5-minute tone-ups

YOU SHOULD DO AT LEAST TWO OF THESE EXERCISES EACH WEEK – THEY’RE SIMPLE ENOUGH TO DO AT HOME.

WORK YOUR TUM.

THE ULTIMATE WAIST WHITTLER. LIE FLAT ON THE FLOOR AND PLACE HANDS BESIDE YOUR HEAD. BRING KNEES UP TO A 45° ANGLE AND GO THROUGH A BICYCLE PEDAL MOTION – TOUCH YOUR LEFT ELBOW TO YOUR RIGHT KNEE, THEN RIGHT ELBOW TO LEFT KNEE – DO THIS 20 TIMES. REST AND REPEAT.

TARGET YOUR THIGHS. MULTITASKING SQUAT. HOLDING A LARGE BOTTLE OF WATER IN YOUR RIGHT HAND NEXT TO YOUR SHOULDER, STAND WITH FEET WIDE, TOES OUT. SQUAT AS YOU PRESS THE WEIGHT UP, THEN LOWER THE WEIGHT AND PASS IT UNDER YOUR LEFT THIGH TO LEFT HAND AS YOU SQUAT UNTIL THIGHS ARE PARALLEL TO THE FLOOR. STRAIGHTEN LEGS SLIGHTLY THEN SQUAT AGAIN AS YOU PASS IT TO YOUR RIGHT HAND UNDER YOUR RIGHT THIGH. REPEAT 20-25 TIMES.

TAKE AIM AT YOUR ARMS. TRICEP DIPS WITH LEG RAISE. PLACE HANDS SHOULDERWIDTH APART ON THE EDGE OF A CHAIR. SLOWLY LOWER YOUR THE FLOOR, BENDING FORWARD SLIGHTLY FROM THE WAIST AT THE SAME TIME. RECRUIT YOUR CORE MUSCLES BY KEEPING YOUR STOMACH PULLED IN AND SQUEEZING YOUR BUTTOCKS AS YOU STRAIGHTEN UP – YOU’LL BE ABLE TO TELL IF

YOU’RE ACHIEVING THIS IF YOU HAVE MINIMAL WOBBLING. DO 12 ON EACH LEG.

TAKE AIM AT YOUR ARMS. INCHWORM. STAND TALL WITH LEGS STRAIGHT BEFORE BENDING FORWARD AT THE HIPS AND REACHING PALMS TO THE FLOOR. KEEP BODY UNTIL ELBOWS REACH A 90° ANGLE. SLOWLY LIFT AND EXTEND ONE LEG OUT IN FRONT OF YOU. THEN BRING IT BACK IN AS YOU STRAIGHTEN YOUR ARMS AND PUSH YOURSELF BACK TO STARTING POSITION. SWITCH LEGS AND REPEAT. REST AND REPEAT.

BLITZ YOUR BUM. ULTIMATE BUTT KICK. POSITION YOURSELF ON ALL FOURS THEN LEAN FORWARD SO YOU’RE RESTING ON YOUR ELBOWS.

LIFT RIGHT LEG OFF THE GROUND, KICK YOUR FOOT INTO THE AIR, HOLD AND SQUEEZE BUTTOCK THEN LOWER BACK DOWN. DO 20 KICKS ON EACH SIDE. LEGS STRAIGHT AS YOU WALK HANDS AS FAR FORWARD AS YOU CAN, KEEPING HIPS RAISED AND NOT ALLOWING BACK TO ARCH, THEN START TAKING VERY SMALL STEPS SO FEET MEET YOUR HANDS. CONTINUE FOR 10 STEPS. REST AND REPEAT.

BLITZ YOUR BUM. SIDE-LYING CLAM. LIE ON YOUR LEFT SIDE WITH YOUR LEGS BENT SO THAT YOUR FEET ARE BEHIND YOU AND KNEES ARE IN LINE WITH HIPS AND SHOULDERS. LIFT YOUR RIGHT LEG UPWARDS, KEEPING THE SIDES OF YOUR FEET TOGETHER, SO THAT YOUR RIGHT KNEE IS “HINGEING” TOWARDS THE CEILING. HOLD BRIEFLY, RELAX DOWN AND REPEAT. DO 15 ON EACH LEG.

HIP ROLL. LIE ON YOUR BACK WITH LEGS BENT AND FEET FLAT. OUTSTRETCH ARMS TO EITHER SIDE JUST BELOW SHOULDER HEIGHT, PALMS UPTURNED. INHALE DEEPLY AND AS YOU BREATHE OUT, LET YOUR LEGS FALL TO THE FLOOR ON YOUR LEFT AND ROLL HEAD TO YOUR RIGHT. REMAIN FOR 5 SECS THEN INHALE DEEPLY AND AS YOU EXHALE, SLOWLY CHANGE SIDES. DO 1 SET OF 10 ROLLS.

CAT STRETCH. START ON ALL FOURS WITH YOUR BACK FLAT. WALK HANDS CLOSER TO YOU SO THEY’RE HALFWAY BETWEEN YOUR SHOULDERS AND KNEES. BREATHE INTO YOUR RIBCAGE SO YOUR STOMACH DOESN’T EXPAND AND AS YOU EXHALE, ARCH YOUR BACK SO YOUR SPINE IS AS HIGH AND ROUNDED AS POSSIBLE (SEE BELOW). REMAIN HERE WITH STOMACH SUCKED UP FOR 10 SECS THEN RETURN TO STARTING POSITION.

UPPER BACK. HOLD HANDS TOGETHER WITH ARMS OUTSTRETCHED IN FRONT OF YOU, AND ROUND YOUR BACK TOWARDS THE FLOOR. PUSH HANDS AWAY FROM BODY TO FEEL A STRETCH. HOLD FOR 5-10 SECS, RELAX AND REPEAT THREE TIMES.

SITTING HUNCHED OVER A DESK ALL DAY ISN’T GOOD NEWS FOR YOUR CHEST. STRETCH YOUR MUSCLES OUT BY CLASPING HANDS TOGETHER AND EXTENDING ARMS BEHIND YOU JUST BELOW SHOULDER HEIGHT. HOLD FOR 10 SECS, INCREASE THE STRETCH AND HOLD FOR A FURTHER 10 SECS.

HAND AND ARM STRETCH. PREVENT REPETITIVE STRESS-TYPE INJURY BY KEEPING SHOULDERS LOW AND RELAXED, EXTEND RIGHT ARM OUT IN FRONT, FINGERS FACING DOWN. WITH YOUR LEFT HAND, GENTLY PUSH YOUR RIGHT HAND TOWARDS YOU. HOLD FOR 10 AND SWITCH SIDES.

TENSE NECK MUSCLES CAN CONTRIBUTE TO ALL SORTS OF PROBLEMS. SIT TALL, BACK STRAIGHT, POSITION LEFT HAND ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF YOUR HEAD AND LEAN HEAD TOWARDS YOUR LEFT SIDE. HOLD FOR 10 SECS AND SWITCH SIDES. W&H