{"id":321286,"date":"2025-12-02T21:13:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T21:13:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/321286\/"},"modified":"2025-12-02T21:13:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T21:13:10","slug":"this-5-minute-daily-workout-significantly-improves-strength-and-flexibility-in-just-4-weeks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/321286\/","title":{"rendered":"This 5-minute daily workout significantly improves strength and flexibility in just 4 weeks"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to finding a fitness<\/a> routine, it can be tough to know where to start. Sometimes, the gym can feel like quite an overwhelming place, and if you\u2019re at the start of your exercise journey, it\u2019s often best to start small \u2013 and in a place you feel comfortable \u2013 and build up from there. <\/p>\n

Small, however, doesn\u2019t mean ineffective \u2013 as a new study<\/a> has confirmed.<\/p>\n

What did the study find?<\/p>\n

The paper, published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, monitored a group of (previously inactive) adults who, after a two-week control period, completed a four-week exercise intervention.<\/p>\n

Over the four weeks, participants performed a five-minute daily bodyweight exercise routine consisting of four eccentric movements. Researchers tested the participants before and after the four weeks on strength, muscular endurance, flexibility<\/a>, cardio<\/a> fitness, body composition<\/a>, and wellbeing.<\/p>\n

They identified significant improvements in both the participants\u2019 physical fitness and mental health. Those improvements included strength and muscular endurance, flexibility, cardiovascular fitness, and overall wellbeing. <\/p>\n

The workout <\/p>\n

So, which exact moves did the five-minute workout include, and how easy are they to replicate at home? Well, considering the only equipment required is a chair and a wall, relatively easy. <\/p>\n

The exact workout is as follows: <\/p>\n

1\/ Chair squat (legs) \u2013 10 reps\"5<\/p>\n

a) Stand with feet hip-width apart, lightly touching the chair behind you.<\/p>\n

b) Push hips back and lower until your bum taps the seat, keeping knees in line with toes.<\/p>\n

c) Drive through your heels to stand tall without leaning forward.<\/p>\n

d) Keep your chest up and core braced.<\/p>\n

2\/ Chair recline (abdominals) \u2013 10 reps\"5AaronAmat\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

10 x chair reclines <\/p>\n

a) Sit tall on the edge of the chair, feet planted, hands lightly behind thighs.<\/p>\n

b) Lean back slowly until your core switches on, avoiding any rounding in your lower back.<\/p>\n

c) Pause when your abs are working hard but you\u2019re still in control.<\/p>\n

d) Return to upright by engaging your core, not yanking with your arms.<\/p>\n

3\/ Wall push-up (chest) \u2013 10 reps\"5Anna Mardo\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

10 x wall push-ups<\/p>\n

a) Stand an arm\u2019s length from the wall, hands placed shoulder-width and slightly below shoulder height.<\/p>\n

b) Bend elbows to lower your chest toward the wall in a straight line.<\/p>\n

c) Press back to full extension, keeping ribs down and core tight.<\/p>\n

d) Don\u2019t let your hips sag; your body should move as one piece.<\/p>\n

4\/ Heel drop \/ calf raise (calves) \u2013 10 reps\"calf-raises-1<\/p>\n

rebecca jacobs <\/p>\n

a) Stand on the edge of a step or sturdy surface with heels hanging off.<\/p>\n

b) Raise up onto your toes, then slowly lower your heels below the step.<\/p>\n

c) Keep legs straight but not locked to target the calves properly.<\/p>\n

d) Move with control \u2013 no bouncing.<\/p>\n

The benefits of eccentric exercises<\/p>\n

These are all eccentric exercises<\/a>, which describe the lengthening phase of a movement \u2013 often also the downwards phase of a movement. <\/p>\n

In other words, an eccentric movement is the controlled lengthening of a muscle under tension, while a concentric movement is the shortening of a muscle as it contracts. In this instance, the lowering (eccentric) phase was held for around five seconds, with an emphasis on slow, controlled movements. <\/p>\n

Previous research has shown that focusing on eccentric exercises can have far-reaching benefits, including increased muscle mass<\/a>, flexibility<\/a>, mobility<\/a>, bone density<\/a>, and resting metabolic rate<\/a> (calories burned at rest).<\/p>\n

Eccentric movements typically require less oxygen and energy than other movement types. While this means they burn fewer calories, they will also feel easier, making them more accessible to some people. <\/p>\n

They build muscle more effectively than concentric exercises because when muscles lengthen, the muscle fibres tear more than they do during a concentric exercise. While that might sound alarming, it\u2019s actually a good thing \u2013 because the body will work to repair and rebuild them, leading to greater growth.<\/p>\n

What does this mean for us?<\/p>\n

The study\u2019s findings show that even a little bit of movement can have big benefits, and that you don\u2019t have to set foot in a gym if you don\u2019t want to. <\/p>\n

Small, home-based workouts can be just as powerful, and potentially easier to adapt for those starting out.<\/p>\n

Related StoryHow to progress the workout<\/p>\n

In this study, for instance, if a participant easily completed an exercise for two consecutive sessions, they were encouraged to progress to harder variations of the movement \u2013 which you can find below.<\/p>\n

Chair squatOne-leg chair squatPistol squatChair reclineChair recline back (legs straight)Sit-upWall push-upSingle-arm wall push-upTable push-upKnee push-upPush-upHeel dropHeel drop overstretchSingle-leg heel drop overstretchThe bottom line<\/p>\n

While this was a small study, it adds to a growing body of research highlighting the benefits of incorporating even a small amount of movement into your day \u2013 and progressing from there as your fitness and confidence build. <\/p>\n

Micro workouts<\/a> for the win!<\/p>\n

Related Stories\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women\u2019s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. \u00a0She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner\u2019s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. \u00a0A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She\u2019s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When it comes to finding a fitness routine, it can be tough to know where to start. Sometimes,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":321287,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[49,48,782,142592,784,407,787,84,783,142591],"class_list":{"0":"post-321286","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-content-type-news","11":"tag-contentid-110ca504-f69c-40c2-a06c-cbcb9be4f985","12":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","13":"tag-fitness","14":"tag-hasproduct-true","15":"tag-health","16":"tag-locale-gb","17":"tag-shorttitle-this-5-minute-home-workout-is-backed-by-science"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/321286","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=321286"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/321286\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/321287"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=321286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=321286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=321286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}