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There are some great activities in here, ranging from 5 minutes to an hour in length.

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Good website for information and resources

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Mental Health UK works across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to support people affected by mental health problems.

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Through Exercise, overcome fear, how to sleep better, helpful tips

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Looking after your mental health | Mental Health Foundation

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Get evidence-based advice on protecting and sustaining good mental health, overcoming fear and anxiety, sleeping better and looking after your mental health using exercise and minfulness.

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Your mental health | Mental Health Foundation

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Our 'your mental health' section includes practical advice for looking after your mental health, along with statistics, information about what mental health is, podcasts, videos and your stories.

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Perhaps you're facing an extended period at home, or would prefer to not sweat in other people's company for the time being. Either way, having an enjoyable, effective workout you can keep coming back to can be a real boon. This circuit session created by Matt Young, PT at London studio CIRQ, might just be that workout.

The workout is just 30 minutes long, including the time to warm up and down. It's made up of bodyweight exercises so it can be done anywhere - if you have an outdoor space at home, we say take advantage of the spring weather - and the style makes it effective for both burning fat and building muscle. Plus it's fun. We promise.

Warm-Up

Time 3min

"The warm-up should be at a low to moderate intensity with the aim of getting the blood flowing around your body and priming your muscles ahead of more vigorous exercises," says Young.

Check out our guide to warming up at the gym for a stretching routine that will get you ready for this workout.

The Workout

"This workout is great for improving your level of fitness and losing excess body fat," says Young. "It consists of full-body movements while working at around 80-90% of your maximal heart rate for a period of 30 seconds. This is followed by 15 seconds of rest and recovery, in which time you will get ready for the next exercise.

"Each of the six exercises is performed once during a given circuit. Between each circuit, take 90 seconds to rest and recover before you start the next one. You will complete four circuits in total.

"The goal with this type of training is to match the intensity and energy in all four circuits. A great way to gauge this is to take a mental note of the number of reps you achieve on any given exercise during your first circuit and use that as a marker for your next three circuits."

"Drop into a press-up position, bring one knee up towards your chest and, without your foot touching the ground, immediately take it back to the starting position," says Young. "As soon as you make it back to this position, power your other knee towards your chest and then back again. Alternate for 30 seconds. Try to avoid raising your hips. Imagine you have a glass of water balanced on your lower back - don't let it spill!"

"This exercise is a more intense version of a normal squat, because you are adding an explosive jump," says Young.

"Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Drop and sit into a squat position. The focus here should be on your hips moving backwards, while ensuring you do not bend your torso forwards. Try to keep both your back and shin bones vertical throughout the movement. From your squat, swing your arms and thrust yourself up into the air, landing softly."

"Lie flat on your back and raise your heels about 20cm off the ground," says Young. "Cradle the back of your head with your hands and curl the top of your spine up a few centimetres off the floor. Turn your right elbow towards your left knee, while simultaneously looking to bring your left knee towards your right elbow. Trying to get the two body parts to meet in the middle, then take your knee and elbow back to the start position, and immediately perform the same movement with your left elbow and right knee. You should aim for a fluid motion and ensure your feet, neck and head do not touch the ground throughout."

"Stand and bring your hands together in front of your chest, with the fist of one hand meeting the palm of the other," says Young. "Take your right leg and step back a comfortable stride's length, then lower your right knee- it should not touch the ground, but try to get as close to it as possible. Come back up to standing and repeat the movement on the opposite leg.

"Ensure that your front knee is not coming further forwards than your toes. If it is, your stride backwards needs to be a little longer. If you are performing the move correctly, your thigh muscles should burn and each hip flexor should feel like it's gently pulling."

"Start in a press-up position," says Young. "Your chest, stomach and legs should be hovering above the ground. If you find it difficult to hold yourself in this position, bring your knees to the ground, and raise your feet in the air behind you to ensure you are still in a four-point holding position.

"From here, bend your elbows and slowly lower, ensuring your chest and stomach do not touch the ground. When you are within a couple of centimetres of the ground, or at a point where you can feel the muscles in your chest and by your armpits pulling, push yourself back up."

