No time for the gym? No excuse. It’s simply a matter of ‘activating your muscles,’ according to Hannah Waddington. And you can do that almost anywhere, including in front of your bathroom sink.

‘People are very lovely,’ the Ted Lasso actress told Women’s Health. ‘they talk about my arms. I just keep activated. And never underestimate the value of doing squats the whole time you’re brushing your teeth.’

Why squats

‘Squats are simple but powerful,’ says Kate Rowe Ham, leading women’s health and fitness coach. They are, she explains, one of the key exercises to prioritise if you have an eye on healthy aging, but also on the clock. ‘By bending your knees and pushing your hips back, you engage your quads, hamstrings and glutes,’ she explains. ‘Strong legs support everyday activities like standing up from a chair or climbing stairs, while protecting the knees and hips. Squats also maintain joint health and bone strength, key elements for independence and vitality.’

They are also easy to adapt. You do not need to squat deeply or quickly for the exercise to be useful. A controlled movement, using the bathroom counter for support if necessary, is a perfectly sensible place to begin.

How to squat while brushing your teeth

Stand with your feet roughly hip-width apart and keep your chest lifted. As you brush, bend your knees and push your hips gently backwards, as though you are about to sit on a chair. Lower only as far as feels comfortable, then press through your feet to stand tall again.

Start with a few slow repetitions rather than trying to squat continuously for the entire two minutes. Keep your knees tracking in the same direction as your toes, and hold the sink if you feel unsteady. If you have knee, hip or back pain, or have recently been injured, ask a physiotherapist or healthcare professional how to modify the movement.

The power of habit stacking

‘Habit stacking is adding small bursts of movement to things you already do every day,’ GH fitness expert Kim Hawley explains. ‘Always doing push-ups while the kettle boils. Taking the stairs two or three at a time. A dozen squats every time you visit the bathroom. None of these take any planning, but together they create meaningful gains over time. The key is making them non-negotiable.’ So, no excuses now.

Four more habit stacking fitness fixes

  • Stretch while waiting for the coffee to percolate
  • Do calf raises while waiting for the toast to pop
  • Try wall push-ups while waiting for the microwave to ping
  • Take the stairs, not the lift or escalator, on the daily commute