from the hips, keeping your back straight, until you feel a stretch in your hamstring and calf.
• Maintain a slight bend in the knee if you need.
• Hold for 15–30 seconds, then switch legs.

Trainer insight: “This targets hamstrings, calves and lower back. It loosens tight hamstrings, caused by prolonged sitting, which can affect pelvic alignment.

“Keep a neutral spine and engage your core while hinging forward.”

Seated side bend into spinal twist

Reps: 15-30 second holds on each side

• Sit tall with both feet flat on the floor.
• Extend your right arm overhead and gently lean to the left for a side bend.
• Hold for a few breaths, then return to center.
• Place your right hand on the outside of your left thigh and your left hand on the back of your chair.
• Gently twist your torso to the left, looking over your shoulder.
• Hold for 15–30 seconds, then switch sides.

Trainer insight: “This targets the spine, obliques and lower back, and encourages spinal rotation and side body mobility, which enhances postural balance.

“It helps relieve tension in the lower back and encourages better spinal alignment and posture. Keep both hips grounded and initiate the twist from the mid-back, not just the shoulders or neck.”

It's normal to experience slumps in energy throughout the day, particularly if you're staring at a computer screen. My usual solution is caffeine or a sugary snack, but the energy boost is often short-lived and I end up feeling more lethargic in the long run.

So, is there another solution? One of my favourite fitness instructors, Mara Cimatoribus, recently shared a five-minute workout that is designed to provide a natural boost of energy.

There's plenty of science to show that moving your body can increase your energy levels, with a study by Georgia University finding that low-intensity exercise can reduce fatigue symptoms by as much as 65%.

Of course, when you're tired, heading to the gym or out for a run can feel like a chore, but Cimatoribus' routine takes just five minutes, you can do it at home, and you don’t even need to change into workout gear.

This is a barre style workout, which involves small bodyweight movements, often holding or pulsing through exercises to isolate multiple muscles throughout the body.

How to do Mara Cimatoribus' barre snack workout

You don't need any equipment to do this routine, you might prefer to use a yoga mat for the seated exercise but it’s not a necessity. The workout only takes five minutes, so you can easily do it as a quick break from working.

Cimatoribus has shared rep counts for each move in the caption of her Instagram post, so take a look at her Reel for more details.

My experience trying Mara Cimatoribus' barre snack workout

I've tried barre plenty of times before and it's a style of workout I really enjoy, because it’s a fantastic way to build strength. It engages a range of muscles and can also improve your coordination, posture and mobility.

The routine will help to strengthen muscles in the legs and core, and it will also mobilize the hips, an area in which many desk workers experience tightness due to excessive sitting.

But did this routine actually improve my energy? Surprisingly, yes. I felt much better returning to my desk after completing this workout. I was in a better mood and my stress levels were lower.

A lot of the exercises in this routine can help to improve coordination, and by thinking about moving multiple body parts at once, my mind was fully focused on the workout rather than daily stresses.

The first few exercises in this routine involved moving the entire body in an intentional, energetic way. It felt like I was physically shaking off the stress and fatigue of the day.

I plan to come back to this routine whenever I'm looking for an energy boost, and I'd recommend it to anyone who is looking for a productive and positive way to take a break from their daily routine.

After a long day at work, you probably can't wait to curl up on the couch and get back to whatever you're currently binge-watching. Although this might provide your brain with a break, it’s probably not doing your body any favors.

Spending too long sitting down has been linked to a number of health issues, including obesity and high blood pressure. It can also adversely affect your muscles.

“Prolonged sitting can lead to muscle atrophy (weakening of muscles) and stiffness, especially in the hip flexors, hamstrings, and lower back,” explains Sochi Friedman, a physical therapist at BetterMe.

This doesn't mean you have to give up your TV time, but it's worth finding ways to take a break from this position. Fitness coach Adam Richardson has shared a stretching routine designed to be done in front of the TV and it only takes five minutes.

How to do Adam Richardson’s TV stretching routine

You don’t need any equipment to do this routine, which means you can go straight from the couch to the floor.

The three stretches will mobilize muscles and joints across the body. Richardson recommends moving through the routine at your own pace, with the aim of stretching for a total of five minutes.

You should feel some immediate relief to stiff muscles, and you don't even have to take your eyes off the TV.

