As Christmas quickly approaches and we become busy and always on the go, it’s important to not let go of what you have accomplished so far this year, and it is not the time to start making excuses. You might not feel like you have a lot of time, you might not feel like you have the energy, or you might just not want to exercise, but, keeping up with your exercise at this time of year is just as important, if not more important, than starting over when the new year begins – for consistency and habit building purposes. Keeping up on your exercise and activity now, in December, will make January even easier to commit to and stay consistent with, because you will have already begun working on reaching your goals by building habits during the holidays and consistency during this busy time of year.
Your homework for the holiday season is to continue or even start exercising! Below is a little CHRISTMAS workout to help you start exercising, give your workout routine some variety, to get some new ideas, and/or to bring a spark back into you to want to exercise again.
Crossover Reverse Lunge: Start facing foward, feet hip width apart, holding a single dumbbell. With the right leg, do a reverse lunge toward the back corner of the room, keeping your hips square to the front of the room. Drop the back knee as close to the ground as you can get it, without it touching the ground. Repeat all reps on right leg, then switch to the left leg.
Hip Extension on Ball: Lay on an exercise ball, with your hips at the top of the ball. Place your hands on the floor, or holding onto a railing. Start with your feet on the floor. Pull your legs up and off the floor, as high as you can get them. Return feet to the floor and repeat.
Reverse Bicep Curls w/ Dumbbells: Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with the palms facing you (overhand grip). Keeping your upper arms by your sides, bend the elbows to bring the dumbbells toward your shoulders. Lower down slowly and repeat.
Inchworms: Start with your feet hip width apart (or farther apart to make it easier). With straight legs, bend over and put your hands on the ground. Walk your hands out in front of you until you are in a flat plank. Hold for a second. Walk your hands back into your feet, still keeping your legs straight, and stand back up. Repeat.
Squats: Using only your body weight, or dumbells or a barbell for resistance, stand with your feet hip width apart. Push your hips back as you lower down as if you are going to sit into a chair. Push your hips back far enough to keep your knees behind your toes, and keep your weight in your heels. Sit until your legs are parallel to the ground, then push through the heels to stand back up and repeat.
Toe Touchers: Lay on the floor with your back pressed into the ground with your legs extended toward the ceiling. Keeping your legs straight and still, crunch your upper body off of the ground and reach for your toes. Lower shoulder blades back down to the ground, but keep the head lifted. Repeat.
Medicine Ball Push-Ups: One your toes or knees, place a medicine ball under one hand. The other hand stays on the floor. Push up into plank position, or the starting position of a push-up. Do a push-up. When you return to the starting push-up position, roll the ball to the other hand and repeat the exercise with the other hand on the ball.
Alternating Deltoid Raises: With a dumbbell in each hand, stand up straight. Keeping your arms straight, with just a slight bend in the elbows, raise the dumbbells up in front of you, to shoulder height. Lower back down. Then, with the same arm position, raise the dumbbells out to your sides, to shoulder height. Lower back down. Keep the palms facing down during the whole exercise.
Seated Overhead Triceps Press: With a single dummbell, sit down on a bench. Wrapping your fingers around the end of the dumbbell so it cannot slip, raise the dumbbell overhead. Keeping your arms by your ears and your upper arm stationary, bend at the elbows to lower the weight behind you. Pull the weight back up to the starting position and repeat.
Do 15 repetitions of each exercise (15 per side on the exercises that you work one side at a time) and repeat 3 times for a 30-45 minute full body workout! During the holiday season, time can be limited and your workouts don’t have to be too long. Try out this workout to see that in just 30 minutes, you can work your full body and be done before you know it. Soon enough you’ll be ready to jump back into your busy life and enjoy the holidays! Have a great holiday season and continue to exercise.
Until next time!
Miranda Harris
NSCA CSCS
ACSM HFS
