Keeping to your fitness and weight loss goals over Christmas can be tough.
There's so much temptation with all sorts of delicious festive food around, that we often forget how hard we worked to fit into that Christmas party dress.
But just how we can fit in some exercise over the holiday period? Luckily, there are ways you can stay healthy and in shape, without spending hours of your much-needed time off in the gym.
Try this top workout, that uses your own body weight - perfect for a good 'sweat and burn' session. I've dubbed it 'The Christmas Sleepover Workout' as you can do it wherever you are this Christmas.
What you'll need: A bit of space, a chair and a timer if you have it.
What to do: Do each exercise consecutively and only have 10-15 seconds rest in between each one to catch your breath and keep the opportunity for fat burning at maximum. Do the entire workout for a total of three sets. Perform the first set of exercises for 20 seconds each for the first round, 30 seconds for the second round and then 40 seconds for the last. It's a real holiday climber of a workout done in record time. It's your body vs the timer!
The Christmas Sleepover Workout:
1- Prisoner Squats...hands behind head, opening up the shoulders and chest, feet facing straight about shoulder width apart. Squat down deeply so that the thighs are parallel with the floor, weight into the heels then stand up straight again pulling abs in tight, squeezing buttocks and legs.
2- Chair Press Up...this can be done either from the knees or the feet. Place your hands about shoulder width apart on the chair so you are in an 'incline' position, pull in abdominals tight and lower your chest down towards the chair as deep as you can go and then push up again. Ensure your lower back doesn't collapse during this movement.
3- Chair Step Up...start with hands on hips. Place one foot on a STEADY solid chair, step up on to the chair and then step back down again. Make a point of squeezing your glutes (bottom muscles) as you step up and keep your body upright and abdominals engaged the whole time.
4- Multidirectional Lunges...hands on hips again. Step behind with your right foot into a lunge turning your body on a 135 degree angle. Then lunge out to the side to a 90 degree angle with body facing forwards right foot out straight. Then lunge the same leg forward again. Repeat on the other leg. Each time you lunge ensure that you push off through the heel.
5- Chair Tricep Dips...place your hands on a chair behind you about shoulder width apart. Bend your elbows directly behind you then straighten them again squeezing the triceps.
6- Chair Glute Raise...lie on the floor with your feet up on a chair, legs slightly bent. Raise up your hips off the floor as high as you can deeply squeezing the hamstrings and buttocks then slowly lower back down again.
7- Variated Plank...for each of the three rounds perform a different plank. Facing the floor keep your spine in a 'neutral' position, abdominals pulled in tight leaning the majority of your weight onto your forearms and hold this position for the duration of that set as specified above. To variate this, the first round try raising each foot independently upwards about 6 inches off the floor for a second then change feet OR do a little 'toe tap' out to the side changing feet each time OR just simply hold the plank in a strong static position.
8- Standing Reverse Woodchop...place your palms together in a 'prayer' position. Keeping the arms straight bend both knees into a squat, take the arms down to the outside of your leg then on a diagonal, drive the arms up with good force across and up towards the ceiling keeping the abdominals pulled in tightly and creating a nice twist at the waist as you transfer the weight from foot to foot straightening the legs as you come up. Repeat and then change sides half way through the duration of that set.
There you go! Wherever you are, this goes to show you can still work out and work out well whilst you are away. Enjoy your Christmas and enjoy staying in shape even more when you happen to be staying over somewhere else.
By Anita Albrecht |