The benefits of stretching in front of the TV

"Taking breaks to stretch while sitting is crucial," says Friedman. “Stretching helps reduce stiffness and tightness that can result from sitting for long periods."

If you have tight hips, this could be caused by sitting down for long periods, weakening the hip flexors. These stretches will help keep your hips mobile.

"Stretching also improves blood circulation and enhances flexibility. This simple, effective habit can help mitigate the negative effects of prolonged sitting," adds Friedman.

Making stretching a habit is essential to reaping the benefits, which is why pairing it with an activity you do every day, such as watching TV, can be an effective way to ensure you stay consistent.

Set yourself the challenge of doing these stretches during the opening credits of your TV show each evening, your body will thank you for it when you sit back down.

Cardio exercise is an important part of any fitness program because it strengthens the heart and lungs, and aides weight loss. When you improve your cardiovascular fitness, oxygen is delivered more efficiently around the body and this can significantly reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

The high-energy cardio workout below has been created by Move The Gap, a collective of four women’s health experts and fitness trainers, including Fit&Well favorite Kate Rowe-Ham. It involves four moves and only takes five to 10 minutes, or you could do multiple rounds—I recommend three—to turn it into a longer training session.

Rowe-Ham, who also runs the Own Your Menopause app, told me: “Incorporating regular cardiovascular exercise is vital for maintaining heart health, especially as we age. As we grow older, our cardiovascular system undergoes natural changes, such as the heart muscle becoming less efficient and arteries stiffening, which can lead to increased blood pressure.

“Engaging in regular cardiovascular activity helps counteract these effects by strengthening the heart, improving circulation, and reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Additionally, it aids in maintaining a healthy weight, managing stress and enhancing overall quality of life.”

How to do Move The Gap’s workout

How cardio benefits health

Regular cardio, also known as aerobic exercise, is one of the best things you can do for your health. In the short term it can help control appetite, and improve sleep and mood. In the long term, it reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia, depression, diabetes and many cancers.

Cardio challenges the cardiovascular system by increasing the heart rate and stroke volume (the amount of blood pumped out of the heart with each beat) leading to a higher cardiac output—basically, more blood gets pumped around the body to deliver oxygen to the muscles during exercise. This process strengthens the heart and lungs, helping them function more efficiently.

How much cardio should we be doing a week?

“It’s recommended that adults aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week,” says Rowe-Ham, “such as brisk walking or cycling.

“Alternatively, do 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, like running or swimming. It’s also beneficial to include activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility at least two days a week. Even light activities and reducing sedentary time contribute positively to health.

“Many effective cardiovascular exercises require no equipment such as brisk walking, dancing or home aerobic routines that can elevate your heart rate sufficiently. A recent study by scientists from Northeastern University in Boston suggests that dancing for just 20 minutes a day can help people meet their weekly exercise targets, highlighting that enjoyable activities can be both fun and beneficial.”

New to exercise? Try Rowe-Ham’s tips for starting a fitness regime

Start slowly: If you’re new to exercise or returning after a hiatus, begin with low-intensity activities, and gradually increase the intensity and duration.

Listen to your body: Pay attention to how you feel during and after exercise. It’s normal to experience some muscle soreness, but persistent pain or discomfort should be addressed by consulting a healthcare professional.

Stay consistent: Exercising regularly always trumps occasional workouts, no matter how hard you work in the once-in-a-while session. Incorporate physical activity into your daily routine to establish and maintain the habit. Exercising with friends or groups offers encouragement and can help you stick to an active lifestyle.

Before starting any new exercise regimen, especially if you have existing health conditions or concerns, it’s advisable to consult with a healthcare professional to ensure the activities are appropriate for your fitness level.

"You’re moving very stiffly," my partner pointed out at the end of 2024, as I bent down to tie my shoelace—and he was right. Like many people, I spend hours working at my desk and my muscles are often tight when I clock off.

Stretching usually gets little to no attention in my daily routine. I might squeeze in some guided stretches before and after a workout class or do a back stretch while waiting for my lunch to heat up, but I rarely make the time to do a dedicated flexibility session.

Determined to make 2025 the year of change, I decided to commit to five minutes of stretching every morning. I spotted Yoga with Bird’s five-minute morning yoga workout for busy people, rolled out my mat and got started.

