Here we share some quick-fire workouts to help get the heart rate up and the waistline down! Whilst these exercise regimes are quite straight forward and achievable by many, they may need tweaking for you depending on your fitness level and injury state so please ‘exercise’ caution.
For any exercise program you are considering, including the one we share here, we suggest and would welcome the opportunity of reviewing them with you before you start, to ensure they are the right fit for you.
Workout 1
Your exercises are as follows:
- Step ups: Find a sturdy bench, chair or step and put one foot onto it. Step up and drive your opposite knee up towards your chest into the air. Return down to the starting position and repeat. Stay on the same leg until all repetitions have been completed, and then switch sides.
- Sumo squats: Stand with your feet and knees wide with toes pointing out on a slight diagonal.. Squat down until your knees reach a bend of 90 degrees, tracking in the direction of your toes. Return to the start position and repeat.
- One leg L-sits: Sit upright with your legs out straight in front of you. Put your hands on the ground next to your hips and raise your body off the ground. Holding that position, raise one leg off the ground about the height of your shoe or foot. Slowly lower and repeat. Stay on the same leg until all repetitions have been completed and then switch sides.
Cycle these exercises completing each for 10 reps, 8 reps, 6 reps, 4 reps and 2 reps. Rest for one minute between each set.
Workout 2
Your exercises are as follows:
- Mountain climbers: Assume a plank position on your hands (like you’re about to do a push-up). Keeping your arms straight and upper body as still as possible, bring one knee in towards your chest without raising your hips into the air. Return to the start position and repeat, alternating between legs for each rep. Try to keep your form while speeding this movement up, and keep a solid rhythm going to really get the cardio aspect of this exercise going. Perform for 30 seconds.
- Skipping: Using a skipping rope, continuously skip for 45 seconds. If the rope hits your legs or you have to stop and restart, this is fine. Keep going until the 45 seconds are up. Knee issues? Choose a low-impact version by doing knee lifts or side steps.
- Get-ups: Lie on your back and get yourself to standing position any way you can. Lie back down and repeat. Complete 60 seconds of these.
Rest between exercises for 15 seconds, but ensure you move straight on to the next exercise as soon as the 15 seconds are up. Try to complete three sets.
Workout 3
- Run or jog around the block or a small local park at least twice
- Run up and down a set of stairs five times
- Go for a long walk to cool off
If you cannot run or jog, try cycling instead. Cycle around the block five times though! You can also walk up and down the stairs ten times if running is an issue.
Workout 4
Hold a plank for 5 minutes. You may rest whenever you need to, but ensure you complete 5 whole minutes. Set a timer on your phone!
To adopt the plank position, get on the floor face down. Grasp your hands together and push up, elbows shoulder-width apart, so you are resting on your forearms. Raise up onto your toes and lift your whole body up into the air. Keep your legs and body in a straight line from head to heels and avoid pushing your bottom up into the air (see photo).
That’s a total of four workouts for you to try. A good way to start is to perform a workout on one day, then aim to perform your next workout after one or two rest days. Eventually you will be able to perform them closer together, but rest days allow time for the body to repair and recuperate.
If you are unsure about any of the exercises we’ve listed in this Workout Blog, please do not hesitate to get in touch – Call us on 03 9762 9445 to arrange an appointment, and we can tailor a program just for you!
