This 5-Minute Workout Hack Improves Your Body and Mind in Minutes
It's hard to squeeze workouts in. The good news is you don't have to wake up at the crack of dawn or do some crazy at-home workout to get in shape. In fact, according to new research, as little as five minutes of eccentric bodyweight exercise daily may greatly improve your mental and physical health.
The study, originally published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, examined the use of eccentric exercises on both mental and physical health. Researchers explored whether brief bodyweight exercises could enhance well-being, strength, and key health indicators like handgrip strength, sit-and-reach flexibility, and more.
Eccentric exercises focus on the lengthening phase of muscle movements, such as lowering yourself to the ground during a pushup or squat. In comparison to concentric moves, eccentric training has been shown to increase both muscle mass and muscle girth.
"The results highlighted that eccentric exercises are very effective in improving fitness," lead researcher professor Ken Nosaka at ECU's School of Medical and Health Sciences said in a statement. "This type of exercise is also more accessible to most people, as it makes use of body weight and eliminates the need to go to a gym. The eccentric exercises can also be spread out during the day, which makes it more achievable to those who are time poor."
For four weeks, 22 sedentary but healthy adults ages 32 to 69 performed a series of eccentric bodyweight exercises for five minutes a day. Exercises included 10 repetitions of chair squats, chair reclines, wall pushups, and heel drops, with exercise progression as needed.
Before and after the four-week period was over, the researchers took into account the participants' mood, physical performance markers via self-reported questionnaires, and physiological assessments.
Related: The 21 Best Bodyweight Exercises to Lose Weight and Burn Fat
Although no significant changes were observed in some aspects, such as body composition, resting heart rate, and blood pressure, researchers saw an improvement in several other critical indicators of health.
"We saw significant improvements in muscle strength, flexibility, strength endurance, and mental health, suggesting that even small amounts of daily exercise can provide sustainable and detectable benefits in sedentary individuals," Nosaka said.