Thirty days later, I feel more supple, awake and energized.

How to do the five-minute morning stretch routine

Five minutes might not sound like much, but it’s more than enough time to enjoy a full-body stretch.

This practice starts with a nearly three-minute-long child’s pose, which was great for relieving tension in my hips and back—two areas that often feel stiff after sleeping.

The routine then eases into cat-cow, downward-facing dog, cobra pose and a forward fold—all of which take my spine through essential movement patterns, like flexion and extension.

Here's everything I learned after doing 30 days of yoga.

Stretching doesn’t have to complicated

Many of the exercises in this practice are considered accessible yoga stretches for beginners, which anyone can do.

While I’m not new to yoga (I’ve been practicing for more than 10 years), I still found these foundational moves satisfying and effective at easing tension. By the end of the session, my muscles felt lighter and my whole body felt noticeably more relaxed.

My flexibility improved fast

It probably comes as no surprise that my flexibility improved but I was surprised with how quickly I saw progress. At the start of this challenge, I was unable to touch the floor in a forward fold. After a week, the floor was within reach and 30 days later I could place my hands comfortably on the ground.

It boosted my focus

This was the most unexpected benefit. I consider myself a morning person but it can take me a good 40 minutes to fully wake up and get going.

Adding stretching to my routine started my day with a sense of purpose. Moving first thing also helped me feel more productive. Plus, I’ve noticed I complete my morning tasks more easily and with greater concentration.

Until recently, I’d never really clicked with breathwork and meditation. I’ve often used breathing techniques during guided yoga flows and Pilates classes, but I was never tempted to do it as a standalone practice.

That was until I came across yoga instructor Emma Eglinton's five-minute session, which focuses on just one type of breathwork: box breathing. It seemed instantly accessible and easy to me, thanks to its step-by-step structure.

The short routine is part of the yogi’s 14-day January yoga challenge, and it’s the second of six calming breathwork practices in total. While I haven’t yet completed the full challenge, I have found myself coming back to this particular breathwork session throughout January—here’s why.

How to do box-breathing

Box breathing gets its name because you’re encouraged to think about drawing an imaginary box while completing the exercise. It’s also sometimes called square breathing or four-square breathing. To do it, you simply:

• Inhale for four seconds.
• Hold your breath for four seconds.
• Exhale for four seconds.
• Hold your breath for four seconds.

If you have trouble emptying your mind, it can help you learn how to meditate.

"Box breathing works to relax the nervous system by slowing down our breathing," Eglinton says at the start of her session. "This technique helps improve focus and calm the nervous system."

How box breathing helps me

The best thing about box breathing is that it works quickly. After doing this session, my back felt less tight, my stress levels were lower and my shoulders were no longer hunched up by my ears.

Unlike some types of breathwork, it’s also discrete and can be done anywhere—at your desk, taking the subway or when lying in bed. Nobody will know you’re doing it, if you keep your eyes open.

I find the process of inhaling for four, holding for four, exhaling for four and holding again for four an easy-to-follow exercise, too. And visualizing a box being drawn while ticking off these four steps makes it even easier to complete without my mind wandering. It's now one of my go-to self-care practices.

Building a strong core offers more benefits than just aesthetic appeal. Because your core is made up of many muscles—from the hips and lower back to the pelvic floor and abdominals—their combined strength can play a critical role in the way we move and feel in daily life.

That's why targeting these muscles in your workouts is so important. The good news? You don't need to spend hours in the gym to see improvements.

Pilates instructor Katy Bath recently shared a five-minute core workout on Instagram that will fire up your core with no equipment.

You can either do this as a standalone session or add to the end of another workout.

How to do the five-minute core workout

The workout includes five moves, with 10 to 20 repetitions of each. Bath details the repetitions for each exercise in the video and recommends two to three rounds for best results.

You can support your knees and joints with a yoga mat or simply a towel.

Is a five-minute workout effective?

You might wonder if five minutes of exercise is enough to build core strength. The answer is yes! If done regularly.

Building strength and muscle is all about consistency, not duration. Whether that's five minutes or 50 minutes, a little bit of movement is always better than none.

When done consistently, even just a five-minute workout like this one can help you develop strength and establish exercise as a habit.

