Get fit with #Find5 | 5-minute exercise videos to improve fitness
- Overview
The Healthier Nation Index research highlights a slight improvement in time spent active for the first time in three years, with Brits spending almost an extra hour a month being active. However, despite this positive increase, 76% of people are still not reaching the NHS recommended 150 minutes of activity a week, increasing the populations risk of health issues such as heart disease or stroke.
The impact of the cost-of-living crisis has also increased the barriers to fitness, with 60% of people taking part in the Healthier Nation Index saying it has impacted their physical health and 59% their mental health.
Nuffield Health's Find5 campaign aims to support the health of the nation by giving help and advice on incorporating activity into your daily routine. As well as ideas and suggestions that can be easily added into your week, we've created a series of 5-minute beginner videos to get you moving.
Beginner Pilates with Michaela
Pilates is a great way to strengthen the core muscles, improve posture, and increase flexibility. It's a low-impact workout that can be done by people of all fitness levels and offers a variety of benefits for the body and mind.
Pilates can improve flexibility, balance, and coordination, which can reduce the risk of falls and other injuries, and can help to promote relaxation and reduce stress, which can have a positive impact on mental health.
This 5-minute session focuses on your core and spine with curl ups, knee rolls, c-crunches, oblique knee drops and more.
Upper body and core with Stephen
Upper body exercises strengthen and tone the muscles in the arms, chest, back, and shoulders, and can be especially beneficial for those who spend a lot of time sitting or working at a computer.
The main benefits of exercising the upper body are improved muscle strength and definition, better posture, a reduced the risk of back pain, and increase overall mobility and range of motion. It can also help with performance in other activities like sports and can make everyday tasks such as carrying groceries or lifting objects easier.
This session packs over 20 moves to target the upper body and core, including boxing inspired hooks, uppercuts and rolls.High intensity cardio with Lizi
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has become one of the most popular types of exercise in recent years. It involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by periods of rest or low-intensity exercise, resulting in an efficient workout that helps improve cardiovascular health, increase metabolism, and burn calories.
For people short on time, HIIT can be a great way to work the whole body, incorporating strength, cardio training, mobility and stamina-building exercises.
This short routine works the whole body with sumo burpees, side-to-side squats and forearm plank climbers. If you're planning on doing a longer workout it can also serve as a great warm-up to prepare the body for a more intense session.
Beginner yoga with Jack
Practicing yoga regularly brings with it a variety of benefits. As well as improved flexibility, strength and balance, it can also help to reduce stress and anxiety, which can have a positive impact on mental health. Due to it being a low-impact form of exercise, yoga can be practiced by people of all ages and fitness levels, making it accessible to everyone.
This simple yoga session combines a series of constantly moving poses based on sun salutations and warrior poses to leave you feeling stretched, and energised.
Beginner cardio with Zahra
Cardiovascular exercises raise your the heart rate and increase the body's oxygen consumption. By strengthening the heart and lungs, cardio exercises can help to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other chronic conditions. Cardio workouts also burn calories and can help increase metabolism.
Cardio training can also help improve mood and mental health by reducing stress and anxiety, boost self-esteem, and increase the production of endorphins, which are natural mood enhancers.
This 5-minute session is designed to work the whole body, including deadlift rows, squat presses and walkouts.
Last updated Tuesday 18 April 2023
First published on Tuesday 18 April 2023