How to use it
- Pick a routine: at home if you have a bit of floor, at work for a desk, a wall and a chair, or an exercise snack: a minute or two of puffing, on the stairs or on the spot.
- Press Start and copy the figure. Each move has its own timer; a soft chime moves you on.
- Every move has an easier way (knees down, a higher hand, a shallower squat). Do as many as you can with good form, not as many as possible.
- Want tips on your squats? Turn on Coach my form and prop your phone up a few steps away so it sees you from head to feet. The video stays on your device (privacy).
Stop if anything hurts, or if you feel dizzy or faint. If you haven't exercised for a while, or have a health condition, the NHS suggests speaking to your doctor first.
Why it works
The NHS suggests strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups on at least 2 days a week, and lists exercises that use your own body weight, such as push-ups, sit-ups and squats (NHS guidelines (opens in a new tab), NHS strength (opens in a new tab)). The WHO says any amount of activity is better than none (WHO (opens in a new tab)).
Short bursts count too. In a study of 25,241 adults who didn't exercise, those with about three 1 to 2 minute bursts of vigorous everyday activity a day had a lower risk of dying over about 7 years. It's an observational study, so it can't show the bursts caused this (Stamatakis et al., 2022 (opens in a new tab)).
Strength training may help mood as well: reviews of trials found it reduced symptoms of depression (Gordon et al., 2018 (opens in a new tab)) and, by a small amount, anxiety (Gordon et al., 2017 (opens in a new tab)). Those were programmes over weeks, not one five-minute session.
When to use it
- Between gaming sessions, meetings or study blocks.
- While the kettle boils, or on the way back from the printer.
- Twice a week as your strength habit, or every day as a snack.
More tools
Not medical advice. This is a wellbeing tool, not a treatment. If things feel heavy, talk to someone.