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Adding exercise into your morning routine will help you kickstart your day with energy and enthusiasm – and you only need to adjust your alarm by five minutes.
A quick burst of movement is enough to get those endorphins pumping and make you feel like you’ve achieved something before the work day has even begun.
Emma McQuaid, a CrossFit Games athlete who’s dubbed ‘Ireland’s fittest woman,’ has provided HuffPost UK with a fast, five-minute workout for you to try when you get out of bed.
The workout starts with a move she’s named ‘the world’s greatest stretch’.
“This will get the body moving to kickstart the day, opening up the hips, lower and upper back which is great first thing in the morning to wake up your muscles,” she explains.
The stretch is then followed by a three-minute AMRAP, which stands for ‘as many repetitions or rounds as possible’.
“The 3 minute AMRAP has midline, lower and upper body for a quick total body hit for a perfect start to your day,” McQuaid says. “I find lunges amazing to get your glutes firing, especially if you have a desk job, with the rotation also activating the core.”
Give it a try by following these instructions:
1 minute each side: World’s Greatest Stretch
3 Minute AMRAP (as many rounds and reps as possible)
20 Lunge Rotations
15 Tuck Sit Ups
10 Burpee
World’s Greatest Stretch
- Start in a top plank then bring one foot by the outside of the same side’s hand
You can either keep the back leg extended or drop the knee down to the floor
Reach the forearm of the same leg that is forward down to the floor, then reach up to the ceiling so your hand is above your shoulder
Keep performing these rotations at a controlled pace for the full minute then switch to the other side.
Lunge Rotations
- From standing, bring one leg forward and the back knee down towards the ground.
As you do so, rotate your arms and torso over your forward leg, whilst keeping your chest up
Make sure the whole of your forward foot makes contact with the floor to help keep your balance
Step your foot back and switch between legs.
Tuck Sit Ups
- Start the movement with both your arms, head and feet off the floor, making sure your lower back is in contact with the ground
Simultaneously bring your knees towards your chest whilst your hands reach for your heels
Return to your starting position and repeat without your feet, arms or head touching the ground.
Burpees
Start standing and bring both hands down to the floor in front of you with your arms straight
Step or jump back into a top plank and let your whole body down to the floor so your legs, stomach and chest are touching
Jump or step back up to standing and perform a little jump so both feet come off of the floor whilst tapping both hands together behind your head.
Move celebrates exercise in all its forms, with accessible features encouraging you to add movement into your day – because it’s not just good for the body, but the mind, too. We get it: workouts can be a bit of a slog, but there are ways you can move more without dreading it. Whether you love hikes, bike rides, YouTube workouts or hula hoop routines, exercise should be something to enjoy.