"Stand with your arms by your sides. Jump and simultaneously take both hands out so they are in line with your shoulders and spring your legs wide so they are more than shoulder-width apart," says Young. "As soon as you land, jump back to your starting position."

Warm-Down

Time 3min

"A warm-down is important because it is a gradual and controlled way of lowering your heart rate and stretching the muscles that you have been working," says Young. "You should look to stretch the muscles you have worked the most, so you're not feeling as sore the next day. Trust me, DOMS - delayed onset muscle soreness - isn't nice!"

Give this stretching routine a whirl to warm down after this workout and reduce your risk of suffering DOMS.
As well as being a PT at CIRQ, Young runs coaching service Made In The Mind.

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A 30-Minute No-Kit Home Workout For People Swerving The Gym

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Perhaps you're facing an extended period at home, or would prefer to not sweat in other people's company for the time being. Either way, having an enjoyable, effective workout you can keep coming back to can be a real boon. This circuit session created by Matt Young, PT at London studio CIRQ, might just be that workout.

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Cultura Exclusive/Ian Spanier

Instagram is a primo place to find drool-worthy food photos, adorable videos of dogs wearing winter coats, and pics on pics on pics of your celeb crush doing their thing. It's also a total jackpot of fitness advice, workout motivation, healthy living tips, plus all kinds of workouts (from HIIT, to cardio, to strength training, and everything in between).

In fact, there are so many awesome trainers, athletes, fitness models, and instructors on Instagram dishing out badass content. Each offers their own unique fitness flavor-whether they're hardcore weight-lifters or zen yogis-and are dedicated to delivering useful content for their followers. So if you're ready to upgrade your social media with an extra boost of inspiration, the only question that remains is which fitness Instagrams are worth hitting "follow."

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The iconic founder of BBG is definitely worth a follow. Kayla just launched new programs on her Sweat App: BBG Beginner and Post-Pregnancy, designed to help new mamas get back into their fitness routine. She demos samples of these workouts on her feed, in addition to classic BBG routines. Kayla also regularly shares before/after photos of fans who have followed her BBG programming, with impressive results to show for it.

(Check out this full pregnancy workout from Kayla.)

Add a little dose of sunshine to your feed with Emily Fayette's "The Healthy Hustle" page. While she doesn't post a ton of strict workout content, Emily offers ample fitness motivation and a peek into her life as a competitive runner and trainer at Flywheel and NeoU Fitness.

(Try Emily's lower abs workout for Women's Health.)

If you're looking for workouts you can do anywhere, quick moves to squeeze in at any time, or mobility exercises to help you recover, this trainer and SoulCycle instructor has your back (and butt and arms and abs!).

(Catch Charlee in our 30-Day Fitness Challenge videos.)

Learn to move better-and avoid injuries-by following this physical therapy Instagram. You'll see strength moves for runners, foam rolling techniques, muscle activation drills, and so much more. Two physical therapists and trainers who work there deserve a follow, too: @cameron_yuen and @dangiordanodpt.

Whether it's a sandbag circuit or a cardio conditioning, Hannah offers tons of mini workouts. She'll also pose questions to her followers (about their fave workouts, their biggest struggle with fitness, etc), then provides tons of helpful insight and healthy lifestyle tips in return. "Focus on the process rather than on your end goal. You'll be happier and more present each day," she wrote in one post.

(Check out her awesome advice on how to build muscle.)

I challenge you to go to Jess' IG, view her posts, and not feel inspired to run a few miles. Girl knows how to crush races and promote her clients' progress-and you'll immediately want to follow her footsteps.

This strong woman's moves are INSANE! She shows off tons of awesome workouts that mix up equipment (think bodyweight, barbells, resistance bands, chairs, even toilet paper!) and makes each exercise lookeasy with a smile on her face.

Consider Kirsty your go-to HIIT trainer (she's a Nike Master Trainer). She'll show you some crazy intense combos to try at home, whether they involve your bodyweight or cardio equipment like the rower, ski erg, bike-or all three.

