Scrumdiddlyumptious

Almond crust tomato tart - so easy and so delcious.

Time for a 5 min stretch?

The Power of 5 Minutes

There is A LOT you can get done in just 5 minutes.. when you want to!

The hardest part is justifying to yourself that it will still be beneficial - you know how your mind works!  If it isn't a 'proper' workout is it worth doing? Is 5 minutes even worth doing?

The answer is always YES!

Doing 5 minutes of stretching is way more beneficial than nothing at all.

The “better than nothing” approach is absolutely a valid technique.

Just like your strength training, you don’t need to have a dedicated hour mobility session for it to be worthwhile.

If you can find a quick slot to fit in 5 minutes of movement, just do it.

If you can do that daily, then these small wins compound, meaning your progress accelerates, making mobility and movement feel easier over the coming weeks and months. 

It’s actually quite scary how much you can accidentally “not move”.

Back in my day (oh how my daughter Harri loves it when I say this!), you had to get up to switch channels on the TV.

Now you don’t have to get off the sofa - everything is streamed, and at the touch of a button.

Heck, you don't even need to press a button - so much of it is voice controlled.

Technology is wonderful, but it is making us lazy.

 If you don't have the time to attach mobility to your longer strength sessions, then don't.  

Do it in little bursts throughout the day - mobility work is too important to skip altogether.

5 mins when you get up - easy.

A little lunchtime movement - done.

How about getting down on the floor whilst watching TV in the evening and stretching?

Or if you’re already doing some awesome mobility sessions, then an extra 5 mins mobility here, there and everywhere is the secret to even more progress.

If you’re stuck for ideas, I have a couple of follow alongs on my Youtube Tube Channel.

Some are more than 5 mins, but you can dip in and out as you like :)

In fact! Join Me for a quick 5 minute hip and core routine here

Click here to watch the video

Why do flexibility & mobility work?

As we get older our joints naturally stiffen, muscles tighten, and movement patterns shorten.

If we don't do any intentional flexibility and mobility work, everyday activities like reaching down to do your shoes up, reaching for a low or a high shelf, getting out of the car, become harder and more painful.

Think of the joints in your body like a door hinge.

Without oiling it, the hinge creaks, stiffens, and eventually gets stuck.

Flexibility and mobility exercises are the oil that keeps your joints gliding smoothly, letting you move freely and easily through life.

They help your muscles and connective tissues adapt to the demands of your body, prevent injuries, and make strength and cardiovascular training more effective.

Oh yeah - bring on the flexibility & mobility work

Wednesday Workout #2

WEDNESDAY WORKOUT  - The Norwegian 4 x 4

Long, steady state cardio exercise isn't the most efficient way to improve your cardio fitness, and let's be honest, hours on the treadmill or rower can be pretty uninspiring.

Enter The Norwegian 4x4

What is it?

Norwegian 4x4 training is an effective HIIT method using four minutes of intense exercise at 85-95% of max heart rate (your max HR is 220 - your age), followed by three minutes of active recovery, repeated four times, to significantly boost VO₂ max ( which basically means your body’s ability to efficiently use oxygen during exercise,) and cardiovascular fitness (think happy, healthy heart & lungs) in minimal time. It originated from research at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

It involves a warmup, the four intense intervals with recovery, and a cooldown.

How it works:

Warm-up: 5 minutes of light activity (e.g., easy jogging, cycling).

Intervals:

4 minutes: Intense effort (running or cycling) at 85-95% of your maximum heart rate (you should be breathing hard and unable to hold a full conversation, you're really working hard but not all out sprinting).

3 minutes: Active recovery (e.g., slow walking, easy pedaling) to let heart rate drop.

Repeat: Complete the 4-minute work / 3-minute rest cycle four times (totaling 28 minutes of intervals).

Cool-down: 5 minutes of light activity and stretching.

I've done it on the bike in the studio. And I Loved it.

It's not as hard as HIIT workout, but way more interesting than simply cycling for 30 mins.

Why not give it a try? It's really well suited to an exercise bike or rower, but you could do it running/jogging outside.

A good Cardio blast is the perfect partner for your strength training.

I would do it on a non strength training day, to ensure you've got the energy to do it well.

Let me know how you get on.