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Workout Wednesday: The 5 Minute Workout

One of the most common reasons people don’t workout is lack of time. But what if I told you, even performing a 5 minute workout could make big changes in your health?

It’s true! Scientific studies show us that a few micro-workouts accumulate to yield many of the same results as a traditional, 30-45 minute, continuous workout.

That’s why, today, we are giving you a 5 minute workout.

For 5 minutes you’ll perform as many rounds as possible. Then, repeat this 5 minute workout as many times as you like throughout the day. (Ideally, 3-4 times!) But as we at Dancers Who Lift know, something > nothing, so just do your best.

Ready for the goods? Okay, set your 5 minute timer and let’s go!

5 Minute Workout: The Breakdown

Alternating Lunges x10

First up in today’s 5 minute workout is alternating lunges.

Start with your feet together, hands on your hips. Step one foot out into a deep lunge, keeping your core braced so your lower back is supported.

Then, step back to return to your starting position.

Repeat on the other side.

**Perform 10 reps before moving on to the next exercise.**

Plank Walkouts

Since you’re already standing with your feet together, go ahead and jump right into this exercise, no set-up needed!

From your standing position roll down your spine and walk your hands out into a plank position. (If you need to bend your knees to get your hands to the floor, that’s okay! Just make sure they get to a straightened position in the plank.)

Once you reach the plank position, walk the hands back to return to the standing position.

**Repeat for 10 reps, then move on to the next exercise!**

Plank Shoulder Taps

Okay, we are halfway through your 5 minute workout, how ya feeling?

Well, get your core ready because next up we have plank shoulder taps!

Put yourself in a plank position with your weight on your hands. Make sure to brace your core, keeping your hips low and shoulders gliding gently down your back.

Now, tap your right hand to your left shoulder and try not to let your hips twist! Then, switch sides.

**Perform 10 reps (right, left is one rep!) then move on to the final exercise.**

Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers might be one of the most misunderstood exercises out there. If done with no mind to your form, they can still be quite beneficial as a cardio workout. But taking an extra moment to really hone in on your form can expand the benefits of this workout exercise 10-fold.

That said, get yourself into a plank position.

Now, without letting your hips or shoulders rise, pull one of your knees up to your chest, then switch. One on each side equals one rep! You should feel that core firing, now!

**Perform 10 reps to complete your first round!**

Finish Your Workout Strong!

Now, just because you’ve finished one round doesn’t mean your done! Perform as many rounds as you can until your 5 minute timer goes off!

Then, anytime you find yourself with a gap in your day, set a new time and see if you can beat your record!

Don’t forget to keep some deodorant in your bag! This 5 minute workout may be short, but it is mighty!

Did you like todays workout? Try Workout Wednesday: The Bench Workout next time! And if you’re looking for more fitness and nutrition info, give these quick reads a glance: Should I Be Sore After Every Workout?: The Surprising Truth Most Dancers Don’t Know, Are Crunches Killing Your Core? The Core Strength Secret

You Make My Heart Race: A Valentine’s Day Workout

Valentine’s Day is a holiday that you may or may not love to participate in. But whether you’ve found your “swolemate” or not, the day is likely filled with a couple sweets, evening plans, and maybe a glass of wine or two. And no matter what those evening plans are, it means you’re going to need to get your workout in quickly before you don your Galentine’s onesie or Little Black Dress.

Never fear! We’ve brought you a super fast, high intensity Valentine’s Day workout sure to get your heart racing-no “swolemate” necessary. Even better? You don’t even have to go to the gym to complete this Valentine’s Day sweat sesh!

You ready to seal your fate?

This Valentine’s Day workout only consists of one exercise. That’s right, just one. But you get to choose which exercises will be your date for today’s workout.

Date number one: Split Squat Jumps

Date number two: Reverse Lunges

Have you chosen your date for today’s Valentine’s Day workout?

Good.

Here’s the workout.

Set a timer for 10 minutes. (Yes, this is a micro workout. No, it is not easy.)

Every minute on the minute perform 15 full, clean, reps.

Rest the rest of the minute.

Repeat.