Movement of any duration can trigger the release of endorphins—your body’s natural mood boosters—and synovial fluid that can lubricate your joints. Plus, it can break up your day, especially if you’re sitting for long periods—a win for both your posture and health.

It's so easy to skip warming up before a run. After all, mustering up the energy to get out there for a run in the first place can be tough enough.

But making some time to warm up your muscles is so important. Not only will it reduce your risk of injury, there's every chance it will improve your running performance.

Plus, it doesn't have to take a long time. In fact, physical therapist Dr Kaylee Kuzma recently shared a warm-up routine that only takes five minutes, but it mobilizes the entire body. Performing it indoors can also help you generate some body heat, which can help you deal with the cold when you step outside.

How to do Dr Kaylee Kuzma's five-minute running warm-up

You don't need any equipment to do this warm-up and all of the movements are completed standing.

There are six exercises and Kuzma recommends completing each one for 40 seconds.

The importance of warming up when it's cold outside

Kuzma specifies in her Reel that this warm-up is especially necessary on cold days. That's because warm-ups do what they say on the tin—warm your muscles.

When your body is cold, your muscles are stiffer than normal. This can increase the risk of injury or muscle strains while running. Doing mobility exercises like those recommended by Kuzma will raise your body temperature and make your muscles more flexible.

Warming up will also prepare your body for exercise by gradually elevating your heart rate, so you don't shock your body by going into the cold and raising your heart rate suddenly.

I think it's worth taking the five minutes needed to do these dynamic stretches before your next run and if you do it consistently, you may find your flexibility improving too.

When you're busy, exercise is often one of the first things to fall by the wayside. When this happens to you, don’t beat yourself up about it—it happens to us all. Maintaining a positive mindset towards exercise is one of the things that will ensure it's enjoyable and keep you motivated.

It's also worth remembering that a little bit of exercise is better than none at all.

I was reminded of this when I recently saw Barre instructor Mara Cimatoribus’ workout for the time-poor. It's a five-minute arms routine that you can do while you're waiting for your dinner to cook, or a kettle to boil.

If you've never tried barre, it's a brilliant way to get stronger. It involves low-impact movements that improve your mobility and strengthen a range of muscles, including those that you might not use as much in other forms of exercise.

This workout is designed to improve muscle tone in the arms and it's great for boosting posture too.

How to do Mara Cimatoribus' five-minute barre workout

There are five exercises in this routine, which Cimatoribus recommends doing for 20 reps, or 16 reps on each side of the body for the unilateral exercise.

All you'll need for this workout is a light set of weights, but if you don't have any, you can use water bottles or food cans, which will work just as well.

The benefits of habit stacking your workouts

Cimatoribus' suggestion that you could do this workout while you're waiting for your air fryer to cook your food is a great example of habit stacking, a technique that combines a new habit you want to adopt with a habit you already have (like cooking dinner, for example).

Research has found that habit stacking is a great way to lose weight and, in this case, it could also help you establish a new exercise routine, by remembering to do this quick five-minute workout every time you use the air fryer.

Incorporating regular movement into your life, even in short bursts, is an effective way to improve your physical and mental health—it just needs to be more than a one-off.

I spend 90% of my working day sitting at a desk, usually hunched over my laptop in deep concentration. I've tried to change my posture and improve my at-home office setup, but I usually end the day with a lot of upper-body tension and a severe knot in my right shoulder.

One of the only things that provides immediate relief is stretching, which is why I was happy to see this mobility routine from trainer Elizabeth King on Instagram. It's a five-minute session designed to correct rounded shoulders, targeted at desk workers like me.

I decided to give it a go on an afternoon when my upper body was feeling particularly stiff.

How to do Elizabeth King's five-minute shoulder mobility routine

There are five moves in the routine, which King demonstrates in her Instagram reel. I completed each stretch for one minute with no rest in between.

• Shoulder pass through
• Around the world
• Side bend
• Cobra stretch variation
• Thread the needle/ thoracic rotation

The only equipment you need for the routine is a resistance band. I don't have one at home, so I simply rolled up a towel and used that.

If, like me, you prefer equipment-free flexibility routines, you could also try doing these yoga stretches for beginners to loosen up your entire body.

