You’re reading Move, the nudge we need to get active, however makes us happiest and healthiest.
Despite the extra hours in bed, working from home has left many of us feeling drained. The blur of work-life balance has been widely blamed, but there are ways to counteract the negatives.
For a start, you should be thinking about those self-care mainstays – eating well, getting enough sleep, disconnecting outside of work hours, and making time for meaningful connections with friends and family.
A short burst of exercise can also do wonders. A workout of just five minutes is enough to shake off the cobwebs, says Lianna Swan, resident personal trainer at the fitness app Shreddy. The morning is a perfect time to give it a go.
“We can all agree that there is a big difference between making our way to the office every morning, perhaps grabbing a coffee on the go, navigating public transport and interacting with our colleagues, versus rolling out of bed and opening your laptop at 8.59am,” she tells HuffPost UK.
“Setting yourself up strong in the morning is a guaranteed way to boost your energy levels and productivity before starting your busy days, and exercise is a perfect way to do this. Taking five minutes to prepare your body and mind each morning creates a solid routine for you to build the rest of your day off.”
Give Swan’s quick-fire circuit a go before work tomorrow and by the time you sit at your desk, you’ll already feel like you’ve achieved something.
Reps:
Round 1: 4 exercises, 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest
Round 2: 4 exercises, 40 seconds work 20 seconds rest
Body weight squats
Start with your feet just wider than shoulder width
Brace your abs as you sit your hips back
Bend your knees to 90 degrees and keep your chest up, proud.
Downward dog toe taps
Walk out into a high plank position
Drive your hand into the floor and push your hips into the air
Reach for the opposite foot, returning to plank position after each rep.
Single leg glute bridges
Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and bend your knees
Engage your core and lift one leg off the ground
With the foot on the floor, drive your hips up and squeeze your glutes.
Squat punches
Squat down into the bottom position of your squat
Hold that position and keep your chest up
Punch forward keeping your abs tight and hips still.
Repeat the series and hey presto, you’re ready for work.
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.