After the 10 minutes are up you will have accomplished 150 reps of either split squat jumps, or reverse lunges.

Bonus? You can swap out the exercise and do this again the next time you are crunched for time! That is, if you can still walk after this!

Looking for more workouts like this? Tune into the Dancers Who Lift Blog every Wednesday for a free workout!

If you like our Workout Wednesdays, check out some of these other blogs below. I think they’ll be right up your alley!

The Stair Down: An Adjustable Stair Workout

We get it. Whether you’re traveling, home for the holidays, or just not feeling spending an afternoon in the gym, sometimes getting to a gym is not in the cards. Despite that, your need or desire to workout does not have to go ignored. And before you roll your eyes about “another functional bodyweight workout” relax. I’m suggesting something much more brutal: a stair workout.

Stair workouts are an excellent way to train your glutes, hamstrings, and thighs, while also giving you a brutal cardio blast. The best part? You can find a set of stairs anywhere and it’s an excellent form of exercise. Don’t have a stairwell in your building or home? Go to a local park and use the bleachers.

The other bonus of stair workouts? They are completely adjustable. For example, today’s workout Is commonly referred to as a ladder; a workout that grows in reps as you go. You can repeat this ladder as many times as you can safely take it or have time for.

And trust me, it doesn’t take much to get a great workout in this way. Even one round of the following workout would be an excellent micro workout during a vacation or holiday!

So let’s get started, and don’t be fooled by the simplicity, I guarantee you’ll be walking funny the rest of the day.

And remember, you can modify this based on how many flights of stairs you have available. (Hint: if you’re doing this stair workout on the bleachers, a typical flight is 12-13 steps!)

For this workout, do not rest until after the third set.

Set 1:

Sprint up one flight of stairs. Walk or jog back down.

Set 2:

Sprint up two flights of stairs. Walk or jog back down.

Set 3:

Sprint up three flights of stairs. Walk or jog back down.

That’s all there is to todays stair workout. It’s really that simple.

“BuT WaIt ThAt’S ToO EaSy”

To modify this workout to be longer or more challenging, rest after the third set. Then, repeat sets 1-3 three or four more times.

Another modification, if you have the stairs available, is to continue the ladder all the way up to five flights.

Only have one flight of stairs available to you? Repeat set one 5 times, rest for 2 minutes, then repeat the 5 reps of set one again. Repeat this pattern as many times as you like or are able!

When I say adjustable I mean adjustable. Tailor this workout for your time frame and ability. But be careful! Once your body is exhausted it’s much easier to miss steps and trip. Be honest with your body about your limits on this one.

Want more workouts like this one? Follow along on the Dancers Who Lift Blog for weekly workouts, technique tips, and weekly deep dives into fitness questions dancers- or anyone- might have.

How to Structure a Holiday Workout Schedule You’ll Actually Stick To

Going into the holidays when you’ve finally mastered your workout routine can feel a bit like entering a minefield. After all, between holiday meal prep, catching up with friends and family, and the various holiday activities, creating a holiday workout routine can seem impossible.

But the good news is that keeping a holiday workout schedule doesn’t have to be as hard as it seems!

I know I know, you’re thinking,

“But, I won’t have time for a 30-45 minute workout three times a week. And because of all the parties, everything showers post-workouts will be an absolute necessity. So that’s even more time!”

I hear you.

But what if I told you your workouts didn’t have to be 30-45 minutes to be effective?

What if I told you your workouts could be as short as 5-10 minutes and still keep you on track?

Don’t believe me? Let’s break it down.

Two major things tend to throw off consistency in a workout routine during the holidays:

An All or All-Or-Nothing Mindset
A Perceived Lack of Time

Let’s tackle number one first.

All-Or-Nothing Mindset

When we finally find a workout routine that works for us, it’s very easy to be wary of any diversion from the plan. And let’s face it, no matter what your routine is, the holidays present a major diversion from routine.

When your routine gets out of whack it’s very easy to think,

“Well, I can’t do a real workout. So, is it even worth it?”

The answer is, Yes! Yes, it is worth it!

