The New Year is here, and if you are like most people now is the time you feel more motivated than ever to get fit and healthy. But the problem is you don’t really have the time or desire to go to the gym.  The days when you had to spend hours slogging it out in the gym are over, try this 5 minute home workout that will really get you great results.

Here’s the format: 5 exercises all 20 seconds in duration with 10 seconds rest between each one( do as many repetitions as you can within that time period). Repeat each one twice = 5 minutes

1: Squat – Stand up straight and bend your knees. Lower your body down as far as you can, then push back up.

3/4: Split Squat – Start with 1 leg forward and 1 leg back as far apart as possible. Bend your back knee towards floor then push back up through your front heel. Repeat on other leg.

5: Front Plank – (Either from your knees or for the more advanced from your feet) Start face down resting on you elbows and knees/feet and raise body off floor. Hold position still.

There you are. Just 1 of my Fabulous 5 Minutes Workouts.

Today’s Takeaway - There is it is. A great workout from home in next to no time.  P.S. Don’t be afraid to repeat it a few times or add to it to increase the calorie burn!

December is the month people do most damage in terms of putting on weight. With Christmas parties, dinners out, Christmas nibbles and booze if you’re not careful you can pack on pounds that take some serious time and effort to shift in the New Year. Here are a few little tricks that will drastically reduce your calorie intake without leaving you feeling restricted.

The little treats such as nuts, cheesy biscuits, dips, pastry treats, etc. that everyone seems to put out at this time of year are SERIOUSLY calorific. And because they are so small and don’t fill you up could be taking in hundreds and hundreds of unwanted calories without hardly noticing. Try making your own and just eat them with raw vegetables. Just as tasty and a fraction of the calories.

Greek Spinach Dip

1 or 2 peeled garlic cloves

2 cans  white beans, drained and rinsed

50 ml extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon very finely chopped fresh oregano leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. In a food processor, whirl garlic until finely chopped. Scrape down the inside of the bowl and add beans, oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Whirl until smooth and blended.

2. Transfer dip to a small bowl. Stir in oregano, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with assorted fresh vegetables or pita bread.

Caramelized Onion Dip

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 cups chopped onion (about 2 large onions)

3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1/2 cup light sour cream

1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese $

1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

1/4… Read more->

What do you do if you want to get in a good cardiovascular, heart-pumping workout but you don’t have a fitness machine, such as a cross trainer or a treadmill? Easy. Try the following home cardio workout that requires no equipment and will give you a better, more varied cardio workout than any machine.

1/Star Jumps – 50 reps

Stand with arms by your sides. Jump out sideways with both legs and raise you arms up to shoulder height at the same time. Touch down with your feet and jump back in. Repeat.

2/ Jumping Lunges – 30 reps

Start with 1 leg forward and the other leg back. Jump switching the position of the legs each time and bending both knees on contact with the floor. Repeat.

3/ Side Jumps – 40 reps

Imagine a line down the centre of your floor. Jump up and over it, side to side (feet together).

4/ Squat jumps – 20 reps

Hands on the floor with legs out straight behind you. Jump forwards and backwards as far as you can, keeping your feet together.

5/ Box Jumps - 8 boxes each way

Imagine a four sided square box on the floor. Keeping your feet together jump around all four corners of the box. Keep moving at all times. Change direction half way through.

Today’s Takeaway – This will take you about 3/4 minutes if done quickly. This alone will tire you out, do 3/4 circuits of it to get a really good cardio workout.

When people are doing their own workouts, whether it be at the gym or at home, I am often asked how many reps should you do for a particular exercise. The thinking behind this has changed GREATLY in recent years, hence the confusion that surrounds it.

Up to 10, or even less, years ago ‘experts’ suggested that you should keep the weights low and the reps high if your goals are fitness and/or weight loss. E.g. 20+ reps. But in recent years this theory has gone full-circle leading to many professionals recommending training as a strength athlete would and doing heavier weights and keeping the reps lower. E.g. 6-10 reps. This change has led to many people, especially women, worrying that they are doing a workout aimed at building muscle rather than getting fat/burning fat.

So which is right? That depends on a couple of factors;

(i) how experienced you are. If you are new to the exercises you are doing you should definitely keep the reps higher initially. Otherwise you risk performing the exercise with poor technique and/or injuring yourself.

(ii) what sort (if any) equipment you have. The most important thing in any workout is to work as hard as you can. So there is no point in limiting yourself to just doing 12 lunges if you can manage 20. Just do as many as you can.

This being said, a good mix of different reps for different exercises is ideal. The body gets different benefits from lower rep exercises to higher rep ones, so doing a bit of everything will give you the best results. So for example you may do 20 squats, 15 sit-ups and 10 press ups in a circuit.