Feeling like you need to get off the couch and get moving after coming out of your chocolate bunny food coma? You can’t hit the gym or head to spin class, but you could give an old school at-home workout a try. The 5BX program is just five basic exercises you can do with no equipment and it only takes 11 minutes to do. It was developed by the Royal Canadian Air Force way back in the 1950s and is credited with starting the fitness boom after it sold 25-million copies.
The five moves in 5BX boost flexibility, strength and aerobic fitness. They start off super easy and get progressively harder, level by level.
- Stretching- Start by touching your toes, then advance to add extra touches to your left and right.
- Sit-ups- They start off with just raising your head and shoulders off the floor then move into a full-blown sit-up.
- Back extension- Lay on your front and raise your head and legs off the floor.
- Push-ups- Start with push-ups from the knees and then move into full push-ups and then add a forehead touch to the floor for a bigger challenge.
- Running in place- This is the high intensity part. Start with 100 steps in six minutes, then at every 75 steps, add another exercise, like knee bends or scissor jumps.
The 5BX program was initially developed for men and was joined by the XBX program for women, which modifies the original exercises and adds five more. The program is supposed to be suitable for all fitness levels and there are six charts to follow to guide you through as you progress. It may seem a little old-fashioned, but if you want to try it you can find the charts to do it atfit450.com.
Source:The Sydney Morning Herald