Something is better than nothing when it comes to consistency in fitness. And as you know, the Dancers Who Lift motto is, “imperfect consistency > than perfect inconsistency.”

This is largely because half of the consistency battle in fitness is mental. Studies have shown that showing up, even for a short amount of time, trains your brain to prioritize workouts. In other words, if you make the effort to complete a workout-even a micro workout-you are more likely to continue to adhere to your workout routine.

Another fear that creeps in during the holidays is that you will “lose your progress” if you’re not getting in a full workout. But this study proved that a short, “holiday workout,” is plenty to maintain the hypertrophy you’ve built over the last few months.

Not to mention the mental refresh a mini, holiday workout will give your brain when dealing with various personalities throughout the holiday season. That’s worth it right there!

Now that we’ve shown that a little bit, is still plenty! Let’s dive into number two.

A Perceived Lack of Time

The idea that you need to be accomplishing three or four forty-five-minute workouts a week to make progress on your fitness goals has largely been debunked!

This study shows that accumulated workouts (small workouts scattered throughout the day or week) have similar results to continuous workouts. (Traditional 30-45 minute sessions.) That means that you could do three, ten-minute mini workouts throughout the day and see the same progress as you would have had you carved out an hour or two for the gym!

What a liberating discovery!

Okay, so now that we know this. How do we build a holiday workout schedule we can stick to?

I’m glad you asked.

There are three tools I use to plan a holiday workout routine:

Plan Ahead
Be Flexible
Don’t Overthink!

Let’s Break it down

Plan Ahead

Odds are during the holidays you have a rough idea of the various activities, parties, and meals you need to be present for.

So, take a look at the week ahead and identify little pockets of time where you could get a workout in.

For me, it’s often right before I hop in the shower. I’ll just go into my bedroom, do some push-ups, dead bugs, and air squats, then hop in the shower and no one is the wiser that I’ve taken any extra time than normal.

Other useful pockets of time can be those random hours in between events. Remember, these are short workouts, so you’re less likely be a sweaty mess afterward, allowing you some flexibility as to when you can accomplish them!

Once you’ve made the plan, stick to it! Remember that study above that said these mini-holiday-workouts help us cognitively adhere to our fitness plan? Do yourself a favor and show up for yourself this season.

Be Flexible

Oh no! You had a plan to fit your holiday workout in before your shower but your mom surprised you with a trip to the salon for mani-pedis! Now you won’t have time to fit that workout in.

First, take a deep breath and think about the lasting memory here- what a sweet opportunity! Then, take a moment and think about your day. Odds are, there’s another 10-minute window you could squeeze in those lunges.

And if not, remember, accumulated work is just as effective as consecutive. So, do 10 air squats when you go to the bathroom. Drop and do a few push-ups before you change clothes for dinner. Or, ask your mom to go for a walk with you after the salon! Extra steps are a great way to keep your body moving and you’ll get bonus time with your family member!

Don’t Overthink

It can be really easy for us to have analysis paralysis and overthink exactly what we should do in our mini holiday workout.

So, an easy rule of thumb:

Choose an upper-body exercise, a lower-body exercise, and some type of abdominal or plyometric exercise.

Here’s a list of exercises that hit each of these categories!

Not feeling like creating your own workout?

Here are five micro workouts that we’ve already written just for this occasion!

So what do you think? Will you be incorporating micro workouts into your holiday workout routine?

If you do, let us know! We want to celebrate your consistency and dedication! And if you want more workouts, check out the Dancers Who Lift blog every Wednesday for a free workout!

Probiotics and Fiber: Your Gut’s Best Friends

As dancers who cross train by lifting weights, we take nutrition very seriously. That’s why, today, we are talking bout the importance of probiotics and fiber.

There are a few bases to cover here, so let’s just dive right in, shall we?

What are Probiotics?

Probiotics are microorganisms that have health benefits when consumed or applied to the body. These microorganisms are what we call “good bacteria” and they aide in food digestion, attacking disease-causing cells, and producing vitamins.

The most common sources of probiotics are yogurt, cultured buttermilk, and cheese.

However, there are a lot of foods that have probiotics due to fermentation like, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut, miso, pickles, and raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar.

