Among the free NHS Fitness Studio videos, the “Strength and resistance” set has 7 videos: a warm-up, waist, abs, arms, legs, glutes and a cool-down. The five main workouts are all 10 minutes, and the NHS describes them as short but intense, suiting people who already have a basic level of fitness. We set out what each video page says and added a planner that adds up the minutes for any combination and checks it against the NHS strength guideline (at least 2 days a week, all the major muscle groups). The moves and counts inside the videos are not written down anywhere, so we have not reproduced them.
1. 7 videos; the five main workouts are 10 minutes each. Abs, arms, legs, glutes and waist, each page saying it suits people with a basic level of fitness.
2. The warm-up and cool-down suit all fitness levels. The cool-down is 10 minutes. The warm-up is given as 5 minutes in the video heading and 10 minutes in the text on the same page.
3. All five workouts make 50 minutes, or 60 minutes with the 10-minute cool-down (our arithmetic). The NHS strength guideline is at least 2 days a week across seven major muscle groups; the video descriptions do not name the back, chest or shoulders.
The seven videos — as the NHS pages describe them
| Video | What the NHS says | Length · what you need |
|---|---|---|
| Body warm-up | Warming up before exercise can reduce your risk of injury. Made to do before more rigorous exercise, on its own or before another video. All fitness levels | Heading “Basic warm-up (5 minutes)”, text “this 10-minute workout” · water and a towel |
| Waist | Targets the oblique muscles at the sides of your torso. Short enough for a busy schedule but intense. People with a basic level of fitness | 10 minutes · an exercise mat would be useful, water |
| Abs | Strengthens and tones the stomach muscles. An intense workout that is easier with a basic level of fitness | 10 minutes · mat, water |
| Arms | Tones the arms and focuses on improving upper-body strength. For busy people: what it lacks in length it makes up for in intensity | 10 minutes · mat, water |
| Legs | A lower-body workout to tone the legs. For busy people with a basic level of fitness | 10 minutes · mat, water |
| Glutes | Focuses on the buttocks and hips. People with a basic level of fitness | 10 minutes · mat, water |
| Cool-down | A general routine after exercise to stretch the muscles and help reduce the risk of injury. On its own or after another video. All fitness levels | 10 minutes · water and a towel |
All seven were created by InstructorLive and are recordings of previously live webcasts. Each page carries the same line that these videos “range from 10 to 45 minutes”, though every video in the strength set is 10 minutes or less.
Against the NHS strength guideline
| Guideline | NHS wording | With these videos (our reading) |
|---|---|---|
| How often | Muscle-strengthening activities on at least 2 days a week | The planner’s “days a week” — 2 or more meets the frequency |
| Which muscles | All the major muscle groups — legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms | The descriptions name legs, hips, abdomen and arms. The back, chest and shoulders are not named |
| How much | 8 to 12 repetitions per activity is 1 set; at least 2 sets, 3 for more benefit | Counts inside the videos were not read — follow the video as set |
| And aerobic time | Time spent doing strength exercises does not count towards moderate aerobic activities | 50 minutes of strength videos are not part of the 150-minute count |
Whether the arms video’s “upper-body strength” includes the chest or shoulders cannot be told from the wording, so the planner lists both as “not named” (our reading). The NHS gives lifting weights, resistance bands, climbing stairs, push-ups, sit-ups and squats, yoga and dance among its examples of strength exercise. For push-ups see our push-up progression, and for the back the bent-over row in upper-body moves with water bottles.
Planner
Updates as you choose. Each main workout counts as 10 minutes, as its page states. The warm-up page gives both 5 minutes (heading) and 10 minutes (text), so you can pick either. The muscle lines compare the words in each video’s description with the NHS list of major muscle groups — what the moves inside the videos actually work was not read (our comparison).
How many minutes — our examples
| Combination (our example) | One session | On 2 days |
|---|---|---|
| Abs + arms, 10-minute warm-up, 10-minute cool-down | 40 minutes | 80 minutes |
| Legs + glutes, 5-minute warm-up, 10-minute cool-down | 35 minutes | 70 minutes |
| All five + 10-minute cool-down | 60 minutes | 120 minutes |
| All five + 10-minute warm-up + 10-minute cool-down | 70 minutes | 140 minutes |
The planner opens on all five workouts, a 5-minute warm-up, a 10-minute cool-down and 2 days: 65 minutes a session, 130 minutes a week. Whatever the combination, the descriptions name at most four groups (legs, hips, abdomen, arms), so these seven videos alone are hard to read as covering all the major muscle groups (our reading).
Who they suit — the safety box on every page
The five main workouts are for people with a basic level of fitness; the warm-up and cool-down for all fitness levels. The box on each page says the videos are suitable for most people in good health with a reasonable level of fitness, and to get advice from a healthcare professional such as a GP first if:
- you are not sure the exercises suit your current fitness
- you have a health problem, an injury or any symptoms, or feel unwell
- you have had a recent health event such as a heart attack or operation
- you have any other concerns about your health
- you are pregnant or have recently given birth
And stop the exercise immediately if you feel any pain or become unwell.
Checklist
- ☐ A mat if you have one, water, a towel for the warm-up and cool-down
- ☐ Warm up before the main workout, cool down after
- ☐ Strength work on at least 2 days a week
- ☐ Decide how to cover the back, chest and shoulders
- ☐ Count strength time separately from the 150 aerobic minutes
Questions that remain
Is 10 minutes enough?
The NHS presents the five as short enough for a busy schedule, making up in intensity what they lack in length. The strength guideline is set in days and muscle groups rather than minutes, so 10-minute videos split by muscle group across 2 or more days fit that shape (our reading).
Do I need equipment?
The five pages list only that an exercise mat would be useful and some water. No weights or bands are mentioned.
Is the warm-up 5 or 10 minutes?
The heading on the page says “Basic warm-up (5 minutes)” and the text says “this 10-minute workout”. The planner lets you pick either.
Are there other Fitness Studio videos?
The 11 pilates and yoga classes are in pilates and yoga videos from the NHS, and the 4 aerobic and dance workouts in aerobic and dance videos from the NHS.
Sources
- NHS — Strength and resistance exercise videos — source (page shows: published 26 September 2023, modified 12 August 2024; checked 10 November 2026). The list of seven.
- NHS — the seven video pages (Body warm-up, Waist, Abs, Arms, Legs, Glutes, Cool-down) — abs page and the others (all reviewed 8 December 2023, next review 8 December 2026; checked 10 November 2026). Length, who each suits, what you need, the shared safety box.
- NHS — How to improve your strength and flexibility — source (reviewed 21 July 2026; checked 10 November 2026). At least 2 days, the seven major muscle groups, 8 to 12 repetitions and 2 or 3 sets, strength time not counting towards moderate aerobic activity, examples of strength exercise.
- Not read. The moves, counts and sets inside the videos (no written version), instructor names, whether the videos play outside the UK.
- What we added. The comparison of video descriptions with the muscle-group list, the minute sums and examples, the “our reading” column.
Where to check further
- Your GP if you have a condition or have been inactive a long time — how hard to start.
- The full strength guideline — how much strength exercise.
Written on 10 November 2026. The video list and descriptions are from the NHS; the comparison and sums are ours.
