This two-minute morning activity will boost your energy and focus all day

While a cup of coffee can start your day off right, there’s an easy two-minute activity that will kick-start your metabolism and give you more energy throughout the day. Uber investor Sahil Bloom developed the 5-5-5-30 morning exercise routine that takes just two minutes and is scientifically proven to improve your focus, concentration, and as your learning and memory functions for the next two hours. You can do this while your coffee is brewing! And experts say even two minutes of vigorous activity a day can also improve your health.

According to Inc.com, Bloom’s full two-minute workout doesn’t put significant stress on any part of the body. Here is the breakdown:

• 5 pumps

• 5 squats

• 5 slots

• and hold a plank for 30 seconds

These five exercises can improve mental health and cognitive function, according to a meta-analysis published in Transitional Sports Medicine, which found that just two minutes of exertion gives two hours of focus and productivity.

In order to reap the rewards of this two-minute program, make it a daily habit, experts say. Building new habits can improve your fitness in 2023, and Bloom’s 5-5-5-30 plan is just one suggestion. You can customize the plan to include jumping jacks, running up and down stairs, or doing kettlebell swings for two minutes. Just choose exercises that involve the whole body.

Be sure to do your two minutes first thing in the morning. One way to ensure success is to stack your habits, says Inc.com. For example, if you brush your teeth when you get up, brush your teeth AFTER you exercise. If you’re the type of person who can’t stand the thought of doing anything before you’ve had that first cup of coffee, this is the perfect habit to pair with a two-minute workout. Make it a rule that you will always do the 5-5-5-30 workout before taking the first sip.

You’ll get a double dose of energy from your workout and a cup of java to start your day. Not only will you feel better, but you’ll reduce your risk of developing several long-term conditions, such as cancer and heart disease, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal.

Two-minute bursts of vigorous physical activity – totaling 15 minutes per week – are associated with a reduced risk of premature death. The researchers defined vigorous activity as an increase in heart rate where people will often need to pause to breathe when talking, according to Medical News Today. Examples of vigorous physical activity include sprints, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), swimming, or high-speed cycling.

For the study, 71,893 men and women with no signs of cardiovascular disease or cancer were selected from the UK Biobank study, a prospective cohort of people aged 40 to 69. Participants who did no physical activity had a 4% risk of dying in five years. This risk was halved with less than 10 minutes of daily vigorous physical activity and was halved at a 1% risk if people did 60 minutes or more a day, according to Medical News Today.

“This can be especially important for people who don’t have the time or don’t want to go to a gym or do ‘traditional exercises,'” said lead author Matthew Ahmadi, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Sydney in Australia. “We found that 15 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week can reduce all-cause mortality and cancer risk by 15%, and 20 minutes per week can reduce the risk of heart disease by 40%, with additional benefits for health up to about 50-60 minutes per week.