Stay active and accountable during one of the busiest times of the year with 5-minute daily workouts.
A lot of people dread leg day. It's often long and intense and can leave you sore for a day or two afterwards. Instead of skipping leg day altogether, though, you can shorten it on days when you're especially tired, sore or unmotivated.
Try this 3-move workout from New York–based trainer Noam Tamir, CSCS, owner and founder of TS Fitness NYC. He created this lower-body workout as part of LIVESTRONG.com's 5 Minutes of Movement Challenge to keep you active all month long.
Video of the Day
If you're following along with the challenge, you can do this workout as part of the month-long program. If you're not, you can perform this as a separate workout, warmup or finisher — whatever works with your fitness routine!
5-Minute Lower-Body Workout
Do: 30 seconds of each of the following moves, then repeat the sequence for a total of 2 rounds.
- Squat
- Reverse lunge (right leg)
- Reverse lunge (left leg)
- Single-leg bridge (right leg)
- Single-leg bridge (left leg)
1. Squat
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Turn your toes out to the sides slightly.
- Hinge at your hips and bend your knees (as if you were going to sit in a chair) while keeping your chest up.
- Either raise your arms out in front of you at shoulder height for balance or bring your hands up to your chest.
- Once you’ve lowered as far as you can go comfortably while maintaining proper form, press through your feet to stand back up and squeeze your glutes at the top.
- Repeat for 30 seconds.
Modifications and Variations
To modify this move, decrease the depth of your squat, only going as low as your strength and mobility allow. You can also try a wall sit, knees bent and back against a wall like you're sitting in a chair without a seat.
To make it more challenging, you can hold weights or add a resistance band around your thighs just above your knees — or do both!
2. Reverse Lunge
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- With your right foot, step back behind your body. Take a big enough step so that your left knee forms a 90-degree angle. Land with your back toes pointed into the ground.
- Bend both knees and drop toward the floor. Keep lowering until your back knee is about an inch off the ground (or as low as comfortable). Keep your chest tall.
- Push off the floor with your left foot and return to standing, bringing your right foot up to meet your left.
- Continue for 30 seconds before switching to the left leg.
Modifications and Variations
To modify this move, only go as low as your strength and mobility allow. You can also try a lunge hold, taking out the step and holding the bottom part of the lunge.
To make it more challenging, hold weights — one in each hand or a single one at the center of your chest — or add a jump, landing with the same leg in front that you started with.
3. Single-Leg Glute Bridge
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart on the floor.
- Lift your left leg off the ground, keeping your knee bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Push your right foot into the floor and squeeze your glutes. Keep your left leg lifted and raise your hips as high as you can without arching your lower back.
- Pause briefly at the top of the movement.
- Then, lower your hips to the floor.
- Repeat for 30 seconds before switching legs.
Modifications and Variations
To modify this move, perform a regular glute bridge with both feet on the floor. You'll end up doing 60 seconds, since you won't be switching legs. You can also take out the lifting and lowering to perform a glute bridge march.
To make it more challenging, hold a dumbbell or barbell across your hips or parallel to your supporting leg.
Follow Along With the Challenge
Use the calendar below to help you stay on track with the 5 Minutes of Movement Challenge. Do the workout listed, then check off each day as you complete it. (Get a printer-friendly version here.)
