Feeling a bit meh but don’t know where to begin? Want to get active but decision fatigue gotcha bad?
Well, as luck would have it, we’ve got you – along with the fabulous Kic team. Here below find the ultimate quick, high intensity workout with Laura Henshaw – and it’s a seriously positive, good time. We’re talking skipping, burpees, reverse lunges, high kicks, the list goes on. But the most beautiful thing? It is all within a 5-minute period.
Let’s be frank here: we often don’t have the time to get a good sweat up, but we’re health-conscious and not into making compromises on our wellbeing. While some days we can set off on an hour-long jog, cycle, yoga class or boxing sesh, other days we can only manage short and sweet. Enter Laura and this bite-sized workout. Sweaty, happy, delicious.
Which muscles are activated in this workout?
All you need for this session is a skipping rope – easy. But if you don’t have a skipping rope, don’t sweat – Laura will take you through some alternatives, like high knees, or even dancing on the spot. Laura’s intention for this workout is the mantra that ‘you are enough’, so throughout the session she’ll be prompting you with reminders of just how amazing you are. Whether you’re craving a morning energy boost or a mid-day stress relief, your body and mind will be thanking you after just five minutes.
- Skipping: Let’s get the heart-rate up and work your entire body. Targeting your quads, hamstrings, core and even your upper body. If you don’t have a skipping rope you can opt for high knees, running or dancing on the spot!
- Jumping squats: Combining the benefits of traditional squats with explosive jumping movements to help you really feel the burn in your quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves. Opt for speed squats if jumping isn’t for you.
- Reverse lunges: Your legs will no doubt feel like jelly after those jumping squats, so we’ll slow it down with reverse lunges.
- High knees: Engage your core and stamp out the self-doubt holding you back.
- Skipping: Finish where we started, you’ve got this. Don’t forget to smile!
How to warm up for the workout
As tempting as it is to dive straight into your workout, warming up your muscles is so important to help prevent injury. Trust us, dedicate just a few minutes to activate your muscles before you start working out and you’ll feel less stiff and enable your heart-rate to gentle increase. Having your blood already pumping around your body will allow you to get into a comfortable HIIT rhythm a lot easier.
Here are three of Laura’s go-to warm up exercises, if you can, spend 60 seconds on each exercise before moving on to the next.
- Elbow to knee taps: Bring your opposite knee and elbow together across the front of your body. Try and use your stomach muscles here and get a bit of a twist through your spine as your move.
- Calf raises: Stand on both feet, raise your heels up and down, move fairly quickly through these.
- Bunny hops: Little jumps, aim to land really lightly on the ground and move quite quickly – try to move at your desired pace.
How to warm down from the workout
Now, after your workout you might be tempted to rush on to your next task, but taking the time to cool down and stretch your muscles is so important!
Cooling down after your HIIT session will help to promote a gradual and steady decrease in your heart and breathing rates. Because trust us, your heart-rate will be high and those endorphins will be flowing after just 5 minutes. Spend 60 seconds on these three exercises:
- Static hip flexor stretch: Stand in a lunge position, tuck your pelvis in and squeeze your glutes. Reach your arm up and over head to increase the stretch.
- Standing glute stretch: Rest your ankle onto your opposite thigh, sit back and press your knee downwards to feel the stretch around your hip/buttock
- Forward fold: Fold forward bringing your finger tips to the floor, gently alternate bending one knee and then the other to stretch the backs of your legs and your lower back.
You’ve got this – let’s get into it!
Laura Henshaw’s 5-Minute HIIT Workout
HIIT with Laura is available in the Kic app from Monday, 29th April. With a focus on mindset, she’s bringing her feel-good vibes to your dreaded HIIT session. Start your 7-day free trial via www.kicapp.com
