Keep Active Even When You’re Short on Time With the 5 Minutes of Movement Challenge

With December comes the busy holiday season, and it's tempting to give yourself the month off from working out. But fitting in even 5 minutes of movement here and there throughout your day can make a big difference in your energy levels and mood.

That's why the LIVESTRONG.com team partnered with New York-based trainer Noam Tamir, CSCS, owner and founder of TS Fitness NYC, for the 5 Minutes of Movement Challenge.

This month-long program includes short, straightforward daily workouts that keep you moving. We'll help you stay accountable and continue to make exercise a priority, even when life gets busy.

After all, any physical activity is better than none at all.

We did this challenge together in December 2023, but you can start whenever you want. You'll do the same type of workout on the same day every week. Here's what each week looks like:

• ‌Friday:‌‌ Lower-Body Strength
• ‌‌Saturday:‌‌ Mobility
• ‌‌Sunday:‌‌ Walk
• ‌‌Monday:‌‌ Upper-Body Strength
• ‌‌Tuesday:‌‌ Endurance (HIIT)
• ‌‌Wednesday:‌‌ Mobility
• ‌‌Thursday:‌‌ Core

Print out the calendar above or save it to your phone and use it each day to help you stay on track. Do the workout listed, then check off each day as you complete it.

Our community of more than 60,000 members is here to support and motivate you through this challenge. Tell the group how the day's routine went, post photos or videos of your workouts or share your favorite meme or motivational quote.

One of the great things about this challenge is that you don't need any gear — just your body. But sometimes props and other tools can make things easier (or more challenging!) and/or more comfortable.

Here are a few things you may want to consider having on hand (click on the links to see our recommendations for each):

• Dumbbells
• Resistance bands
• Mat
• Yoga block
• Water bottle

On Day 1, kick things off with the Lower-Body Strength workout. Check out the links below for details on each of the six routines:

• Lower-Body Strength (Fridays)
• Mobility (Saturdays)
• Upper-Body Strength (Mondays)
• HIIT (Tuesdays)
• ‌Mobility (Wednesdays)
• ‌Core (Thursdays)

Each week, you'll take a walk on Sunday. It's meant to be an active recovery session that slightly elevates your heart rate and moves your muscles without pushing you too hard. And though we recommend at least 5 minutes, you're welcome to walk for longer.

You made it to the end of the 5 Minutes of Movement Challenge! Take some time to appreciate that accomplishment — and let us know how it went in our Challenge Facebook Group.

‌When you're ready, keep your momentum going with a new challenge, such as:‌