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If you’re looking to build or tone your muscles, a combination of exercise and diet will help – but it doesn’t have to feel like hard work.
A hearty breakfast and a healthy mix of protein-based foods is a good place to start. Then, introduce some strength-building movement into your day.
Fitness instructor Jade Kelsie Wolfenden has created this fast, five-minute workout to get you started. It can be completed at home (perhaps on your lunch break if you’re wfh) and doesn’t require any specialist equipment.
Repeat regularly to help you build muscle and feel stronger in no time.
Hip Thrusts
Lie on your back with your arms by your sides
Bend your knees and keep your feet planted on the floor
Squeeze your glutes (bum)
Press through your heels and drive your hips up so you form a straight line from your knees to your shoulders
Tuck the chin into the chest then hold at the top of the movement for two seconds.
Spilt Squats
From a standing position, take a long step forward and lift your back leg on to a raised surface (eg. sofa or coffee table)
Keeping your upper body straight, bend both knees until the back knee is 1cm away from the floor. Hold in the stretch for two seconds
Drive through the front heel back to standing position.
Jump Squats
Stand with feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent
Bend your knees and descend into a full squat position
Engage through the quads, glutes and hamstrings and propel the body up and off the floor
As you come down descend back into the squat position and hold for two seconds, then repeat.
Press Ups
Get down on all fours, placing your hands slightly wider than your shoulders
Make sure the wrists are in line with shoulders
Keep your feet straight behind you on tip toes (or bend on your knees to make it easier)
Bring your whole body down in a straight line, keeping the core muscle tight
Then drive through the palms and bring yourself back up.
Tricep Dips
Stand facing away from the sofa and rest your hands behind you at shoulder width
Slowly lower your body to 90 degrees (keep tension on the arms)
Hold in the stretch for two seconds then drive through the palms and repeat.
All exercises should be done for one minute, on the spilt squat make sure that you alternate and work out each leg for 30 seconds.
Move celebrates exercise in all its forms, with accessible features encouraging you to add movement into your day – because it’s not just good for the body, but the mind, too. We get it: workouts can be a bit of a slog, but there are ways you can move more without dreading it. Whether you love hikes, bike rides, YouTube workouts or hula hoop routines, exercise should be something to enjoy.
