Five minute express workouts for the busy woman

Whether it’s toned arms, firmer glutes or an all-over fix you’re after, studies have shown even short bursts of activity can boost your fitness.

Instead of slogging it out at the gym for hours try these effective, yet quick, workouts!

5-minute full-body workout

Elsa Pataky, may be enviably fit from top to toe, but an all-over workout doesn’t have to be a long, hard slog. Grab a pair of 2.5kg dumbbells and try this quick routine of five power moves from personal trainer Keli Roberts.

1. Clean and press. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and place weights on the floor near each foot. Squat and lift weights to your knees. Stand and bring weights to hips, then raise them past shoulders and above your head. Lower. Repeat for 60 seconds.

2. Side lunge and row. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, weights in your hands by your sides. Step to 
the right, bending right knee while keeping left leg straight. Raise left elbow to the ceiling. Return to start position. Repeat on the other side. Continue for 60 seconds.

3. Sumo squat and bicep curl. Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointed out, with a weight in each hand. Bend into a squat while curling weights up towards your shoulders. Return to start. Repeat for 60 seconds.

4. Push-up plus. Begin in push-up position. Do one push-up, then raise left hand off the floor and extend arm out to the side. Hold, lifting right foot off the floor. Lower hand and foot back to push-up position. Do another push-up and repeat other side. Continue for 60 seconds.

5. Single-leg deadlift with kick-back. Standing with feet hip-width apart, bend elbows and hold weights close to your ribcage. Lift left leg behind you, parallel to floor, and bend forward from hips as you straighten arms. Return to start and swaps sides. Repeat for 60 seconds.

30-second arm workout

Want sculpted arms and shoulders like Victoria’s Secret model Lais Ribeiro? Try this belly dancer-inspired move from the 27-year-old’s trainer Sadie Kurzban.

1. Extend your right arm to the side, while raising your left arm above your head. Then twirl your wrists 
in a circular motion like a belly dancer 
and take two steps to the right.

2. Switch sides, riaing you right arm and extending the left. Keep twirling your wrist and taking two steps to the left. Repeat for 30 seconds.

3-minute abs workout

An 18-year veteran of the Victoria’s Secret catwalk, Adriana Lima, 36, knows all the best moves for maintaining those awe-inspiring abs.

“It can be crunches, it can be boxing moves – it’s a combination of both,” says the model, who trains six days a week at Kirk Myers’ famous Dogpound gym.

Try his express shadowbox workout for a flat tum.

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with your left leg two foot-lengths in front of your right (or vice versa if you’re left-handed).

2. Punch forward with your right hand, keeping your abs tight and rotating your upper body. Then pull your fist back to your jaw level. Repeat the movement with your left hand. Continue alternating for three minutes.

2-minute butt workout

Jenna Dewan has a lean dancer’s bod to die for, and the 37-year-old mum-of-one has her trainer Jennifer Johnson to thank for it. For a booty like Jenna’s, follow these easy moves.

1. Start on the ground on all fours, with your forearms and palms resting on the floor.

2. Straighten your right leg out to the side, with your toes touching the floor.

3. Lift your right leg into the air and draw a semicircle with it, moving it into tan arc and lowering it on the other side of your left leg. Reverse the movement back to the start position. Repeat for 60 seconds, then swap legs.

3-minute legs workout

Need inspo for achieving impressively toned pins? Look no further than Gisele Bündchen, 37. Along with yoga, the model is a major fan of kung fu! Her instructor Yao Li shares this simple exercise for kicking your way to better fitness.

1. Stand like a boxer with your left foot out in front and your weight balanced evenly across both feet. Rest your hands on your hips. Shift your weight forward to the left leg as your right foot leaves the ground.

2. Power your kick by using your right leg’s hip flexors and quads. Keep it straight, with your foot flexed and your knees soft, not locked. Keep your left foot flat on the ground.

3. Increase the speed of the kick return by using your calf muscels and hamstrings to pill you leg back to the ground. Return to boxing stance. Repeat for 90 seconds, then swap legs.

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