Honey, it’s cold outside and you just don’t want to leave the house. We understand the need to keep you comfortable during the colder months (or all year long, to be honest), so we reveal five easy exercises at home to stay in tip-top shape. After all, you don’t want those Christmas chocolate mint cookies and snowballs giving you a Santa belly!
Aside from keeping belly fat at bay during such a tasty holiday season, there are plenty of health benefits to stay active in the winter. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), participating in physical activity can lower your chance of developing type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, and high blood pressure. It also helps you think more clearly, sleep better, and feel better in general. By exercising, you can keep a healthy weight (or lose a few kilos) and even improve your immune system. Plus, you don’t want to undo all the good you’ve done the rest of the year!
Spending more time indoors as temperatures drop doesn’t mean your exercise routine has to suffer. the fitness experts at breaking muscle hand-selected five of the most productive exercises you can do it without leaving home, sweet home. Read on to learn more about them.
Lizards
start your Workout routine at home with pushups. This exercise works the shoulders, arms, and chest. Another advantage of the Pushup? Helps keep your shoulders and lower back safe while increasing your flexibility skills.
If you are a beginner, start with Wall Pushups. Stand an arm’s length from a wall, keeping your feet hip-width apart. Place your hands on the wall parallel to your shoulders, keeping your fingers pointed toward the ceiling. Then lean into the wall with your elbows bent slightly until your nose almost touches the wall. Keep your back straight and your elbows bent at a 45-degree angle.
When you’re ready to kick things up a notch, floor push-ups should be next on deck. To start, get down on the floor while keeping your torso supported by your hands and toes. Your hands should be placed a little outside of your shoulders. Keeping your body in a straight line from head to toes, bend both elbows as you lower your body, then press back up.
Do 10 reps to start, then decrease the rep count for each set until you hit one, for a total of 10 sets.
bird dog holds
Soothe any lower back pain while strengthening your back muscles with Bird Dog Holds. You’ll really work your glutes and core with this upper and lower body move.
To prepare, get down on all fours on the floor with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. Engage your core while keeping your back straight. Raise your left arm until it reaches shoulder height and fully extend your right leg. Stay in this position for at least five seconds, then switch to your left leg and right arm. Complete three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions on each side.
air squats
Next, we have Air Squats. The fitness pros at Breaking Muscle call this move an ultra-productive beginner’s workout that engages the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and thighs.
To set up, place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Lower into a squat, making sure your thighs are parallel to the ground. Your hands should stay close to your heart center while keeping your upper body straight. Then come back up to the position you started in. Complete three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions.
squat dams
We’re not going to lie, a squat hold can be pretty tough, but it’s a great exercise that you shouldn’t skip. Not only will you strengthen your lower body and core, but you’ll also improve your balance.
Begin by raising your hands to chest height and squat deeply. Keep your thighs parallel to the ground and try to lower as far as possible. Dig your feet into the ground as you engage your core and glutes. Make sure your body stays straight and hold this position for 20 seconds. If you feel like your whole body is burning, you’re outdoing this exercise. Complete three sets of 12 to 15 reps, making sure each rep is held for 20 seconds.
jump squats
The following exercise is stellar if you want to build strength. It puts your quads, hamstrings, hips and glutes to work.
To start, place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Then head down into a light squat. Lower both hands to your sides and raise your arms to chest level as you quickly stand up and jump. Gently lower yourself into another squat, then move on to the next rep. Do three sets of 10 to 15 reps.
alexa mellardo
Alexa is the Mind + Body Associate Editor for Eat This, Not That!, overseeing the M+B channel, and providing readers with engaging topics on fitness, wellness, and personal care. Read more about Alexa
