5 Minute Fitness for a healthier you!

5 Minute Fitness for a healthier you!

While we don’t always have the time to commit to long training sessions or weekly spin classes, there is always something you can do, even from the comfort of your own home to help improve your overall health and fitness. Deciding to commit to weekly training and keeping consistent is difficult, and it’s ok to have off days where energy levels and motivation just isn’t there. Instead of a long and tedious gym session, you can commit to 5 minutes of fitness every day. There are some quick and easy things you can do in your everyday life that will help promote a healthier you.

 

So what are the things you can do to improve your health? Well, I’m glad you asked.

 

  1. Drink more water:

 

We underestimate the amount of water we drink in a day. While there is no set number of glasses, a good rule of thumb is 8 glasses of water (or 2 litres) in a day to ensure proper hydration. For any avid gym goer, sweat is part of the process and replacing these fluids even hours post-workout is part of the process to rehydrate your system after sustained periods of exercise. Supplementing your diet with post-workout amino acid such as BCAA Amino Pro offers improved hydration and ensures you are getting essential vitamins and minerals into your system.

 

If you’re an athlete, your water intake needs to account for the water you lose during exercise, while overhydrating comes with its own set of challenges, being dehydrated during workouts results in less top end strength and performance on heavier sets. So our 5 minute fitness tip: keep your water bottle on you during the day and drink your fluids. 

 

  1. Take your vitamins:

 

Vitamins and minerals are an essential part of your bodily functions, and by looking after your daily nutrient requirements will support a stronger immune system and overall health benefits. A good multi-vitamin is our Vitapack Supplement, an all-in-one nutrient support stack.

 

Providing your body with the necessary vitamins and minerals you need to sustain overall health results in improved performance, better protein synthesis and absorption, improved recovery and a host of other benefits associated with a small change like a multivitamin supplement.

 

  1. Do some light stretching:

 

Stretches can help loosen sore and tight muscles or nerves which take strain during the day due to hours spent behind a desk, on your feet or in positions we wouldn’t normally find ourselves. Sites like BUPA have a host of stretches you can do at your desk! Check it out here:

https://www.bupa.co.uk/newsroom/ourviews/desk-stretches

 

Stretching in the morning helps alleviate aches/pains and warm up the muscles and joints to prepare for the day. Alternatively, if you’re not a morning person, light stretching or yoga before bed has been shown to help improve sleep. Not too much though, intense exercise can have the opposite effect and end up keeping you up at night, with some individuals having a feeling of jittery energy after evening workouts which means you end up taking longer to fall asleep.

 

  1. Have fun:

 

Exercise is not meant to be a chore, a quick 5-minute stretch, burpees or brisk stroll all contribute to your fitness journey. Find something you enjoy and make it a daily part of your life, not only will this help make fitness a little more fun, it might encourage you to do even more!

 

The bulk of our daily energy spend comes from your NEAT, non-exercise activity thermogenesis, which is everything you do besides exercise. From breathing, to eating and digestion - NEAT refers to the energy needed to do everything outside of strenuous exercise. By including a short walk into your daily routine, you will burn more calories per day on average, without even really trying. So find something you enjoy and stick to it.

 

Follow us on our Instagram and Facebook pages for more useful tips and product information.

 

References:

 

https://mh.co.za/what-can-you-do-for-your-health-in-just-2-minutes/

Maughan R. J, Shirreffs S. M, (2010); Recovery from prolonged exercise: Restoration of water and electrolyte balance, Journal of Sport Science, pg. 297 - 303

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