Are you someone who never has enough time in the day or maybe you’re just looking for a simple and easy alternative to the gym? Well here are 5 effective exercises that you can do anytime, anywhere.

With obesity and inactivity related disease on the rise, getting the recommended minimum daily exercise of 30 minutes has never been more important. But trying to fit 30 minutes into a day without breaks seems almost impossible. Breaking down the daily exercise into these few simple movements will have you easily able to accumulate what’s needed.

Try these few simple exercises:

  1. Squat or sit to stand – The muscle supporting the hips and legs are the largest group of muscles in the body. This means that we have increased potential for improving fitness and stimulating weight loss.
  2. Push-Ups – Although it’s an oldie, it’s a goodie. Performing just 10 – 20 push-ups a day can significantly improve the strength and tone of your upper body. Doing them from the ground may be a little hard at first, so try doing them against a bench, desk or the wall to make them a little easy in the beginning.
  3. Step up or Stair climbing – No matter what you do in the day, you will almost always come across a set of stairs or have a step within a few short strides. Aiming to climb up 60 steps (or 30 on each leg) in a day is a good number to start.
  4. Prone Hold – Central to keeping you moving is having a fit and functional mid-section. There are many versions of prone holds you could adopt, depending on your ability. Start with your forearms and toes as your ground contact points and hold for around 20 seconds at a time. Technique and control is very important with these exercises, so take some time to read up on the version that will suit you.
  5. Chair Dips – Another simple exercise to finish off the routine. All you need is a chair or bench. Start slow and controlled, aiming to lower yourself to a comfortable depth and then pushing back up to the start position.

Tip: Walking in intervals of just 5 minutes can be a great addition to your daily routine.

Once you have mastered each exercise, aim to accumulate these across the day, building up to a total amount of 30 minutes. Doing this will soon see you fitter and stronger, with more time and energy to tackle anything the day throws at you.