We all want to look great and feel great. Who doesn’t want a perfect body, am I right? However unless you’re just genetically gifted with a great metabolism and a great body, you’re going to have to work for it. That’s right, you’re going to have to exercise, at least a little. Most people, when they hear the word “exercise” immediately think of going to the gym, and then come the excuses. And I get it, we don’t always have time for gym, and let’s be real, gym takes up a lot of time. You have to get there first, change, exercise, shower and then make yourself presentable all over again. That can take hours. But what if I told you that you can stay in shape by doing a 4 minute workout? That’s right, it only takes 4 minutes to work out all your major muscles and burn some extra calories. But for those 4 minutes you’ve got to push yourself to the max. Ready? Here are the 5 exercises you have to do.
Jumping Jacks – 45 seconds
You probably know how to do jumping jacks. Every kid knows this exercise. It seems easy, but try doing it for 45 seconds at maximum effort and you’ll find out exactly how tiring it is. Jumping jacks are great for improving your muscular endurance, they work out big muscle groups and are generally a great cardio exercise.
Squats – 1 minute
Everyone is after a nice, firm booty these days and squats are a great way of achieving it. Form is very important when doing squats. Stand with your feet slightly more than a shoulder width apart, hold your back straight and ab muscles tight. As you begin to squat lean forward a bit and push your bum back out. Make sure your knees don’t push over your toes. Squeeze your butt on the way up for maximum results.
Push ups – 30 seconds
Push ups are a well known exercise, but it’s also not an easy one to do. Start with your hands on the floor shoulder width apart and your whole body in a straight line. The idea is to keep your abs tense, your butt in line with your body and lower yourself down until your chest almost touches the floor and then push back up. However it’s easier said than done. So if you’re a beginner start with your hands more than shoulder width apart, or instead of being on your toes, lower yourself down to your knees. This way you’ll still be working your abs, chest and arms, but it’ll be slightly easier.
Mountain Climbers – 30 seconds
Mountain climbers is another great full body exercise. You start out the same way you would when doing a pushup, with your hands on the floor shoulder width apart. Then, keeping your body tight and in line, lift your knee to your chest and then return to the starting position. Alternate legs. This exercise is great because it’s low impact but it works your shoulders, your abs and improves your stability and core strength.
Lunges – 1 minute
Lunges are great for your glutes, which is a fancy way of saying they’re great for your booty. Stat with your legs shoulder width apart and take a step forward, lower your body until your knee is bent at 90 degrees. Return to the starting position and do the same with the other leg. You can also do walking lunges, those are a bit more challenging but that’s good since you’re only doing this exercise for one minute.
