Being healthy and strong is usually at the top of our list when it comes to setting intentions for the New Year! These quick workouts can be done anywhere with just bodyweight as resistance – so there’s no excuse not to get physically active this year.
1 UPPER BODY
PUSH UPS
Get down on all fours, placing your hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Straighten your arms and legs. Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor. Pause, then push yourself back up.
ARM CIRCLES
Stand with your arms extended by your sides, perpendicular to your torso. Slowly make clockwise circles about 1 foot in diameter for 20-30 seconds. Then reverse the movement, going counterclockwise.
PRONE WALKOUT/INCHWORMS
Start on all fours with your core engaged.
Slowly walk your hands forward, staying on your toes but not moving them forward. Next, gradually walk your hands backward to the starting position, maintaining stability and balance.
SHOULDER-TAP PLANKS
Start in a standard plank (on your hands, not your forearms). Then brace your core as you lift your right hand up to touch your left shoulder. Once you’ve tapped your shoulder, put your right hand back down to support your plank, and then lift your left hand up to touch your right shoulder. Keep alternating your shoulder taps until you feel adequately challenged.
PLANK JACKS
Start in plank position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists, feet together and body in a straight line from head to toe. Jump your feet out to the sides of your mat, then back to the center.
2 ABS
PLANK
Get into a pushup position and bend your elbows to lower your forearms to the floor. Hold the position with abs braced.
BIRD DOG CRUNCH
Kneel on all fours. Reach one arm as far as possible forward and the opposite foot as far as possible behind. Bring your elbow and knee together to crunch, drawing in the abs.
MOUNTAIN CLIMBER
Start in a plank position. Drive right knee toward chest, return to a plank and quickly repeat with left knee. That’s one rep.
REVERSE CRUNCH
Start lying on your back, legs lifted so thighs are perpendicular to ground and knees are bent. Press lower back into mat, then curl knees into chest to lift hips off the ground. Return to start with control.
HEEL TAP Start on your back with knees bent and feet on floor, hands by hips. Lift chest toward the ceiling, keeping neck relaxed and bringing shoulder blades off the ground. Tap your right hand to the outside of your right ankle. Come back to center, keeping shoulders off ground, then tap left hand to outside of left ankle. That’s one rep.
3 LOWER BODY
LUNGE
Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and engage your core. Take a big step forward with your right leg and shift your weight into your heel in a 90 degree angle. Lower your body until your right thigh is parallel to the floor and your right shin is vertical. Press into your right heel to driveback up to starting position. Then switch to the left side.
GLUTE BRIDGE
Start by lying down on the floor on your back with a bent knee position, and your feet flat on the ground about shoulder-width apart. Push the heels down into the ground while raising the hips off the ground. At the top, squeeze the glutes and keep the abdominals tight to prevent arching in the lower back. Make sure the shins are straight ahead, then slowly lower your hips back down to their original position.
SIDE-LYING LEG LIFT
Lie on your left side, with your legs extended straight. Support your head with your left hand. Lift your top leg 45 degrees, squeeze, then lower slowly.
SIDE-STEP TO SQUAT
Stand with your feet together, core engaged, and hands held at chest height. Step your right foot to the right, so your feet are wider than hip-width apart, and bend both knees to drop into a wide squat. Straighten your knees and bring your right foot back to your starting position. This is 1 rep.
DONKEY KICK
Get on all fours on your mat. Keep your right knee bent at 90 degrees as you lift your leg into the air until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knee, your right foot flexed. From here, pulse your thigh up a couple of inches, then lower back down. Switch sides.
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