5x5x5 to get you moving better.

5x5x5 We can all benefit from moving a bit better, a bit more often. So here is a very nice and simple way to help you do just that. Why not give it a try?

What is it?

5 simple exercises/movements. You do x5 moves for a total of x5 minutes, x5 days a week. Yep, a total of 5 minutes of movement. So no one can pretend they don’t have 5 minutes spare out of 24 hours.

What are they for?

This is NOT a workout. Instead, this is a very simple way to get people (and yes, that includes you) off their butts and moving in a good way. You could do them 1st thing in the morning to help wake you and your body up. You could do them after a long day at work. You can do them as part of your warm up if you like. The important thing is that you do them.

They will loosen up your body and joints. They will wake up your muscles and mind. They will help you move better, smoother and more efficiently immediately afterwards and even in the long term if you do them every day.

They are (hopefully) simple, not strenuous but will get all your major joints and muscles moving. The idea is to focus on quality of movement as opposed to hammering them out in some macho style.

Who is this aimed at?

Just about everyone.

Beginners – These moves will get all your major joints moving and all your major muscles working. They will wake you up and make you feel more less stiff and more energetic. Most importantly, they will actually get you moving. And it’s a basic law of physics that starting to move is much harder than continuing to move. It’s called inertia, baby!

Intermediates/advanced – The little and often approach in a relaxed atmosphere will help you work on the quality of the moves. There is no pressure to set PBs or anything, so you can think about doing them better and drilling in your technique.

But what about the “No Pain, No Gain” and “Go Hard or Go Home” macho bullshit??

First of all, No Pain, No Gain is a stupid saying that I have no time for. Pain is the bodys way of saying something is damaged or broken. If something is damaged or broken…get it fixed! Don’t make it worse.

Secondly, there is a time and a place for going flat out. But this is a way of stoking up your Background Activity levels (click here if you have no idea what Background Activity is). This is a quick and simple way of giving you a boost when you are feeling slow and lethargic. So instead of spending the following hour still slow and lethargic, you can spend it with a spring in your step. Don’t believe me? Try it out for a couple of days and see…

But I spend all day sitting at my desk and don’t feel like it…

Then this will certainly benefit you! Trust me on this, nothing makes you feel slow and lethargic, than actually being slow and lethargic. Break out of that vicious cycle and you will spend the next hour or so with a spring in your step. Try it for a couple of days and see if I’m wrong (hint: I’m not wrong!)

But my job keeps me on my feet all day anyway. What do I need it for?

There is a difference between quality movements and just “doing stuff”. Simply doing a bunch of low quality “stuff” will keep us active (which is good), but will simply ingrain bad movement habits (which is bad). These quick shots of good quality moves will help remind your mind and body that there are better ways of doing things. Again, it’s all about working on the technique of the moves.

So what are these 5 moves?

Remember, aim for quality over quantity. Adjust the intensity/difficulty of these up or down to make sure you are doing them well. Anyone can do crappy moves…we want to be better than that!