This four-minute workout capitalizes on your body’s release of nitric oxide, which plays an important role in muscle development and growth.

If you’re elderly, infirm or have severe mobility challenges due to some other condition, give some thought to how you can move about more. Do what you can each day. Something is always better than nothing.

Start with three sets of 10 repetitions, incrementally increasing your reps until you’re doing 20 reps for each exercise. At the end, you’ll have completed 240 movements. Here’s an important stipulation, however: If possible when you exercise, don’t breathe through your mouth. Keep your mouth closed and breathe only through your nose as this helps keep your carbon dioxide levels in the healthy range. Over time you can work up to breathing completely through your nose.

The four-minute workout consists of four basic exercises including squats, tin soldiers, snow angel and military press, which work all 16 of your major muscle groups.

While intended to be done about three times a day, you’ll want to wait for at least two hours in between sessions, because that’s how long it takes for nitric oxide to synthesize in your body for subsequent release and optimal benefit. Nitric oxide is a soluble gas and free radical stored in the lining or endothelium of your blood vessels that can catalyze and promote health. For example, nitric oxide:

  • Dilates your blood vessels, which can help lower your blood pressure
  • Improves immune function
  • Thins your blood and decreases its viscosity, which helps lower your risk of platelet aggregation that can result in a heart attack or stroke, two common causes of death
  • Is a powerful anabolic stimulus that can help you increase lean body mass, which in turn triggers your body to burn more fat. Nitric oxide feeds your muscles, and the reason your muscles start to ache when exercising is because you’re running out of oxygen. Nitric oxide is released to make up for this lack. Once it moves through your bloodstream, your blood vessels dilate to deliver more oxygen and nutrients, resulting in muscle growth.

I have been doing this workout for about 8 weeks now and really enjoy the simplicity, time requirement, and strength and muscle improvements…