IG Star Helen Owen Shares the Best 6-Minute Toning Workout

Optional Warm-Up: 60 seconds

Helen's tip: "These first four moves are meant to slowly ease you into the workout by allowing your body to adjust to some more gentle movements, gradually increasing in intensity. The first two movements incorporate stretching, which is important before and after working out. Then we start warming up and raising our heart rate with skaters and side lunges."

Walk-Outs with Shoulder Taps

• Stand tall with your legs straight, hip-width apart.
• Hinge forward from the hips and place your palms flat on the floor.
• Keep your legs straight as you walk your hands under your shoulders. Don’t let your hips sag.
• Tap each shoulder with the opposite hand.
• Take small steps and walk your hands back to your feet.
• Return to the standing position and repeat for 15 seconds.

The World’s Greatest Stretch

• Stand on your mat and lunge forward with your right leg, bending it 90 degrees, so your foot is under your right shoulder.
• Simultaneously place your left hand on the mat under your left shoulder. Raise your right hand toward the ceiling, twisting your torso. Maintain a straight spine and look toward the ceiling over your right shoulder.
• Return your right foot behind you, come to standing, and bring your left foot forward. Continue alternating for 15 seconds.

Skaters

• Keep your core tight and back flat as you bend slightly forward.
• Perform a small jump to the right. As you do, bring your left leg behind you across your right leg. At the same time, bring your left arm in front of you.
• Next, jump to the left, bringing your right leg behind you and your right arm in front of you.
• Repeat the movement, alternating back and forth for 15 seconds.

Side Lunge Left and Right

• Stand tall and brace your core with feet shoulder-width apart. Bring your hands together in front of your chest for balance.
• Step your feet out wide. Bend the left knee and pause once the upper left thigh is parallel to the ground. Your right leg should be completely straight.
• Contract the hamstring muscle, then push off the ground to return to the starting position. Repeat on the right side. Alternate this movement for 15 seconds.

Glutes: 3 minutes

Lateral Squat Walk with Jump Squat

"Kick into gear with this squat walk to squat jump! You’ll fire up your glutes and quads and raise your heart rate with the jumps."

• Stand with your feet in a wide stance, with your toes slightly pointed outward—like a sumo wrestler. Hold your hands together in front of your chest.
• Keeping your back straight, lower your body toward the ground by bending your knees.
• Bring your left leg in one step so that it lands next to your right leg. Take another step and jump up.
• Repeat in the other direction.
• Repeat the complete movement in reverse to complete one rep.
• Continue for 30 seconds.

Reverse Lunge Left and Right 

"Moving right into the next one, these lunges are going to target your glutes. Opt to slow down for a more controlled movement or speed it up to keep your heart rate up!"

• Stand up straight with a tight core. (Optional: hang on to dumbbells for extra resistance).
• Slowly, step back with your right leg. Your toes should be straight and facing forward.
• Keep the front knee bent.
• Bend and lower the back knee to where it is just above the ground.
• Step forward to the starting position.
• Repeat for 30 seconds.

Curtsey Lunge Right and Left

"This is a great move for your outer glutes! The further you can get your foot back, the more you’ll target that area."

• Stand with your core braced and a flat back. Clasp your hands together at chest height. Position your feet hip-width apart.
• Step backward with your left foot across your right foot while bending your right knee and drop it toward the ground.
• Stop when the front left knee is parallel to the ground. Push off with your left foot and return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side.
• Repeat for 30 seconds.

Fire Hydrant to Back Kick

"You’re done standing up! Yay! These are great for the bum and even better if you squeeze and hold for a second while you kick."

• Position yourself on all fours, palms shoulder-width apart. Place your knees hip-width apart bent at 90 degrees.
• Relax your core in a natural position.
• Keep your hips level as you raise your right thigh out to the side.
• Kick your raised leg straight back slowly until it is straight.
• Reverse the movement to return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side.
• Repeat for 30 seconds.

Glute Bridge to Hip Abduction 

"Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze that booty to make this move more effective."

