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5-Minute Workout (Fat Burning Cardio)

By: Lindsey Bomgren, CPT | October 22, 2025

This 5-minute workout is a no-equipment, no-repeat circuit designed to get your heart pumping, build foundational strength and boost your mood. Whether you’re short on time and need a quick sweat or a beginner looking for an accessible introduction to working out, this “movement snack” is a great place to start. 5 classic bodyweight exercises are included, with low-impact and high-impact options so you can scale the workout to fit your fitness level.

Jump To Workout

As a busy mom, business-owner and fitness coach, I live by the saying “10 minutes is better than 0 minutes” and I’ll be totally honest – some days, I don’t even have 10 minutes.

That’s where this quick 5-minute workout comes in. I like to call these quick sweat sessions “micro workouts” or “exercise snacks.” Just 5 minutes of movement can be extremely effective and make a big difference for your physical and mental health. In fact, research shows that just 2 minutes of movement after a meal can significantly help regulate blood sugar.

There are some limitations of 5-minute home workouts. Because you’re limited on time, quick workouts typically don’t include a warm-up or cool-down. Warm-ups and cool-downs are extremely important in keeping you mobile and flexible while reducing your risk of injury.

two women on black exercise mat performing an air squat as part of 5 minute workout

It’s also difficult to truly fatigue larger muscle groups so quickly, which makes it hard to build muscle in 5 minutes. A single 5-minute workout likely won’t maximize muscle hypertrophy, but frequent 5-minute strength “snacks” can add volume to your training plan, helping you build strength. That said, all movement is good movement, and 5-minute workouts can be very effective, especially if you’re a beginner or have a busy schedule.

These workouts are efficient and accessible – the best benefit is that you’re able to fit some movement into your day, even if you work a job that requires you to sit at a desk all day.

P.S. Looking for more quick workouts? Here are some more of my favorite 5-minute workouts:

Read A 5-Star Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This was great!!! I love the short time, and yet I feel good because I did something.”

— Cynthia G.

Workout Details

This 5-minute bodyweight workout stacks 5 heart-pumping exercises in a quick and sweaty no-repeats session. Modifications are provided for both beginners and advanced athletes to scale this core workout for all fitness levels.

I recommend adding quick cardio workouts like this one to your exercise routine 1-2 times a week to burn calories, burn fat and improve cardiovascular health. Alternatively, use this full-body workout daily as a quick movement break between meetings or nap time to get your steps in and boost your mood.

Workout Equipment:

No equipment, just your bodyweight.

Workout Instructions:

Follow along with the guided 5 Minute Workout on YouTube, led by me — your certified personal trainer, Lindsey Bomgren.

Your Workout Looks Like This:

5 Basic Bodyweight Exercises (with options to scale up or down the intensity based on your fitness level)
Timed Intervals (complete each exercise for 50 seconds of work, followed by 10 seconds of rest. Option to start with the low-impact option for the first 30 seconds and then advance to the high-impact option for the last 20 seconds.)
Perform Each Exercise x1 Set (No Repeat)

Note: I re-filmed this workout to improve the audio and video quality (and change up some of the exercises!). You can find the original workout video here. If you try both, I’d love to know your favorite!

1. Squats

Targets: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, hip flexors and core.

women in front of fire place performing bodyweight squats as part of 5 minute workout

How To Do a Squat

Start standing feet shoulder-width distance apart, knees slightly bent, core engaged.
Lower down into a squat position, lowering your hips down parallel with your knees. Drive your knees out toward your outer 3 toes.
Drive through your heels to stand tall, squeezing your glutes.

2. Push-Ups

Targets: Chest, biceps, triceps, shoulders and core.

two women performing push ups on black exercise mat as part of five minute workout

How To Do A Push-Up

Start in a high plank position, both hands on your dumbbells, shoulders stacked over wrists, core engaged.
Perform a push-up by lowering your chest to the ground, letting your elbows fall back towards your hips. Exhale, pushing back up to the starting position.

Modification: Hold a towel in both hands and pull it apart, generating tension across your chest. Press the towel out in line with your shoulders. You can also perform modified push-ups from your knees or at an incline. If push-ups hurt your wrists, try placing your hands on a set of dumbbells.

3. Lunges

Targets: Legs, hamstrings, quads, glutes, abs and core.

women performing reverse lunges in five minute workout video

How To Do A Reverse Lunge

Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
Step your left leg back into a reverse lunge, lowering your hips until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, front thigh parallel to the ground.
Drive through your front heel to stand tall, bringing your left leg back to center.
Repeat, alternating legs with each rep.

Modification: if lunges don’t feel good, sub one of these lunge and squat alternatives.

4. Standing Jabs or Punches

Targets: Shoulders, arms, back, biceps and core.

two women performing the cardio exercise standing punches

How To Do A Standing Jab

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and core engaged. Hold your fists up in a guard position in front of your face.
Extend your right arm straight out in front of you, like you are punching someone in the cheek.
Pull your right arm back to center and repeat with your left arm, alternating at a fast pace.

5. Lateral Lunges

Targets: Legs, quads, outer glutes (gluteus medius), inner thighs (adductors), hips and core,

How To Do A Lateral Lunge

Start standing, feet wider than hip-distance apart, slightly bent knees.
Step your right leg out to the side as you push your hips back, bending your right knee while leaving your left leg straight. Think of performing a single-leg squat with your right leg while your left leg remains straight.
Then, drive off your right foot to reverse the movement, pushing back to center.
Repeat, this time performing a lateral lunge on the left side.
Continue this pattern, alternating legs with each rep.

FAQs

What exercise burns the most calories in 5 minutes?

All-out effort of high-intensity exercises like sprinting, running stairs, jumping rope and burpees will burn the most calories in 5 minutes. If you enjoy running, adding sprints to your routine is an effective way to burn calories. Otherwise, try out jump rope or burpees!

What are the best ab exercises for beginners?

The dead bug exercise is the #1 core exercise for beginners and advanced athletes alike. I personally love it because it’s accessible, effective, functional and scalable. If you’re a beginner, start with your bodyweight and bent knees to reduce the range of motion, making the exercise easier. If you’re advanced, add a dumbbell and straighten your legs.

What is Zone 2 cardio?

Zone 2 cardio is a type of aerobic exercise that involves working at a moderate intensity (typically 60-70% of your maximum heart rate) for an extended period of time. Popular examples of workouts that may push your heart rate into Zone 2 are cardio workouts, cycling, swimming, rowing, rollerblading, a brisk walk or a light jog.

Do fat-burning workouts actually work?

After completing a HIIT workout, you continue to burn calories and fat for 24 hours after the workout. So fat-burning HIIT workouts are efficient for burning calories and losing weight. That said, a combination of consistent factors will ultimately contribute to fat loss. A well-rounded workout plan, eating in a calorie deficit, and increasing your resting metabolic rate are important, too.

What workout burns the most fat?

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT Workouts) burns the most fat per minute of working out and is proven to be more effective at reducing overall fat (and tough-to-target abdominal fat) than other forms of exercise (National Library of Medicine). You can perform High-Impact Workouts or Low-Impact Cardio Workouts. Eating in a calorie deficit and increasing your resting metabolic rate (the total number of calories burned when the body is at rest) can also contribute to fat loss.