My verdict

I've tried plenty of shoulder stretches over the years, so I was excited to see some moves I'd never come across before. The resistance band exercises provided immediate relief to my stiff upper-body joints. The cobra variation was new to me as well. I found that extending my arms in this pose helped me get a deeper stretch in my shoulders.

Holding a resistance band (or in my case, a towel) forces you to maintain the same position with your arms as you move. I found this challenged my mobility and ensured I was working through my full range of motion.

After just five minutes of doing these stretches, my shoulders felt relaxed and I felt far more comfortable sitting at my desk. The routine didn't get rid of my shoulder pain altogether. However, I'm hoping that by repeating the routine I will improve my shoulder mobility and reduce stiffness in this area.

Having a sedentary job, lifting heavy weights and the natural aging process can all contribute to a stiff and achy back. Regular movement and stretching can alleviate aches and pains, but it’s not always easy to know where to start.

If your back is feeling particularly rigid right now, yoga instructor Francine Cipollone (or Yoga with Bird) has created a routine that works your spine through its six main movement patterns.

These movement patterns include flexion, extension, rotation, and lateral flexion. Flexion is when you bend your spine forward, and extension is when you bend it backward. Rotation involves twisting your back to either side, and lateral flexion is when you bend to the side.

Cipollone says all of these movement patterns are vital for spinal flexibility. So if you’ve got five minutes, it’s worth rolling out your mat and giving this session a go.

How to do Yoga with Bird’s five-minute back stretch

The moves in this routine are:

• Seated side stretch
• Seated twists
• Cat/cow
• Child’s pose

Watch the video above and listen to Cipollene’s helpful cues if you're unfamiliar with these moves. And if you want a longer routine, try doing these yoga stretches for beginners instead.

Tips for maintaining a healthy spine

Stretching your spine through these movement patterns will help you maintain its flexibility, but strength training plays a role in spinal health, too.

A systematic review published in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy concluded that core strengthening exercises could be a "favorable method" for treating pain in those suffering from non-specific lower back pain.

Drinking enough fluids could also help you maintain a healthy spine. A 2022 study found a relationship between lower back pain and dehydration (although more research is needed here).

In addition to the above, try standing up and moving regularly throughout the day. But before adopting a new exercise regime, check in with your physician.

I generally spend around 45 minutes to an hour in the gym a few times a week. But sometimes, I simply don't have the time or energy, particularly during the festive period when the days are short and my social calendar is full.

To ensure I'm still moving my body—which is essential for my mental health—I focus on quick five-minute exercise snacks and workouts that pack a punch.

One of my favorite Pilates instructors, Georgia Weibel, recently shared a workout that ticks that box. It's a five-move routine designed to set your core on fire.

I tested this workout on a day I slept in too late to make it to the gym, to see if I could really challenge myself in such a short space of time.

How to do Georgia Weibel's quick abs routine

You don't need any equipment to do this workout, although an exercise mat might be useful. There are five moves in this routine and Weibel recommends completing eight repetitions (reps) of each on both sides of the body.

My experience trying Georgia Weibel's quick abs routine

Pilates routines like this one always surprise me. Although the movements are slow and controlled, they make my muslces burn like nothing else. A few reps into the first exercise, the muscles in my core, glutes, hamstrings and arms switched on and getting through the full eight reps was a challenge.

Even though this routine primarily targeted the rectus abdominis muscles on the front of my stomach, it also strengthened other mid-body core muscles along with my arms and legs. Some of the exercises also tested my hip mobility, requiring me to move with control through big ranges of motion.

I was impressed with how hard I had to work during this five-minute routine. It might not be an alternative to 45 minutes of lifting weights but it was a good way to move my body in a short space of time. If I did this routine regularly—at least a few times a week—I think it could improve my core strength, control and mobility.

Anyone who is short on time would gain a lot from this workout. My only caveat is that it might be challenging for beginners, especially the movements that require you to balance on one leg. I’d suggest learning how to plank and how to dead bug before doing abs-focused routines like this one.

When there are deadlines to meet, emails to reply to, and an overwhelming to-do list, fitting movement into your day can seem impossible. That’s where exercise snacking can help.

The basic idea of this fitness trend is to break a longer workout into bite-sized chunks. So you could do a few five-minute workouts throughout your day, or squeeze a one-minute workout in between meetings.

If that sounds of interest, check out this session from trainer Lindsey Bomgren—she says it helped her clock up 850 steps in five minutes.

