No time for exercise? These 6 exercises are enough

Your guilty conscience is tormenting you more and more every day and your back is already complaining because you haven’t been able to exercise for what feels like an eternity or have only done so irregularly and you sit too much? When you finally get back to exercise, do you groan under the weights because you’ve already lost strength and muscle or gained body fat? That’s demotivating and doesn’t exactly help you do more exercise. Don’t worry, we’ll show you how you can get a lot out of your body with just a few exercises and no exercise equipment.

Simple solution: develop a mini exercise routine

You used to be so sporty and generally enjoy fitness. But you’ve been out of it for a while now and just can’t find a way to get back into it? Many people know this dilemma, especially parents or people with demanding jobs. It’s important that you don’t give up on your plan to finally get fitter again, but also that you don’t put yourself under any more pressure. That doesn’t make it any better and makes you feel bad. The solution is actually quite simple: instead of rare and time-consuming visits to the gym, do a regular mini home workout. You don’t have any dumbbells or similar at home? No problem! Since the Corona pandemic, everyone knows that fitness can also be done in a minimalist way. The quick, always available unit often works much better than if you first have to dig the weights out of the basement or clear the piles of clothes off the exercise bike.

Do you want more than 6 exercises? Here is your 4-week plan for varied and effective short workouts every day:

Training plan

Your training for every day

• only one mini band needed

• 4 different workouts

• 22 exercises in pictures and videos

• 27-page PDF, accessible on all devices

Log in here.
After successful payment you will receive an email with a download link. If you have any questions, send a message to [email protected].

This minimal workout covers the essentials in under 15 minutes

We have 6 exercises for you that you can incorporate into your morning or evening routine at home or while travelling without any equipment. 2 to 3 rounds your mini workout lasts no longer than 15 minutes.

Are you able to do 20 minutes today? Even better, then do one more round or add Squats and a Forearm plank challenge: How long do you hold it up straight like a board?

Tip: If you not only want to strengthen your muscles and mobilize your joints, but also want to boost fat burning, you should do one set of each exercise and move on to the next exercise without a break. Only after all 6 exercises should you take a breather before repeating the whole circuit.

The warm-up is included and the exercises are functional, so they not only build your strength and all major muscle groups, but also improve your mobility. We also have some exercises for your entire back. Let’s get started:

1. YWT lifting in prone position

With your arms, form the letters Y, W and T and in this way mobilize your shoulder joints and the muscles in your upper back and arms. After this, your core should be warmed up and more flexible. Pay attention to tension in your body and make the letters 10 times each. After a one-minute break, repeat the whole thing two more rounds.

Exercise

2. Side support with raised arm and leg

Next comes a static exercise that looks easier than it is and challenges the whole body without you moving. If raising your arms and legs is too much for you, just do the side plank to start with. Hold the exercise for 15 seconds and increase over the days and weeks to 30 seconds and more. Challenge accepted?

Exercise

3. Stand scale

This balancing act on one leg not only strengthens your deep abdominal muscles, but also, and above all, your lower back. Keep your hips as straight as possible. Advanced practitioners can hold a weight with one hand and slowly lower it to the ground. Over time, your standing will become more and more stable. 12 repetitions per side.

Exercise

4. Bulgarian split squats

After the back of your body has warmed up with the previous exercises, it’s time to do the Bulgarian squat. You can do these easily on a chair or on the couch. Advanced users can use a dumbbell or whatever is at hand, and ambitious users can do bicep curls at the same time.

Exercise

5. Push-ups

Of course, the push-up is a must in any turbo workout. After all, no bodyweight exercise challenges the chest or, depending on how close the arms are, the triceps as well. Do as many repetitions as possible per set. If you want more, do the push-ups with your feet raised, for example from a bench.

Exercise

6. Lat pull with resistance band

In addition to a strong shell and powerful triceps, the opposing muscles must not be missing: the upper back and biceps. If you don’t have a pull-up bar and want to start small, grab a fitness band and a railing. A sling trainer works even better and is also worth using for many other tough home gym exercises. Do as many repetitions as possible.

Exercise

How often should you incorporate the short workout into your daily routine

The more often you challenge your muscles with the mini program, the better. Because admittedly, 10-20 minutes of exercise is not much. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 150-300 minutes of moderate endurance exercise or at least 75-150 minutes of intense physical activity per week for a longer and fitter life. In addition, according to the WHO, every adult should plan to do strengthening exercises for all major muscle groups on at least two days per week. As you get older, balance exercises are also added. The more important thing is to start moving more in the first place, and every effort counts here.

What is important besides sport to stay fit

Diet has a greater impact on our physical and mental state than many people realize. It is not just what and how much you eat that is important, but also whether you consciously enjoy your meals and take enough time for them. Before you fail on complicated diets, simply banish fast food from your menu, reduce sugar, alcohol and meat. All of this makes you tired and sluggish. Instead, focus more on vegetables and fruit as well as whole grain products. With a little patience, the fiber improves your intestinal flora and has a positive effect on your well-being. You can find suitable meal plans that can be implemented quickly and easily here.

Cookbook

25 delicious meal prep recipes

• 25 brilliant recipe ideas
  Pictures and nutritional information included
  Downloadable as PDF
  accessible on all devices

Log in here.
After successful payment you will receive an email with a download link. If you have any questions, send a message to [email protected].

You’ve tried everything, but during the week you’re in a state of emergency because you’re always out and about and when you get home you fall into bed dead tired? Then just do the exercises at the weekend. Enough of the excuses, because basically any exercise session is better than none.

From now on, make sure you get more exercise every day. That means getting up more often. Visit colleagues in person, make phone calls while standing, only take the stairs, walk more and switch to cycling. You’ve heard all this before. Now it’s time to put it into practice and it starts in your head!

The same applies to men with physically demanding jobs. At the end of the day, every activity is one-sided and certain parts of the body and movements are always neglected. It is therefore important that you also take time for strength training, even if you work hard all day. This way you can balance out muscular imbalances and avoid joint problems and wear and tear later on.

Conclusion: Make exercise and activity a habit

No time for exercise, but you’ve at least read our article up to this point. Then you’ll manage to sweat with us for 15 minutes at least three times a week. Sure, at first you have to grit your teeth and really want to do it. After a few weeks, exercise will become a habit and you won’t even have to think about it anymore. With the first successes, be it less back pain or a few pounds less, your motivation to prioritize exercise will also increase and you’ll be back in the sport game, want to bet?

Training plan

Mobility – simply more mobile in 8 weeks

• only a fascia roll and a pull-up bar are needed

• 4 different workouts

• 28 exercises in pictures and videos

• 41-page PDF, accessible on all devices

Log in here.
After successful payment you will receive an email with a download link. If you have any questions, send a message to [email protected].

Sources mentioned:

World Health Organization (2018): Global action plan on physical activity 2018–2030: more active people for a healthier world, last accessed on 31 May 2024.

This article may contain links to providers from whom MEN’S HEALTH may receive a commission (so-called “affiliate links”). Further information here.