Owner and CEO of the workout brand, Body by Simone, this new mama has been posting lots of mom-friendly workouts lately. Even if you're don't have a kiddo, though, you'll find her effective moves and positive energy captivating enough to follow along.

(Check out Simone's 20-minute bodyweight workout.)

Emily Skye is a badass Aussie trainer who isn't afraid to get real with her followers on Instagram. Skye created the FIT Program, and personally followed it to get stronger post-pregnancy. She's been super honest about her ups and downs during her fitness journey-and those down-to-earth posts, plus her fit tips, are totally worth a follow.

(Check out Emily Skye's fave core moves.)

Trainer, fitness model, and workout instructor Bree Branker has one of the cutest fitness Instagram accounts around. She shares fun energetic posts about her life as a trainer in the city-including snaps of her fitness community and videos of workouts you can do at home.

Not to mention, her adorable pup makes frequent appearances, as does hubby @cjkoegel who's also worth a follow. (In fact, Women's Health and Men's Health named them the top power couple of 2018.)

Mallory Creveling Freelance Writer Mallory Creveling, ACE-CPT, has more than 10 years of experience covering fitness, health, and nutrition.

Kristine Thomason Fitness & Wellness Editor Kristine Thomason is the fitness & wellness editor at Women's Health, where she edits, writes, and helps oversee the food and fitness sections of the website and magazine.

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Follow These Instagram Accounts for Serious Fitness Motivation

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Cultura Exclusive/Ian Spanier Instagram is a primo place to find drool-worthy food photos, adorable videos of dogs wearing winter coats, and pics on pics on pics of your celeb crush doing their thing. It's also a total jackpot of fitness advice, workout motivation, healthy living tips, plus all kinds of workouts (from HIIT, to cardio, to strength training, and everything in between).

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This may seem like an obvious point but, exercise can be exhausting. Who really wants to spend hours stuck at the squat rack or suffering through endless reps on the weights bench. Thankfully, carving a great physique doesn't take a bench, it doesn't take a dumbbell, and, hell, it doesn't even take a gym; all it takes is you, because bodyweight exercises are all you need to build a lean and mean machine.

But bodyweight exercises and workouts aren't just time savers; they're also extremely effective. A study published in the American College of Sports Medicine's Health and Fitness Journal found that bodyweight workouts are an efficient way to decrease body fat, improve VO2 max and boost muscular fitness. "As the hectic pace of today's corporate world continues to infringe on the amount of time individuals have for exercise, these types of programmes can offer a good option to help busy individuals improve their health and recover from stress via exercise," the study's authors claim.

Knowing that, we expect you'll want to find out which moves are best, right? Well, we've collected the best bodyweight exercises and put them into a simple, little workout, so you can carve a perfect body whenever, wherever.

The Benefits of Bodyweight Exercises

To find out why you should put down the dumbbells and give bodyweight training a go, we spoke with Bobby Windebank, personal trainer at Sweat It, who explained why training your body using just your body is so great.

1. Bodyweight Exercises are Accessible

" Bodyweight training can be modified for whatever fitness level you are," says Windebank. "Whether you're starting at zero and trying to do one press-up or you're a seasoned athlete, bodyweight exercises can be incredibly challenging and beneficial. Progressing the exercises is also very straightforward, so you can keep challenging yourself and building strength."

2. Bodyweight Exercises Will Increase Your Mobility and Stability

"We were born to move, and mobility and stability are an essential part of the way we move and life in general," Windebank explains. "Weightlifting can have many positive effects on your body, but it can also limit your mobility. The movements involved in bodyweight training can help to increase that mobility and challenge the bodies 'stabilisers' by using complete movements. This can in turn, lead to strength gains in the gym."

3. Bodyweight Exercises are Brilliant for Developing Technique and Injury Prevention

" Bodyweight training is a great way to really hone your technique and form," says Windebank. "Weightlifting can take a serious toll on your body and in particular, your joints. With bodyweight training, the stress on your joints is lower, so you're less likely to pick up an injury that could hamper your long term training."

