10 Minute Holiday Workout – Week 3

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So far, we’ve covered a Bedroom and a Kitchen workout. Today, we’ll add a Living Room workout to your repertoire. You realize I’m giving you absolutely no excuses for not getting your workouts in this holiday season!

Whether you’ve got friends or family in town or you have just too much to do and can’t get to the gym, there’s no reason to not do something. These 10 minute workouts will make you feel so much better, minimize your stress, give you better energy and will assure you’re not having to start from scratch in January.

And even though these workouts are only 10 minutes long, if you go hard, it will be a fabulous mini workout set and will definitely challenge your body!

10 Minute Holiday LIVING ROOM WORKOUT:  This one you can do while you’re watching your favorite Holiday movie or Football team.

Warm-up First

Perform each of the following exercises and then continue repeating the circuit until you’ve completed 10 minutes.

Couch Squats

Start by standing in front of your couch with your feet between hip and shoulder width apart.  Set your posture by contracting your abdominals, pressing your chest out and up and your shoulders back and down.  Start by slowly squatting backwards while keeping your kneecaps pointing forwards – avoid allowing your knees to collapse inwards. Try to keep your weight equally distributed on all 4 corners of your feet – avoid allowing your arches to collapse inwards.  Lower to a comfortable position or until your buttocks lightly touch the courch.  You’ll notice that your upper body will come forward slightly while your buttocks travel backwards.  Now slowly extend back up.  Perform a set of 20 reps.

Couch Push-ups

Position your hands on the frame of your couch a few inches beside your shoulders with your legs extended straight behind you (place your hands on the higher part of the couch if you are just beginning with strength workouts).  Make sure that your elbows are directly over top or to the inside of your wrists.  Keep your abdominals contracted and your back in its neutral position.  Now slowly lower your upper body down towards the couch and then return to the starting position. Perform 20 repetitions.

Seated Bicycles

Sit upright with perfect posture – chest out, shoulders back.  Now slowly recline back a few inches with your legs suspended in the air while keeping your abdominals contracted and back in its neutral position.  Now slowly bicycle your legs alternating 20x (10x each leg) If this is too challenging for your back, start with one leg always in contact with the floor.

Couch Bridging

Lay on the couch on your back with your legs bent and your feet positioned on the couch.  With your arms at your side, slowly lift your hips and buttocks up towards the ceiling while contracting your glutes (buttocks) and hamstrings (back of thigh) until your body weight is resting comfortably on your shoulder blades.  Throughout the entire exercise, be sure to keep your hips square to the ceiling and your abdominals contracted.  Slowly lift up and down 20x taking 2 seconds to lift and 2 seconds to lower.

Eat, Drink, Workout & Be Merry this Holiday season!

Yours in health & fitness,
Sherri McMillan

Join us for the….
COUVE CLOVER RUN – 3, 7 & 10 MILES – March, 26th 2017 RUN, GIVE BACK & PARTY AT MAIN EVENT AND OTHER DOWNTOWN PUBS!
We will make you earn your post-event party by running or walking 3, 7 or 10 miles, but it will be off the charts hosted by Main Event and other downtown Vancouver Pubs & Breweries.

 

Note: As an avid Columbian reader, you can redeem a 2 week pass at her world-class training studio to help get you started. Contact 360.574.7292 for more details.