We all want to improve our health and fitness, but taking on an exercise routine can feel daunting. When we’re always busy with commitments, we need easy, effective ways to make a difference – quickly.

What can you do with just five minutes?

Next time you’re surfing the web or exchanging texts with a friend, remember that committing those five minutes to yourself can be beneficial to your body and mind. In fact, just five minutes of movement can get you closer to your fitness goals than you may think possible.

“Little bursts of movement throughout the day get your blood flowing and increase your energy,” says Sean Foy, M.A., weight management spokesperson for the Nutrilite brand, and author of The Burst Workout.

“No matter how busy you are,” he says, “you have five minutes here and there throughout your day. Why not use those minutes to build your good-health goals?”

Ideas for taking five

Here are a few suggestions for high-impact ways to improve your fitness with just five minutes of movement:

Five minutes of crunches

You’ll see results faster than you ever thought! Five minutes of crunches, done three or four times a day? You’ll zip up your skinny jeans in no time.

Five minutes of skipping rope

Your heart will thank you for it.

Five minutes of the plank position

Do a plank for 60 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds. Repeat this sequence for five minutes.

A brisk five-minute walk from the farthest corner of the parking lot

Do it twice a day, and you’re well on your way to aerobic heaven.

Five minutes of squats

Hello, lean legs!

Five minutes of gentle stretching

You’ll feel more relaxed and limber right away.

Five minutes of meditation

Practicing mindfulness, even briefly, each day will help stress and tension leave your body.

By Sean Foy

Make it a habit!

Work a few of these ideas into your day, whenever you have just five minutes to spare, and you’ll soon be on your way to looking and feeling better! Need more fitness tips?