4. Bodyweight Exercises Can Be Quick and Easy

"These days, everybody is time poor, so finding quick, effective workouts is essential," Windebank expains. "Fortunately, bodyweight training doesn't require a dedicated gym and uses minimal equipment, so you can fit in a workout whenever you have some spare time, wherever you are. Bodyweight training also allows you to combine cardio and strength training, meaning you can smash that workout in the most efficient way."

Can You Build Muscle with Bodyweight Exercises?

Those benefits are all well and good, but if you can't build real, tangible, bursting-through-your-t-shirt muscle then what's the point? Well, you'll be pleased to know, bodyweight exercises are just as good as throwing around weights when it comes to muscle hypertrophy (or getting stacked to you and me).

Research published in Physiology & Behavior showed that muscle growth "can occur independent of an external load," and, in fact, all it takes to get swole is performing exercises through their full range of motion. A bodyweight squat, performed with immaculate technique, can be just as effective as traditional weight training methods, and, when it comes to building muscle, there's really no need to keep adding more and more weight to your barbell.

10 of the Best Bodyweight Exercises for Building Muscle

So you know that you can build muscle with bodyweight exercises, but which exercises should you make staples of your workout? We've collected the 10 best bodyweight exercises, each of which are capable of giving you a full-body workout that guys throwing tin around in a gym somewhere can only dream of.

1. Press-ups

How to do the exercise

Set up with your weight supported on your toes and hands beneath your shoulders, body straight.

Take care to keep your core locked so a straight line forms between your head, glutes and heels.

Lower your body until your chest is an inch from the ground then explosively drive up by fully extending your arms.

Why

Pressed for time? Perform 20 reps of this classic blubber-burner. "This age-old exercise activates every muscle in your body when performed correctly," says Frost. And how do you get it right? "Just ensure your hands are an equal distance apart and directly underneath your shoulders. Squeeze your glutes and abs too. That'll create body tension to maximise efficiency during the execution of the exercise."

2. Step-up with Knee Raises

Place a bench or a box in front of you and step onto it with one foot.

As you plant your foot, drive with your other foot bringing your knee up as high as you can. Lower it back down and step back onto the floor.

Repeat on the other side.

Why

Whether you've noticed a slight muscle imbalance in your pins or you're simply trying to carve some serious lower-body strength, stop fretting: this is the move for you.

"Unilateral (single leg) training can help strengthen stabilising muscles and can be used to even out imbalances," says Frost. Your left side weaker than your right? Give it a leg up by dedicating an extra 15 reps to your frailer pin.

3. Groiners

Start the exercise in a press-up position.

Jump forward so both legs land next to your hands.

Return to starting position.

Why

Horrible name, brilliant warm-up exercise. Opening up your hips and thoracic region massively increases your body's range of movement (the distance the muscle extends and contracts during an exercise), according to Frost. So what? Well, perform these exercises through a larger ROM and you'll garner significant extra muscle growth from your workout, according to The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

But that's not all. This dynamic stretch also pumps blood to almost all the muscles in your lower-body, drastically decreasing your risk of injury from overstrain while upping your heart rate for the next muscle-building moves.

4. Spider Crawl

How to do the exercise

From a press-up position, raise one foot off the floor and bring your knee up towards your elbow.

Pause then return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

Make sure to crunch your core at the top of the rep to bring your knee even closer to your elbow and get more out of your abs.

Why

Want to sculpt a superhero physique? This primitive movement crushes your core while also targeting your legs, arms, chest and shoulders (yup, all at once).

5. Standing Long Jump

How to do the exercise

Lower yourself into a squat position with your feet shoulder-width apart.

Swing your arms back and use them to propel yourself forward.

Bring your legs forward for additional momentum.

Jump as far as you can and land on the soles of your feet.

Why

Want more mass combined with true explosive strength? Deploy the standing long jump, says Frost. The reason: this move targets your body's all-important fast-twitch muscle fibres.