Probiotics are particularly helpful in solving tummy troubles like IBS or digestion struggles due to travel. (Looking at you all my tour bugs!)

What is Fiber?

Fiber is the roughage of plant foods that our body isn’t able to digest or absorb. Because fiber isn’t digested, it passes (pretty much intact) through your small intestine and colon. That’s why it’s so important to chew our food thoroughly!

There are two kinds of fiber, soluble fiber and insoluble fiber.

Soluble fiber is dissolves in water and makes a kind of gel. This kind of fiber helps with cholesterol and glucose levels. It’s found in oats, peas, beans, aple, citrus fruits, and barley.

Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and therefore promotes the movement of “stuff” through your digestive system. This kind of fiber is beneficial if you’re experiencing constipation or irregular bowel movements. Insoluble fiber is found in whole-wheat flour, bran, nuts, beans, and veggies!

The recommended daily intake of fiber is between 20-30 grams of fiber per day. Reaching this goal definitely takes practice, but by adding an extra scoop of veggies to your plate, opting for whole wheat, or using fruit as a snack can easily boost your fiber intake!

What Are The benefits of Probiotics and Fiber?

As mentioned earlier, probiotics and fiber work together to regulate our digestive system, and promote healthy bacteria growth that boosts our immune system protecting us from infectious diseases.

In fact, the combination of dietary fiber and probiotics increases the health of the gut microbiome so much that it’s used a means of cancer prevention and treatment!

The really fun bonus is that this study found that the combination of probiotics and dietary fiber induced significant weight loss!

I’m Sold. How Do I Add Probiotics and Fiber into My Diet?

As mentioned before, you can do this by being intentional about including the amounts fibrous and probiotic foods.

Now, increasing your fiber intake is fairly simple. It just requires a bit of intentionality, such as swapping out your white bread for whole grain or adding extra fruits and veggies to each of your meals.

Because probiotic foods are bit more specific, some people prefer to take a supplement in the morning in addition to adding probiotic foods into their diets.

But if supplements aren’t for you, try adding in more yogurts, use apple cider vinegar in your salad dressings, or enjoy a lovely cheese plate!

At the end of the day, getting plenty of probiotics and fiber only requires a tiny bit on intentionality when you’re planning your meals.

Want some tips on intentional meal planning? Our Body Mechanics program actually comes with monthly meal plans, recipes, and shopping lists to ensure you’re getting everything you need!

Not ready to join the family on that level? That’s okay! Here are a few other blog posts we think you might love: Should dancers drink daily greens?, Lucky Number Seven: A Full-Body Workout Routine, Honor Your Limites: 7 Types of Boundaries and How to Set Them

Should Dancers Drink Daily Greens?

We’ve all seen the ads. You know, the one with the perky woman in a matching workout set talking about how drinking daily greens has changed their life. They’re skinnier, less bloated, and experiencing more energy than ever before!

It seems too good to be true, so you scroll past. But then you see a post from a more trusted source. A theatre TikTokker whom you knew before they got internet famous. You watch them swig down their greens lemonade and wonder, “maybe there is something to this?”

Well, like you, we were curious. So we’ve done a deep dive into what the whole truth is about whether or not dancers should drink daily greens.

How Did We Even Get Here?

According to the CDC only roughly 11% of adults are meeting the recommended daily intake for fruits and veggies. That’s a pretty abysmal number, especially when you consider that vegetables, though nutritionally dense, tend to be calorically low. You’d think we’d be powering vegetables!

Alas, many people struggle to enjoy their vegetables and thus spawned the market for daily greens supplements.

And, honestly, with the amount of vitamins and minerals found in leafy greens, veggies, and fruits, plus the fiber component of these foods make the benefits of drinking daily greens *seem* like a no brainer.

But, then again…is it?

The reality is, because the popularity of drinking daily greens is relatively new, there is very little clinical research about the benefits of daily greens powder supplements.

However, there is lots of research about fruits, veggies, fiber and their nutritional benefits.

