5 Minute Exercise Routine For Toned Body and Abs

Get a total body workout in as little as five minutes of exercise a day.

Side view shot of muscular and healthy young woman doing push up exercise on a wooden log at the park. Sportswoman working out in nature.

People often complain that they have no choice but to miss their workout sessions, mainly due to a lack of time. It is true that most people find it difficult to carve time out to exercise after work and other responsibilities are handled. However, contrary to popular belief, it is possible to get a total body workout in as little as five minutes of exercise a day.

Performed 3-4 times a week, the exercises in this workout routine do not require any equipment, and can be completed without going to the gym.

Squats

Start with squats and do as many as you can within the space of 60 seconds. Squats are excellent for strengthening your core and your legs. If you perform them in quick succession, it will pump your blood while also increasing your heart rate.

Pushups

Once you have finished one minute of squats, give your body some rest for about 30 seconds. Next, drop to the floor and do one minute of pushups. Maintain good form and do as many as you can within that time. Pushups will thoroughly work all upper muscles of your body. Start with standard wide-arm pushups, and then try to graduate to more difficult forms by changing your arm positions.

Sit-ups

Rest for half a minute, and then perform a minute of sit-ups or crunches. If crunches come easy to you, consider doing full sit-ups as a more challenging option. Sit-ups are great as an abs workout, and will also give you a breather since they are less intense than squats or pushups.

Burpees

Rest again for half a minute, and then do a series of burpees for one minute. Squat thrusts are an alternative if you find the burpees too hard at the initial stage. The difference between a burpee and a squat thrust is that in the case of the former, you clap hands after standing up but before going back down to the ground. With a squat thrust, you stand up, perform the thrust, and go back to ground.

Rest Recovery and Form

Follow this routine for 3-4 times a week to give your muscles enough time to recover. Rest for 20-30 seconds between each exercise, and never compromise form for the sake of quantity or speed. Perfect form is the most essential thing for getting good and effective results. If you find it difficult to retain the form for a whole minute, take some rest, and then resume and complete your minute.