From ‘movement snacks’ to exactly what thoughts to write down, eight hacks to make you healthier in FIVE minutes
FORGET toiling away for hours in the gym – an extra five minutes of exercise each day will help reduce blood pressure and lower the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
But how easy is it to boost your health in just 300 seconds?
Dr Jo Blodgett, of University College London, says: “It doesn’t take long to have a positive effect on blood pressure.”
From balancing to boogying, and even writing down your personal thoughts, we reveal five-minute wonders that can keep you in good shape.
Have a ‘movement snack’
MOVEMENT snacks are short, quick and frequent sessions of physical activity that are meant to interrupt those long periods of sitting down throughout your daily routines.
A 2022 study in the Journal of Applied Physiology suggested that bite-sized bursts of moderate-intensity exercise can help the body use amino acids from what you eat, which aids in the building of muscle.
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You could try doing 20 squats while your spuds cook, or running up and down the stairs – anything to get that heart rate up.
Hanging on the telephone
AS we get older, physical strength and bone density is lost.
Researchers have found that our balance begins to deteriorate around the age of 50, leaving us more at risk of falls.
While strength work and weight exercises are important to help combat this, practising balancing is also key.
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Next time you are on hold or chatting on the phone, try standing on one leg.
Dr Rangan Chatterjee, of BBC One’s Doctor In The House, says: “Time how long you can balance on each leg, then do it with your eyes closed. This is much harder, as space-awareness skills are challenged.”
Kitchen workout
PEOPLE have busy lives and it can be hard to carve out time for a workout – so incorporate it into your schedule.
Dr Chatterjee says: “What works is adding health hacks to existing habits so they become part of your routine.
“For example, I get up each day and do a five-minute kitchen workout in my pyjamas while I wait for my coffee to filter.
“I might do ten kettlebell swings, ten bicep curls and ten star jumps.
“I change the routine daily, but I have made it easy for myself by linking the duration with my coffee preparation.
“When my coffee is ready, I stop and reward myself with a drink.”
Get into the groove
DANCING is one of the best things you can do for your body and mind.
Moderate-intensity boogying is linked to a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
Studies showed the chance of dancers dying from cardiovascular issues was 46 per cent less than those who rarely bust some moves.
Researchers suggest the health boost might come not just from the movement, but also from the social connections and relaxation that dancing brings.
Try having a boogie while Strictly is on and turn it into a game, where your family scores you out of ten, just like on the show.
Meditation with cuppa
MUCH like physical exercise, less is more when it comes to looking after your mind.
Evidence suggests that with meditation, shorter sessions can be just as effective as longer ones.
A 2020 trial found that four brief, five-minute mindfulness practices were as beneficial as four 20-minute sessions for improving depression, anxiety and stress.
Try a spot of mindfulness first thing in the morning with a cuppa before the kids wake up.
Guided meditation can be found on apps such as Headspace, which is free to download.
Experience nature
LIVING in a town or city can leave our bodies in a permanent state of fight or flight, which is not good for our health.
But you don’t need to go on a rural hike to reap the benefits of the countryside, as 2018 research found spending just five minutes in contact with nature boosts your mood.
Study author Katherine D Arbuthnott says: “There are two important take-homes. The first thing I emphasise these days is when you need an emotional boost, the fastest and easiest way is to spend a few minutes with nature.
“Being outside is the best, but even contemplating a picture of a natural scene will make a difference.”
Offload worry before bed
IT only takes a few minutes to look after one of the body’s most powerful yet fragile organs – the brain.
Dr Chatterjee says our minds are not designed for the modern world, and we can benefit from simple habits, such as spending a few minutes before bedtime jotting down worries.
“Getting things down on paper helps to remove them from your mind,” he reveals.
“You could also make a list of ways to tackle some of these worries the next day.
“There’s something so therapeutic about seeing all that worry contained as words on a page, which you can just chuck in the bin.”
Travel different home routes
CHALLENGE your brain by trying something new.
This sparks fresh connections between brain cells, helping to keep your memory sharp and your thinking skills strong.
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Neurologist Dr Joel Salinas says: “Use a free app on your smartphone that teaches you new words in English or, better, a new language.
“Also use a free app to listen to a new kind of music, take a new route to get where you need to go or watch a short educational video online about a subject that’s new to you.”