Finding the motivation to get a solid workout on is tricky enough. Add the variable of a global pandemic to the mix — and an inability to sweat it out at your favorite gym — and it makes perfect sense that your desire to get physical might dwindle. Fret not. Sometimes all it takes is a quick, five-minute burst of activity to re-ignite the proverbial fire. We asked eight fitness gurus to share their own five-minute exercise regimens, so choose one (or maybe a few) to do between commercial breaks, when you wake up, or even consider a challenging a friend on FaceTime or Insta!

Image via @courtneyofitness

Start your day off right with this stretching series that helps gracefully wake up your body, courtesy of ACE-certified instructor, Ellen Barrett.

· Seated Side Twist: "From a seated upright position, reach the right arm up and over towards the left. Linger there for 30 seconds, feeling a nice stretch along the right side of your body. Release and reach the left arm up and over towards the right. Hold for another 30 seconds and release."

· Seated Side Twist (pictured): From the same position with legs extended in front of you, "bend your right knee and plant your right foot on the ground. Now place your left hand on the outside of your right knee and twist your spine toward the right." Hold for 30 seconds and release, then repeat on the other side.

· Cross-Legged Reverse Plank: "From a cross-legged seat, plant the palms of your hands behind you, shoulder width apart, with fingers pointing away from the body. Now engage the core and lift the hips up off the ground, forming a clean diagonal line from knees to the crown of the head. Hold for about 30 seconds and release." Repeat.

· Butterfly Stretch: "From a seated position, bring the soles of your feet together to form a diamond shape with your legs. Grab hold of your feet and gently pull your torso down towards the floor. Hold for 30 seconds and release." Repeat.

· Seated Forward Fold: "From the same seated position, extend both legs straight out in front of you. Mindfully 'tilt' forward, bringing your torso as close to your legs as possible without rounding the spine." Hold for 30 seconds and release, the repeat.

You can find more guidance on these moves on Ellen's Instagram.

Image courtesy of Ellen Barrett

"While your coffee is brewin' get movin'! This morning workout stimulates your whole body, providing you with a boost to your overall mood while prepping you for great posture throughout the day," says Courtney Olsen, an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer at Blink Fitness. Allocate one minute to each of the following moves:

· Alternating Reverse Lunges: "Place one hand on your kitchen countertop for balance, then place one foot back. Keep your chest upright as you bend both knees into a 45-degree angle. Push off the front leg and bring the back leg back to center. Continue to alternate between each leg."

· Elevated Push-up to Mountain Climber: "Place both hands on the counter shoulder width apart. Go up on your tippy toes and keep your body aligned in a diagonal, then lower your chest to the counter keeping elbows pinched to your sides. Once you push up, bring each knee up to the chest one at a time. Then go back into the pushups and repeat."

· Ground to Sky Touch: "Move one step away from the countertop with feet just wider than shoulder-width apart. Push your hips back slightly as you bend your knees and reach down to the ground with a straight arm. Once you touch the ground, extend your knees up and push your hips forward. Reach arms up to the ceiling and repeat."

· Standing Knee to Elbow: "Staying a step away from the countertop, place your hands behind your head and try to reach your opposite knee to your elbow. As you crunch down, raise your knee up to your chest and towards your elbow. Continue, alternating between sides."

· Sumo Squat to Calf Raise: "Facing your counter, place both hands onto the counter for balance. Bring your feet out wider than shoulder width apart and keep your heels in and your toes facing outward. Push your knees outward and bend them to a 45-degree angle. As you extend the knees back up, shift the weight onto your toes and lift your heels off the ground to perform the calf raise. Then place heels back onto the ground and repeat."

You can find more guidance on these moves on Courtney's Instagram.

Image courtesy of Courtney Olsen

"This series tones your abs and gets your heart rate up — no gym equipment necessary," says Chelsea Gobster, ACE-certified trainer and founder of Zenith Fitness Co. All you need is your couch, making this the perfect in-between commercials burst. She recommends allocating 45 seconds to each movement with a 15-second rest between each. Use this video for a visual example for all five moves.

· Couch Plank: Facing your couch, place your hands or forearms on the edge of your couch and step back to create a straight line with your body. "Pull your abs in and squeezing your glutes as you continue to breathe deeply," she says.

· Sofa Burpees: "From our plank position, jump or step your feet in towards the couch and reach your arms overhead. Next, bring your hands back to the couch and jump or step your feet back to your plank position." Repeat for 45 seconds.

· Couch Climbers: While in our plank position, drive your knees up to your chest one at a time as if you were running up a mountain.

· Flutter Kicks: "Take a seat on your couch and extend your legs out long in front of you. Leaning back, begin flutter-kicking your feet while keeping abs engaged."

· Plank Jacks: Take this couch workout home by reassuming your plank position. For 45 seconds, jump your feet wide and then back together, as if you were doing a jumping jack with only your legs.

You can find more guidance on these moves on Chelsea's Instagram.

Image courtesy of Chelsea Gobster

Andrew Hughes had plans to tackle a back-to-back climb of Mount Everest and Lhotse this spring, but COVID-19 nipped that idea. Though devastated, he's maintained focus and set his sights on reaching his fitness goal in the future. About his five-minute mountain inspired motivation burst he created for Total Beauty readers, he says, "Seeking a small daily fitness summit and elevating your heart rate doesn't need to take long or require a lot beyond you and your willingness to summit motivation mountain. Body weight exercises can be adapted easily to make them easier or harder and best of all can be done anywhere, from our basements to Everest Base Camp."

· Jog in place for 30 seconds. You can opt for a high knee jog if you want a real heart-pumping way to start off this five-minute burst.
· Speed Sit Ups for 30 seconds
· Speed Air Squats for 30 seconds. To do this move, jump up and, while midair, lift your knees up in a squat position.
· Drop into plank and complete 30 seconds of mountain climbers.
· Flip onto your back and complete 30 seconds of bicycles.
· Focusing on posture, complete one minute of split-squat lunges. You can use a chair for balance.
· Flip back over to your back and complete 30 seconds of flutter kicks.
· Wrap it up with a one-minute plank, adding a push up every 10 seconds.

You can find more guidance on these moves on Andrew's Instagram.

Image courtesy of Andrew Hughes