With more of us exercising at home, here’s how to get the most out of your work-out
Work out for six minutes a week to build muscle
For complete beginners, exercising each major muscle group in the body for just one minute per week is sufficient.
That’s just six minutes per week in total — exercising muscles in the legs, arms, chest, abdomen, back and shoulders.
It will increase strength and is associated with benefits for heart and lung health as well as longevity.
Ditch the dumbbells for resistance bands
Resistance bands trigger more muscle growth than even the heaviest dumbbell, according to research.
Muscles grow tired quickly when using dumbbells whereas the stretch in the resistance band makes it easier to control, retaining the tension.
Just 15 minutes HIIT a week for results
High intensity interval training has been shown to increase the fitness of your heart and lungs, reduce body fat and improve blood sugar control.
One study found that you need to do just 15 one-minute intervals a week to start seeing significant health gains. And you can see results in four weeks.
Fitness trackers make you move more
Trackers allow wearers to see how hard they’re working in real time — their heart rate and calorie burn — which motivates them to keep going.
In one study, volunteers who wore a tracker exercised for twice as long and burnt twice the amount of energy.
Yoga also gets the heart pumping
The same effects can be achieved with fast-paced Vinyasa and ashtanga yoga — great for people with reduced mobility.