5-minute exercises at home, no equipment
A short routine you can do in your living room or at your desk, and a few ideas for making it stick.
Five minutes is short enough to fit in almost any day and long enough to loosen up. Here is a simple routine you can do at home with no equipment and no special clothes.
The routine
- Chin tuck: slide your head straight back and hold for 3 seconds, 8 times.
- Shoulder blade squeeze: draw your shoulder blades back and down, 10 times.
- Stand and turn your upper body gently from side to side, 6 times each way.
- Do 8 sit-to-stands from a stable chair.
- Finish with 6 slow shrugs and drops.
Do each move slowly. If a move does not feel right for you, skip it and carry on with the next one.
Make it a habit
- Attach it to something you already do. After your morning coffee, or when you finish a call.
- Start smaller than you think. One round today is better than a perfect plan you skip.
- Keep the time the same. A regular time of day is easier to remember.
- Add a little when it feels easy. An extra round, or a short walk afterwards.
No time for the whole routine?
Do just the shoulder blade squeezes and the sit-to-stands. Two minutes still counts. For more ideas, see desk exercises you can do at your desk.
Let Actiiv plan it for you
Actiiv builds a week of short exercises around your goal and level, reminds you at sensible times inside your working hours, and works with or without an Apple Watch. It is coming to the App Store. See how Actiiv works.