Exercising outdoors boosts your brain. Here are the five-minute workouts to try

Telegraph

19-03-2025

There are two dominant beliefs that block many of us from taking up exercise: first, you have to flog yourself for at least an hour, second, you have to visit an intimidating room, full of even more intimidating muscles, and complicated equipment. But the latest research shows that it doesn't have to be this way. Even the briefest burst of exercise can reduce your chances of suffering cognitive decline and you can ditch the gym for exercising outdoors which might even be better for your brain.
A study carried out at Johns Hopkins University in the US found that as little as five minutes of activity reduces the risk of decline. The research found that all exercise is beneficial to cognitive health, but even the smallest burst is better than nothing and lessens your risk. Subjects who did the least exercise (between one and 39 minutes per week) had a risk reduction of about 41 per cent. Good news for all fitness phobes.
Getting outside for your exercise gives you more health bang for your buck. A Canadian study found there was greater improvement in cognitive ability, after outdoor exertion, than the equivalent exercise undertaken indoors.
'Both indoor and outdoor exercise increased brain function, but walking outside produced a bigger increase,' says Katherine Boere, from the Theoretical and Applied Neuroscience Lab at the University of Victoria, who worked on the study. The research examined the effect of 15 minutes of movement, but Boere speculates that even shorter bouts could have an effect. 'I know myself that going outside for five minutes on a break can have a huge effect on my ability to focus.'
Fitness expert Kate Oakley is hugely motivated by cognitive preservation and the effects of training outdoors. The former HR director gave up her corporate job to run her personal training business Your Future Fit.
'I worked with a client who did her workouts in her living room. I noticed she was mentioning the dirty carpet, or what her teenager had not put away, rather than being focused on the exercises. Initially sceptical about outdoor workouts, she reluctantly agreed to give it a go. That was three months ago and, unless it's torrential rain, nothing stops her from getting outside and she's lifting better.'
So if you're not currently exercising, no workout is too short to benefit you and there is absolutely no need to walk through the doors of a gym. Head to the park – and when it rains remind yourself of all the membership fees you are saving.
Your five-minute strength training workout
Best for: Reducing the chance of damaging falls and helping maintain stronger bones. 'Weightlifting works for both prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, bone density responds to this exercise, as well as treatment of hip fracture,' says Prof Maria Fiatarone Singh, a geriatrician at the University of Sydney.
1. Kneeling press-up
10-15 reps
Start in a high plank position, hands slightly wider than shoulders. Try not to let your hips dip as you press through the palms back to the start position.
2. Bent over row (with dumbbells)
10-12 reps
Stand with your feet just wider than hip width apart and take your torso over at a 45 degree angle, knees slightly bent. Extend your arms out straight in front of you, keeping a straight line from neck down the spine. With a rowing motion, pull the dumbbells toward your hips, whilst squeezing your shoulder blades together.
3. Goblet squat (with dumbbell)
10-12 reps
Hold the weight at the centre of the chest, slowly lower yourself down as if to hover over a chair seat, pressing through your heels. (check can you wiggle your toes). Back remains straight and chest facing forwards as you push back up to standing.
4. Reverse lunge (with dumbbells)
10 reps each side
The rear knee should be just a couple of inches above the ground at its lowest point and the front knee no further forward than mid shoelaces to avoid unnecessary pressure on that knee.
5. Romanian deadlift
10-12 reps
Stand with feet hip width apart. With the dumbbells resting horizontally across your thighs start to hinge forward from the hips, sending your bottom back as the weights start to descend down to mid shin.
Your five-minute cardio workout
Best for: Alleviating stress, helping to prevent high blood pressure and risk of heart attack or stroke. In a study of five different forms of exercise, isometric exercises – such as planks and squats – had the most pronounced effect on improving blood pressure.
Do each for 50 seconds with 10 second rest.
1. Squat with a kick
Keep your chest facing forwards throughout. Alternate leg kicks after each squat.
2. Plank jacks
Like jumping jacks but performed in a plank position. Activate your abs to maintain stability and align your spine
3. Reverse lunge to high hop
A combination of lunging and hopping – step back and drive up with one leg.
4. Knee drives
Drive knee towards the chest. Keep torso leaning slightly forwards. Do 20 seconds on each side.
5. Walkouts with shoulder taps
On all fours, hands and feet as close as you can manage, walk forward with your hands leaving feet where they are. Try to stop your hips from rotating whilst tapping your shoulders.
Your five-minute mobility workout
Best for: Beginners who want to start gently. Maintaining flexibility with stretches and twists are some of the best exercises to take up, especially as we age. As Telegraph fitness expert Matt Roberts says: 'If you feel stiff you are less inclined to move, which has knock-on effects on cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength: as muscles dwindle, so too does our balance and we become far more likely to fall.'
1. Child's pose side reach
Three each side, 30 seconds total
Walk both hands over one side whilst feeling a deep stretch down the opposite side of your body. Use the opposite hand to grip around the wrist as you stretch.
2. Low lunge to half split
Four/five each side, perform a one-minute inhale on the lunge
Knee directly over ankle, rear knee on ground. On exhale shift your hips back. The front leg remains straight as you reach your torso forwards.
3. Cat-cow
Five reps, 30 seconds total
Great for refining your posture after a day hunched over a desk - exhale deeply as you bring your abdomen in, arching your spine and bringing your head and pelvis down like a cat.
4. Banded shoulder dislocates
Six reps, 30 seconds total
Keeping arms straight lift the band (or rolled towel/sweatshirt) in an arc in front of your body and above your head, then rotate the band behind you.
5. 90/90 Hip Rotations
Five reps each side alternating, 30 seconds total
Try to touch your knees to the floor and keep torso straight.
6. Seated side bend with twist
Four each side for both movements, one minute total
Imagine creating space between each vertebrae as you stretch.
7. Thread the needle
Five reps one side then swap to the other side, 45 seconds total
On all-fours, push one arm through the other as if reaching for something on the floor on the other side of your body.