How to do Lindsey Bomgren's five-minute walking workout

"I created this workout because the majority of my job is actually spent sitting at a desk all day," Bomgren says in her video. "So if you just need a quick desk break, a quick walk break or just a quick way to boost your energy outside of another cup of coffee, you’re gonna do this five-minute walking workout."

Bomgren says you can expect to hit a minimum of 500 steps during the routine, but she racked up 850 on her tracker. The routine contains basic step movements and standing exercises to strengthen your core.

The benefits of exercise snacking

Even though this session is short and sweet, it still offers plenty of benefits.

"Studies show that even short bouts of exercise can boost your metabolism, cardiovascular health and your mood," says fitness trainer Chloe Thomas.

Practicing this quick routine could help you form healthier habits, too.

"I think exercise snacking is a really good way to overcome the all-or-nothing mindset that a lot of people have because you are fitting activity in your life in a way that feels achievable for you.

"Over time, the small bouts of exercise could actually lead to you doing bigger bouts and this could lead to significant long-term benefits," she adds.

There are many reasons why people turn to yoga to keep their bodies feeling healthy. It's one of the best forms of exercise for improving mobility and supporting mental wellbeing. It can help you feel limber after a long day at the desk and reduce stress levels, too.

Laura Childs, a yoga instructor and founder of London-based Sāmya Studios recommends a traditional yoga flow that everyone should incorporate into their week.

"The first thing I recommend to anyone getting into yoga is learning a sun salutation," Childs says.

If you’re unfamiliar with sun salutation, it's a sequence of 12 traditional yoga poses (or asanas) performed as a flow and typically done in the morning. While common in yoga classes, each school or lineage of yoga may have its variations but all are designed to energize both the body and mind,

How to do a sun salutation

Below is some step-by-step guidance on how to do each pose in a sun salutation. If you need more of a visual guide, watch the video from certified yoga teacher Charlie Follows.

Mountain pose

• Begin standing with your feet together or hip-width apart, arms by your sides.
• Bring your hands together in front of your chest, palms touching.
• Ensure your weight is distributed evenly on both feet and shoulders down away from the ears.

Back bend

• Inhale deeply, raising your arms overhead as you lift your chest.
• Gaze at your hands with a gentle arch in your back. Palms can be facing up or together in prayer.

Forward fold

• Exhale, fold forward from your hips, bringing your hands towards the floor.
• Let your head hang, relaxing your neck and shoulders.
• Keep a bend in your knees to support your lower back if you need.

Halfway lift

• Inhale, lifting your torso so that your spine is straight and back parallel with the floor.
• Rest your hands on your thighs, shins or toes and look forward.

Plank pose

• Exhale, plant your hands on the floor and step one leg at a time back into a high plank position, with your wrists under your shoulders.
• Engage your core to form a straight line from your head to your heels.

Low plank

• Exhale, lower your knees to the floor (or keep them lifted if you're more advanced).
• Bend your elbows close to your sides to lower your chest to the mat.

Cobra or upward facing dog

• Inhale, press through your hands to lift your chest.
• To perform cobra, keep your elbows bent slightly and hands on the floor, so there's a gentle bend in your spine. Your belly should remain in contact with the mat.
• To perform upward dog, keep your arms straight so your chest and belly are pushed off the mat.

Downward-facing dog

• Exhale, press through your hands, lifting your hips upward, keeping your spine flat and long. Your body should now form an inverted 'V' shape.
• Keep your feet hip-width apart, heels pressing towards the ground and hold for one breath. For more tips on how to get comfortable with this pose, read our piece on how to do downward dog.

Halfway lift

• Inhale, step one leg at a time forward in between your hands.
• Lift your torso to straighten your spine again.
• Rest your hands on your thighs, shins or toes and look forward.

Forward fold

• Exhale, fold forward from your hips, bringing your hands towards the floor.
• Let your head hang, relaxing your neck and shoulders.
• Keep a bend in your knees to support your lower back if you need.

Backbend

• Inhale, sweeping your arms up overhead and standing, leaning back slightly for a gentle backbend.

Mountain pose

• Exhale, lower your arms to prayer position.
• Stand tall with weight distributed evenly on both feet.
• Take a breath in and out and repeat the sequence.