Nov 24, 2025
Move more by challenging yourself to add a new mini workout to your exercise routine. Focus on cardio, strength training, flexibility, or balance.
It’s tempting to settle into a lifestyle that includes lots of time sitting. You sit at work, you sit when you eat, you sit when you relax, you sit when you watch videos. Even if you fit activity into your life and enjoy your workouts, you may still benefit from sitting less and moving more. But how exactly can you challenge yourself to do so?
One way to move more is by challenging yourself with a short session of one kind of exercise. And when you do this, branch out by putting a spin on your usual ways to exercise. Choose to focus on one of these areas for a new mini workout:
- Aerobic exercise (cardio)
- Strength training
- Flexibility
- Balance
Adding a mini workout to your week is more doable than finding time for another full-length workout. And it will help you move more and sit less. Then, next week, you can choose a different one of these areas of exercise and do a new mini workout.
After you have tried a mini workout for each of these 4 kinds of movement, you may be inspired to take the same approach next month. Or you may be so enthused that you will keep doing more than one of these bonus workouts.
To get you started, here are suggestions for each type of mini workout.
Cardio workouts
Cardio exercises can help to increase your lung capacity, boost your heart health, and build your physical endurance. Cardio workouts also:
- Help maintain a healthy weight
- Help control blood pressure
- Improve cognitive ability and memory
- Lessen joint pain and stiffness
- Help ward off depression and boost your mood
Try this: The 5-2-4 walking workout. Here’s a cardio workout for a trending way to boost your heart health. Walk at a high intensity for 5 minutes. Slow down and walk for 2 more minutes. Repeat this cycle 4 times. In less than half an hour, you will finish this mini-workout and feel great!
Strength training
Strength training is good for both how you look and how you feel. It builds muscles and helps boost metabolism. Strength training can:
- Help you maintain a healthy weight by burning calories and reducing body fat, especially around your core
- Help you carry out everyday tasks such as carrying groceries, picking up your kids or grandkids, or climbing stairs
- Help control blood sugar levels
- Help keep bone mass strong
- Lower fall risk
- Boost your mood
- Foster good balance
Try this: Walking planks. A basic plank, where you lie on your stomach on the floor and then raise up on your toes and elbows, can be boring. You hold still. You are strength training but not moving.
Try the walking plank to add movement to this basic position. In a plank position, move one arm forward off the floor while you lift your leg and foot on the opposite side. Repeat the movement with your other arm and foot. This mimics “walking.” Adding this dimension to a plank may just spark your interest and motivate you to boost your strength this way.
Flexibility exercises
Flexibility helps you stay limber. It works on your range of movement. Flexibility exercises lengthen and stretch muscles. Good flexibility helps with sports as well as with daily activities such as reaching, looking behind while driving, and bending down to tie your shoes. Being flexible also helps ease muscle tension.
Try this: Standing hip flexor stretch. This is a great, simple stretch for the psoas muscle in the front of your hip, which can become tight due to lots of sitting.
Stand with a split stance, meaning one foot is forward and one is back. Drop the back knee and your hips an inch close to the floor. Tuck your pelvis slightly forward. Keep your back straight—no arching or rounding. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.
Balance exercises
Balance is what keeps you from falling. Injuries from falls can be serious and disabling. Hitting your head or breaking a hip can have lifelong consequences.
You can work on balance in many ways. Yoga, tai chi, and Pilates all boost balance. Strength training exercises that work on your core also help with balance.
Many balance exercises call for you to stand still and balance on one leg while closing your eyes. These are great for balance, but you can move beyond these to practical balance exercises that incorporate movement. These help with everyday life. Consider adding simple balance exercises that use motion to your routine.
Try this: Single-leg “flextension.” Here’s a sample of a balance exercise that includes motion: Stand on your left leg. Sweep your right leg behind you, keeping it straight. Return to your starting position and keep on swinging your right leg up. Bend your right knee as your leg moves in front of you.
This motion first flexes your left hip, then extends the hip. Repeat on the opposite side.
This combination of flexion and extension gives you a new way to move: “Flextension.”
Which of these easy mini-workouts will you try first? Remember that even short sessions of physical activity benefit your health. You may notice right away that you feel better and sleep better. And you are lowering your risk of health issues in the long run. Have fun, try something new, and be your healthy best!
Thanks for reading this article!
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References
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Ross, J. (2017, August 15). 5 exercises to train balance in motion. ACE Fitness. https://www.acefitness.org/resources/pros/expert-articles/6524/5-exercises-to-train-balance-in-motion/
Ross, J. (2017, December 12). Restoring sanity to planks. ACE Fitness. https://www.acefitness.org/resources/everyone/blog/6880/restoring-sanity-to-planks/
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This article was written by Sharon Odegaard, edited by Stephanie Ruiz, and clinically reviewed by Jaynie Bjornaraa, PhD, MPH, PT, LAT, ATC, CSCS, CSPS, on September 6, 2025.