Unlike small slow-twitch fibres (the ones geared towards endurance) your fast-twitch muscle fibres are used in fast power-packed movements, meaning they're much bigger. Cast your bullseye on them if you're looking to upgrade the power in your pins. Or simply want them looking bigger in time for shorts weather.

6. Burpees

How to do the exercise

Start with your feet shoulder-width apart and squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.

From the bottom of the squat, place your hands on the floor and kick your legs out behind you into a press-up position.

Push up until your arms are straight and then tuck in your legs at the bottom of the squat position.

Drive upwards through your heels until you are six inches off the floor and then repeat.

Why

By activating muscles almost everywhere on your body, the burpee will give you a massive calorie burn due to the enormous effort required.

Not sure when to try this bodyweight goliath? "Try throwing them in between strength sets or part of a basic bodyweight circuit," suggests Frost. Just know that wherever you fit them in, they're still not going to get any easier.

7. Handstand Wall Walk

Position yourself in a handstand position with your feet planted against a wall.

Move your hands forward and walk down the wall until you reach the bottom.

Why

Can you perform 40 press-ups without breaking? Then you're ready for this advanced muscle-builder, says Frost: "The handstand walk will challenge your entire posterior and anterior chain [your back muscles]. For me, that's why they're one of the best bodyweight moves on the planet."

But there's one question you should ask before attempting this Insta-friendly exercise: what's the best way to do it without landing on your head? Answer: "Squeeze your abs and glutes so you are maintaining a straight line during the handstand," says Frost.

8. Wide-grip Pull-ups

Grab the bar with your palms facing away from you and your arms fully extended.

Your hands should be as wide as you can comfortably get them.

Squeeze your shoulder blades together, exhale and drive your elbows towards your hips to bring your chin above the bar.

Lower under control back to the start position.

Why

Sure, normal pull-ups are great back-builders. So why not bring your shoulders into the equation too? Wide-grip pulls-ups are the perfect lat attacker, ramping up the effort needed for every rep compared to your normal pull-up.

And there's a simple secret to getting the most from this move: form. Keep tension in your glutes throughout the move to keep your body straight and muscles injury-free, says Frost. Easy squeezy.

9. Frozen V-sit

Lie down on your back with your arms and legs outstretched and your hands and feet lifted just above the floor.

Begin the exercise by simultaneously raising your torso and legs up to touch your feet.

Hold for five to 10 seconds.

Why

Searching for your six-pack? Take your time, says Frost: "Abdominal exercises should not be rushed; you need to perform them with control to maximise the strength benefits." And if you want to activate more of your core's muscle under even more tension then you should trade in crunches for V-sits.

Make sure your shoulder blades don't roll forwards. This will keep your back straight and help you get the most out of the exercise, advises Frost.

10. Single Leg Glute Bridge

Lie on your back with one leg raised in the air.

Thrust forward and raise your hips off the ground as high as you can.

Slowly lower yourself to the floor.

Clench your glutes at the top of the rep to activate more muscle fibres and see greater growth.

Why

As well as shredding your legs, the single leg glute bridges will challenge your entire posterior chain (your backside muscles). And why should a butt-building muscle move make its way into your next workout? "Building strength on your behind improves your posture, relieving any prolonged back pain," says Frost. Lesson learnt: if you're feeling sore after your 9-5 then beat away back pain with 10 reps of this move.

And if you're aiming for a larger lower-body then make sure to perform this exercise with complete control, squeezing your working glute at the top of each repetition as hard as possible. "Once you've managed that you can challenge yourself further by placing a barbell across your hips," advises Frost.

The Full-body Bodyweight Workout

So now you know the best bodyweight exercises, but what good are exercises without a workout to get the most out of them? We've created two bodyweight workouts for you to choose from, the first of which is designed to work your whole body.

Our full-body circuit has been formulated to build strength, while the short rest times mean you're also burning extra calories. Do all the moves in order, three times a week, with a day off between each go. You'll be a leaner, stronger and richer man for it.

Pistol Squat

Sets: 3

Reps: 14

Rest: 30 secs

How to: Stand with your feet in a narrow stance and lift one leg off the floor. Bend your standing knee to squat down as low as you can while keeping your back straight. Push back up to the start position through your heel, then switch legs and repeat. That's one rep.

