Quick steps to fitness

Here Tara Riley - pilates, barre and strength trainer - shares five short-burst exercises that can be easily woven into even the busiest schedules.

- BY CAMILLA FOSTER

1. SQUATS

“Squats are fantastic, especially if you've done lots of sitting during the day. They are a really great way to reactivate those glutes and use those legs,” says Tara.

“For a standard squat, just put your legs about hip-width apart and send your bottom backwards and shift your weight into your heels.

“You could even do some squats hovering over a chair as that can help give you a good sense of where your body should be.

“If you want to make them harder, you could also do little pulses to really fire up your legs so your glutes feel really warm by the end of it.”

2. PLANKS

“I would also recommend some sort of variation of a plank,” advises Tara. “A plank is a really good way to build strength and stability as you are stabilising through your shoulders, your hips and through your core.”

However, she recognises that holding planks for a long period of time can be challenging, so has suggested some options for beginners looking to work their way up to it.