6 No-Gear Holiday Workouts You Can Do in About 10 Minutes - Blog Copy
BLOG TITLE: 6 No-Gear Holiday Workouts You Can Do in About 10 Minutes
It’s the most wonderful time of the year—but it might also be the busiest.
In December and early January, it’s common to get pulled out of your normal routine. Many people are off work, the kids are out of school, and relatives are in town. Or maybe you’re on the road to visit family.
Feasts are on the agenda, and it’s time to relax and recover from a long year.
Who’s got time for fitness, right?
Wrong!
To help you maintain momentum over the holidays, we’ve got six workouts you can do in just 10 minutes or less. No equipment needed.
Will this stuff help you stay fit? Absolutely. You will not lose all your progress over the holidays if you stay moving—even if these workouts don’t reflect the activities you normally do every week.
Here are six “fitness gifts” to celebrate the season.
SUBHEAD: Short, Effective Workouts
A quick note: Don’t rip into this stuff at high speed with no warm-up. Instead, do an abbreviated warm-up beforehand—you’ll know it’s working if you feel like your obnoxious holiday sweater is too hot.
But seriously, ease into it. If you’re very tight on time, consider the early part of the workout to be the warm-up. Start very slowly and ramp up as you get warm. And if you just move slowly for the entire workout, that’s OK, too. It’s all about movement during the busy season.
Can you reduce or extend the timeframe for these workouts? Sure! Shorter is OK—I’d rather you do 4 minutes than zero minutes. If you extend the workout, make sure you don’t go wild and accumulate more reps than you’re used to. You don’t want to be too sore to sit down for a family feast!
Workout 1
As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes of:
10 squats
10 push-ups
20 jumping jacks
Tip: Feel free to hold any sort of weight for the squats—even a heavy book or a rock can work. If you don’t have anything handy, just squat with body weight.
Workout 2
As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes of:
Climb 1 flight of stairs
Do 10 squats
Descend 1 flight of stairs
Do 10 burpees
Tip: Ensure the stairs and landings are free of tripping hazards. Use the railing if needed. Squats work well on landings, but burpees should be done on the floor, where you have enough space to do them safely. If space is tight, sub in calf raises on the bottom stair.
Workout 3
As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes of:
20 alternating step-back lunges
8 tuck jumps
Tip: To make it less challenging, replace tuck jumps with jumping jacks. To scale up, hold an object while doing the lunges. Paint cans can work if they’re tightly sealed!
Workout 4
As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes of:
20 mountain climbers
10 sit-ups
10 glute bridges
Tip: Do the sit-ups and bridges on a mat to avoid carpet burns or discomfort caused by a hard floor.
Workout 5
For 10 minutes:
Hold a plank as long as possible
Every time you break, do 20 lateral lunges
Tip: If you’re great at planks, use a side plank or hold a plank with only three points of contact—raise one hand or one foot. Or raise one hand and one foot to really scale up with just two points of contact!
Workout 6
Walk or jog for 10 minutes
Tip: If it’s icy and slippery where you are, use a treadmill or skip this one.
SUBHEAD: Stay Moving!
Don’t be fooled: Some of these workouts really pack a punch if you move fast and keep rest breaks short.
But it’s not all about intensity here. It’s about having six options in front of you so you don’t say “I don’t have time” or “I don’t know what to do.”
Remember, even a little movement will preserve your gains and help maintain your fitness habit. If you’ve got 10 minutes between holiday concerts, family gatherings and work parties, hit one of these workouts.
If you’d like a custom at-home holiday plan that’s tailored to your space and equipment, let’s talk. Book a free consultation here today [LINK]!