6 exercises for perfect legs in 5 minutes a day

Fitness instructor of the French resort chain Club Med

Training duration: 5 minutes.

Equipment: not required.

Tip: from the first exercise and throughout your workout, focus on correct exercise technique.

“Our workout is only 5 minutes long, so you need to try to keep your energy level stable and work as hard as you can to get the most out of your exercise!” – expert Club Med.

Warm-up 

• Start by alternately raising your knees to your chest and then lowering, alternating between your right and left legs, repeat this exercise 5-8 times. 

• Keep one hand across your chest and gently press down on your forearm with the other. Do this exercise for both hands. This will help your shoulders stay relaxed throughout your workout.

• Spread your feet shoulder-width apart and bend one knee, keeping your feet flat on the floor. Let your hips follow the movements of your body. This will help protect your leg muscles from injury during exercise.

• Then timed 10 seconds and do the exercise “running in place”. It will gradually increase your heart rate and thus warm up your body.

You are now ready to start exercising. Start with the first exercise. Focus on your technique and try to maintain your initial pace until the end of your workout. 

1. Air squats

Time: 1 minute – 2 sets of 25 seconds each. You can take a short 5-second rest break between two sets.

• Place your feet in the starting position slightly wider than your hips. Keep your back straight during the exercise.

• Shifting your weight onto your heels so that the front toes do not feel the weight: this will help you keep your knees in the correct position. 

• Bend your knees and lower your hips as low as possible, but try to maintain a 90-degree angle.

• Lower yourself down on your heels and then push your body back into a standing position. 

Lightweight option: lower your hips just a few degrees to reduce the intensity of the exercise and protect your knees.

2. Deadlift on one leg

Time: 1 minute – 1 set of 25 seconds, start with the right foot, then continue with the left. You can take a short 5-second rest break between two sets.

• Place your feet in the starting position, hip-width apart. 

• Transfer your weight to your right leg so that it is easy for your left leg to stand supported on the floor.

• Keeping our legs and back straight, we begin to take our left leg back, while tilting the body forward. We reach the position when the body is parallel to the floor. Council: no need to sharply lift the leg up. She should naturally rise as she flexes her hips.

• Slowly lift your shoulders up and then pull them back, returning your body to its original position. Your left leg should return to its original position.

• Perform this exercise alternately on the right and left legs.

Lightweight option: Spread your arms wide for extra support while balancing and reduce your lean angle to protect your lower back or hips from possible injury.

3. Variable lunges (split squats)

Time: 1 minute – 2 sets of 25 seconds each. You can take a short 5-second rest break between two sets.

• Place your feet spaced apart and your right foot about one step in front of your left foot. The back should remain straight throughout the exercise.

• Place your hands on your hips and slowly bend both knees. The knee of the back leg is a few centimeters from the floor, but not touching it. Tip: imagine someone pulling your hips back.

• Slowly straighten your legs to return to the starting position, and step forward with your left leg so that it is in the same position as your right leg.

• Now take a step back with your right foot and repeat the exercise. Alternate left and right legs for 25 seconds.

Lightweight option: reduce the distance between your feet and lower your hips slightly to reduce the intensity of the exercise.

After such exercises, to relax the muscles, it is recommended to swim in the pool, – Club Med experts.

4. Raise on toes with jumping out 

Time: 30 seconds – 1 set of 30 seconds duration.

• Place your feet in the starting position, hip-width apart. 

• Extend your arms at chest level and rise on your toes, lifting your heels off the floor.

• Then return to the starting position while standing. Tip: if you have weak knees, repeat the steps only up to this point.

• Now let’s try again, but when you lift your heels, see if you can add a little jump up.

• We’re only doing one set this time, so try to keep the same pace!

Lightweight option: climb only on your toes (no jump) to protect your knees.

5. Circular leg movements

Time: 1 minute – 1 set of 25 seconds, start with the right foot, then continue with the left. You can take a short 5-second rest break between two sets.

• Place your feet in the starting position, hip-width apart.

• Transfer your weight to your right leg so that it is easy for your left leg to stand supported on the floor.

• Place your hands on your hips and lift your left leg just a few centimeters from the floor.

• Start making small circles with your left foot. Perform ten turns clockwise, 10 turns counterclockwise, repeat for 25 seconds.

• Once you finish the exercise on your right leg, do the same exercise on your left leg.

Lightweight option: increase the size of the circles and decrease the rotational speed to protect against hip injury.

6. Jumping jack

Time: 30 seconds – 1 set of 30 seconds duration.

• Stand in the starting position with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides.

• Take a jump with both legs, keeping them at a distance wider than your hips, while simultaneously raising and extending both arms in the air until they are directly above your head.

• As you exhale, jump back to the starting position and lower your arms.

• Now imagine that your legs, like the blades of scissors, open and close. As you jump, lift both legs off the floor, spreading them as wide as possible, and return back to the starting position.

• We’re only doing one set this time, so try to keep the pace.

Lightweight option: repeat only the first part of this exercise, stretching your legs to a slightly wider position and raising your arms. Or take a step forward and raise one hand up, alternating between the right and left sides. Both of these exercises will protect your vulnerable knees and help control your heart rate.