• Lie on your back with your knees bent so that your feet are flat on the floor. Keep your back straight.
• Place your hands out to your sides, palms down for stability.
• Raise your hips off the floor by extending your hips upward while pushing through your heels.
• Continue until your back, hips, and thighs are in a straight line. Abduct your knees out away from your midline, rolling onto the sides of your feet, and then back to flat.
• Return to the start position by lowering your hips back to the floor.
• Pause, then repeat for 30 seconds.

Frog Glute Bridge

"Keep your feet together and at the top of each thrust, squeeze your booty."

• Lie on your back with your knees bent so that your feet are flat on the floor. Keep your back straight.
• Place your hands out to your sides, palms down for stability.
• Rotate your feet to face each other, pressing them together with knees pressing out to opposite sides of the room.
• Raise your hips off the floor by extending your hips upward while pushing through your feet.
• Return to the start position by lowering your hips back to the floor.
• Pause, then repeat for 30 seconds.

CORE: 3 minutes

Russian Twists

"Try to hover your feet as close to the ground as possible without touching! This will activate your core." Use smooth, controlled movements during this exercise and avoid using momentum to swing back and forth to prevent potential lower back injury.

• Sit with your legs extended and your torso upright.
• Hold your hands together in front of you with your arms bent slightly.
• Raise your legs off the floor, resting your weight on your sit bones, and bend your knees.
• Lean back, finding a balance for your body.
• In a controlled motion, turn your torso to the left and exhale.
• Return to the start position while inhaling.
• Repeat the same movement on your right side.
• Repeat for 30 seconds.

Candlesticks

"Do these slow and controlled to make sure you are using your core to stabilize as you move. Hover your feet a few inches above the floor when you come down—don’t let your legs fall."

• Lie flat on an exercise mat on the floor.
• Extend your legs and place your hands beside you, palms down.
• Draw your knees up toward your chest, feet together, and then use your core to lift your hips off the floor, raising your feet toward the ceiling.
• Slowly return your legs to the start position while exhaling.
• Repeat for 30 seconds.

Heel Touches

"This is a great move for the obliques! Try to activate the abs as much as possible to maximize the movement."

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Place your arms down the side of your body, palms facing in.
• Exhale and crunch up and to the right until you can touch your right heel with your right hand.
• Return to the starting position while inhaling.
• Repeat the movement on your left side.
• Repeat for 30 seconds.

Fly Combo Crunch

"When you crunch, hug your knees to ensure you’re lifting your shoulders off the ground enough to burn the abs! Hold weights in your hands for a more difficult modification."

• Lie on your back with your arms on the ground, out to the side, and bent slightly.
• Lift your arms toward your knees while bringing your knees up to your chest and lift your shoulders off the ground.
• Exhale and contract your abdominals. Bring your head toward your knees while moving your knees toward your chest.
• Pause and return to the starting position.
• Repeat for 30 seconds.

Leg Raise Scissor Kicks

"Try to do these flutter kicks as controlled as you can while holding your shoulders off the ground."

• Lie on your back with your hands under your bottom on either side to support your lower back.
• Your legs should be straight out in front of you, ankles together, and feet slightly off the floor.
• Keep your knees straight and raise your legs by flexing the hips while scissoring your legs up and down.
• Return to starting position.
• Repeat for 30 seconds.

Side Dips Left and Right

"Another one for the obliques, or the sides of your core. If you need to, you can stabilize by staggering your feet instead of stacking them. When you come up, push your hips up as high as you can!"

• Lie on your side on a mat.
• Extend your legs with one foot resting on top of the other.
• Extend the top arm toward the ceiling.
• Bend the arm on the floor 90 degrees.
• Lift your body off the ground and balance on your forearm and the side of your foot while keeping your body in a straight line.
• Contract your abdominal muscles and relax your shoulders while dipping your hips toward the ground, breathing through the movement.
• Repeat for 15 seconds and switch sides for another 15 seconds.