Try the five-minute workout!

Try the five-minute workout!


Got just a few minutes to spare in your day? That's all you need to exercise on the go and get fit, experts tell Ismat Tahseen 

Being busy need not be the reason why you're lagging behind in health quotient, now. A new mantra can have you in ship-shape, without pinching the pocket via costly gym memberships or tediously trying to collaborate different regimes for effect. While Mumbai's physiologists may debate over hours spent walking and on the treadmill or stepper, what you really need can be counted on your fingertips. It's just five minutes of time!

What it's about
The idea behind the regime is to get people to stop over-complicating the idea of weight loss. A website quoted Michelle Bridges, a fitness trainer, saying how the way to reconnect and rebuild took exactly that amount of time. "A lot of people get what I call 'paralysis by analysis' where they just tend to overthink it," she said. "They put so much concern around: Should I train in the morning? Should I eat before I train?" 

Says fitness expert Leena Mogre, "The idea is actually about bursts of activity, which will motivate you be more active and move onto a bigger workout, which is big abroad. It could be great for people who have hardly any time. It could comprise climbing office steps during a break, doing 10 lunges, 15 calf raises, do a few squats while talking on the phone, or sit on a Swiss ball while typing or stretch over it. You can even use an office chair for stretching exercises. And, if you're on the couch in front of the TV, you can do a few crunches while watching which is great for a bulging tummy. The trend is gaining popularity with women who actually drop the idea of a workout when they feel they don't have time to do a whole routine. It has become quite big abroad and works well if you follow a supervised schedule to avoid injuries."

'It can be great motivator'
While Mana Shetty, wife of actor Sunil Shetty, feels that just five minutes may not be enough, because the "old school of thought of making time to connect with oneself works best", TV hostess Mandira Bedi is excited by the idea. "I love my own outdoor run, but do I agree that there are times when people would say, 'I just cannot make time to exercise'. Plus, for people who are too lazy to get started, I think five minutes is better than no time at all. I think this regime looks simple but it can also be a great motivator for people to start with this and focus into a larger fitness activity later on so why not?"

Tried these quick fixes?
Brazilian butt workout: Lower the body into a squat position and go low, raising arms to the shoulder level. Hold this position and do it again to tone back, butt and hamstrings.

The explosive lunge: Assume the lunge position and go forward with the knee bent at 90 degrees, directly over ankle. Switch legs after a bit.

The Basketball Move: This can be a good tummy stretch. Think there is a basketball in front of your feet. Crouch down, pretend you are grabbing it, and jump up as if to shoot. Come back to the crouched position and repeat.

Jump Rope

Pranayama or breathing techniques