Let’s Talk About Whole Fruits and Veggies For a Moment:

The Nutrients

We all know on some level that consuming fruits and vegetables has loads of benefits. From vitamins and minerals, to gut health and the pre/probiotic nature of certain fibrous foods the benefits are almost endless.

In fact, this study shows that not all fiber from fruits, veggies, and legumes are created equal! Yet they all provide important benefits to our health.

Have you ever been told that how you cook your vegetables affects the nutrients available to you? It’s true! Different vegetables cooked in different ways result in different levels of nutrients available to the body after consumption.

This study showed that all cooking methods of broccoli except steaming resulted in significant decrease nutrient levels! Does this mean you should only steam your veggies? NO! But it does lead us to the next question.

If simply cooking vegetables changes the amount of nutrients, just how much are we losing while processing these veggies into a powdered scoop of daily greens?

The Fiber

One of the biggest benefits to eating enough daily greens, and one that might tempt you to drink daily greens is the fiber! Fiber is hugely important to our health. Studies have shown that getting your daily fiber intake can help prevent cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and more.

Not to mention the fact that certain types of fiber are great for promoting gut health. This is because certain types of fiber like that found in beans and legumes are fermentable.

Why is this a good thing? Well, fermentable fibers require your gut bacteria to break them down, which promotes good gut health, through pre/pro-biotic benefits!

That said, let’s compare the fiber contents of some popular greens powders and common whole foods.

After all, if we are going spend the money to drink daily greens, shouldn’t we know if it’s actually making a dent in our daily fiber intake?

Here are a few popular greens juices and their fiber content:

One serving of AG1 (Athletic Greens) contains 2g fiber.

A serving of Live it Up Greens contains 0.3g fiber.

One serving of Kaged Greens contains 1g fiber.

Now, Transparent Labs Prebiotic Greens has the most with 6g of fiber.

And here are some fruits and veggies and their fiber content:

A one cup serving of broccoli contains 5g fiber.

A small orange contains 3g fiber.

One cup of black beans is a whopping 15g fiber

One cup of raspberries contains 8g fiber.

And don’t forget about whole grains!

One cup of whole wheat pasta is 6g fiber.

A serving of air-popped popcorn is 3g fiber.

One cup of quinoa has 5g fiber.

Recap?

Overall, whole foods have a higher fiber content.

What’s more is, some of these greens powders cost as much as $79 for 30 servings. That’s $2.63 per serving. That’s often more than an entire bag of frozen vegetables! (and yes, frozen vegetables are just as nutritiously dense as fresh ones!)

Okay, Okay. So TLDR, Should I Drink Daily Greens?

Here’s the thing, we are always going to recommend getting as much of your nutrition from whole foods. Not only do whole foods offer the most bang for your buck nutritiously, but they also offer you more dietary fiber.

However, if you drink daily greens and you like it, it’s not doing you any harm. In fact, drinking daily greens as a multivitamin, could be beneficial. However, if that’s why you’re drinking the greens, make sure the label tells you exactly what you’re getting.

At the end of the day, greens powders and multivitamins and even protein powders are supplements. They are designed to supplement your diet, not be your diet.

Bottom line?

If you find you’re missing the mark on fiber, your best bet is to add more fibrous foods into your daily diet.

If you’re finding gaps in certain micronutrients then maybe take a look at a few different greens supplements and select one that fits your supplemental needs.

At the end of the day, drinking daily greens won’t hurt you. But for the investment, I wouldn’t say they are a necessity the way protein or creatine supplements might be.

So, what do you think? Are you going to the store for some salad fixings? You going to add some black beans to that taco bowl? I hope so!

Whether you drink daily greens or not, there is so much value in increasing your fruit and vegetable intake!

And hey, if you’re wondering “How do I add all of this into my diet and still reach my health goals?”

Reach out to us.

Between Body Mechanics, The Embodied Artist, and an entire team of trainers committed to helping you learn how to fuel your body, I know we can get you the answer!

Did you find this blog helpful? Give these posts a read: The Pros and Cons of Creatine: Busting the Myths and Revealing the Facts, Leg Day: Perform At Your Own Risk, Training Tip Tuesday: The B-Stance Squat