Movement Snacks: Can you actually build strength in a 5 minute workout?

Hey Reader,

Whenever someone tells me they don't have time to move their body every day, I ask them how much time they think they need.

Most people have it in their head that a workout needs to be a certain length -- maybe 20 or 30 minutes, maybe longer, in order to really make a difference.

But that's not entirely true.

What matters is how you determine what actually makes a difference.

Here's one metric that I think matters and which isn't considered often enough:

Consistency is what we're after for the long term health benefits of movement.

The question is not how hard you workout or how much you sweat or how many gains you make or how heavy you can lift or how long your workouts are.

The question is, are you moving your body consistently and intentionally? And is movement an important, integrated part of your life?

That leads me to my movement snack...

I talk a lot about the value of short movement practices, whether it's a quick yoga flow or a little mobility or a brief strength training workout.

I spent years doing 10 minutes of strength training, 5 minutes of yoga, and even kitchen dance parties, just to keep movement a consistent practice when my life felt busy with small children. Some days I had more time and I'd do longer practices, but I frequently fell back on the quick practices because it was better than doing nothing.

And it built the muscle of consistency.

Thanks to that consistency, I'm able to do much longer workouts. But there are still days when I am short on time and I opt for something quick because it feels good to move.

My latest video on YouTube is a strength workout that you can do in 5 minutes. You need 2 hand weights, one slightly heavier. You'll do 2 sets of 2 exercises, one focusing on lower body and power while the other focuses more on your shoulders! Watch it here:

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I genuinely believe in the power and efficacy of 5 minute workouts, even for strength training. Can you build strength, 5 minutes at a time? Yes, if you are consistent. If you stick with it and increase reps or weight or eventually the number of sets you're doing. It might take a little longer but it's laying an important foundation.

That's the benefit of consistency.

If you need more simple, quick, effective workouts like this one, join me for the DAILY 5, a monthlong movement program designed to help you move your body everyday. You'll do bodyweight strength like this practice, as well as yoga flows, mobility, core work, and strength training with hand weights. It's well rounded, accessible, and builds the consistency you need for lifelong vitality and health.

For those who've been around for awhile, this is the The DAILY 5, version 2.0. The practices are all new and geared toward greater accessibility.

The next round begins this Saturday, October 3rd. Use this link to get more information and save your spot. The sooner you sign up, the sooner you'll actually get started because I send out a few pre-DAILY 5 movement practices to tide you over while you wait!

As a heads up, I will be sharing additional emails about the DAILY 5 over through this Saturday. If you know you're not interested, no big deal. Just click this link right here and you won't receive any extra promotional emails (just the regular Monday ones, like this one).

Thanks for being a part of my community this year. I am so grateful for you.

Warmly,

Naomi

Want to stay in touch during the week? Here are a 2 easy ways:

​Follow me on YouTube. I share strength and movement practices twice monthly and shorter educational/inspirational videos 3 times a week, plus (almost) daily posts.

​Follow me on substack, where I write about the intersection of movement, perimenopause, and the culture that we are all moving through. Or better yet, subscribe so you have immediate access to regular essays, including my most recent substacks.
Most recently I wrote about pain, injury, and how movement is an important part of healing, as well as recovery. You can read that one here.

There are many ways to support my writing on substack, which focuses on women's fitness, health, and motherhood during perimenopause through an anti-diet and pro-science lens:

😍 Become a free subscriber
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I also just published an article about how I reclaimed my relationship with running in a healthier way on my favorite fitness platform, Fit Bottomed Girls. You can read that one here.