Burpee

Sets: 3

Reps: 20

Rest: 30 secs

How to: From a standing position squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor and place your palms on the floor. From there kick your feet back as far as you can while keeping your arms extended. As soon as your feet land jump them back in towards your hands, then jump up into the air. Land and immediately squat down to go into the next rep.

Handstand Wall Walk

Sets: 3

Reps: 10m high

Rest: 30 secs

How to: Position yourself in a handstand position with your feet planted against a wall. Move your hands forward and walk down the wall until you reach the bottom.

Spaceman Jump

Sets: 3

Reps: 30 secs

Rest: 30 secs

How to: With your feet shoulder width apart, sink down then push up explosively off your right foot to launch your body to the left, landing on your left foot. Sink as you land and immediately push off in the opposite direction. That's one rep.

Standing Long Jump

Sets: 3

Reps: 8

Rest: 30 secs

How to: Lower yourself into a squat position with your feet shoulder-width apart. Swing your arms back and use them to propel yourself forward, then bring your legs forward for additional momentum. Jump as far as you can and land on the soles of your feet.

Side Planks

Sets: 3

Reps: 4

Rest: 30 secs

How to: Lie on your left side with your knees straight and prop your upper body up to take its weight on your forearm. Brace your core and raise your hips until your body forms a straight line. Hold this position while breathing deeply. Then roll over and repeat on the other side.

Bench Dips

Sets: 3

Reps: 12

Rest: 60 secs

How to: Stand facing away from a bench, grab it with both hands at shoulder-width. Extend your legs out in front of you. Slowly lower your body by flexing at the elbows until your arm at forearm create a 90 degree angle. Using your triceps lift yourself back to the starting position.

The Bodyweight Six-pack Builder

Our second bodyweight workout is designed to specifically target your abs. It's only 3-moves long, but what it lacks in length it more than makes up for in effectiveness. Consider this your ultimate bodyweight abs finisher.

Reverse Crunch

Complete all four exercises and then take 2mins rest.

Repeat the circuit five times.

Sets: 5

Reps: 60 secs

Rest: 0 secs

How to: Lie on your back with your arms on the floor at your sides, palms facing down. Bend your knees and bring them towards your chest by contracting your abs. As they rise, roll your pelvis to lift your hips off the floor. Squeeze at the top then slowly lower until your thighs are perpendicular to the floor.

Sit-up

Sets: 5

Reps: 60 secs

Rest: 0 secs

How to: Lie down on the floor with your knees bent and, if possible, hook your feet under something that will prevent them from moving. Place your hands behind your head and tense your core as you lift your torso up so your upper body forms a V shape with your thighs. Lower under control back to the start position.

Mountain Climber

Sets: 5

Reps: 60 secs

Rest: 120 secs

How to: Set up on the floor as though in a sprinter's blocks, with one foot positioned beneath your waist and one back, with your leg straight. Explosively swap foot positions. Repeat for the prescribed reps.
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Build Serious Muscle with These Bodyweight Exercises and Workouts That Can Be Done Anywhere

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This may seem like an obvious point but, exercise can be exhausting. Who really wants to spend hours stuck at the squat rack or suffering through endless reps on the weights bench.

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All the latest news about Uplifting stories from the BBC

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700,000 people sign up to the NHS coronavirus volunteer army Some 170,000 people signed up overnight on Tuesday, and by Friday evening, more than 700,000 people had answered the call for volunteers to ... Health Society UK

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700,000 people sign up to the NHS coronavirus volunteer army Some 170,000 people signed up overnight on Tuesday, and by Friday evening, more than 700,000 people had answered the call for volunteers to ... Health Society UK

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Is the way I am thinking and behaving helping you?

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Ask yourself to find 3 good things that has happened to you each day

Tune in to what is good in your world

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Benefit finding, trying to find things to be grateful for

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Choosing where you select your attention

- Things that you can change
- Accepting what you can not change

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Understand that things will go wrong