Despite its unseasonably late arrival in New York – where we were enjoying balmy 60-degree weather well into December – the harsh, cold winter is finally here , and it doesn’t look like it’s going to ease up anytime soon.
I don’t know about you, but when the temperatures fall it can definitely be tempting for me to skip my workout, especially on those dark, cold mornings. Trust me, I understand that it’s easy to make excuses to not leave the house when there’s a foot of snow on the ground. But since we’re all about overcoming obstacles over here, let’s tackle this one then, shall we?
Here’s a workout for you to add to your arsenal for those days when you either can’t get to the gym, or if the very idea of venturing out in the cold chills you to your bones. You’ll be using your own body weight for these exercises (which are a combination of strength-building and cardiovascular moves), so you don’t need any equipment for this workout, other than mat or towel to put on the floor if you don’t have carpeting.
The best part is that you’ll be able to complete this workout in about 30 minutes, and I can promise you that it will have you thawed out in no time.
**As always, please be sure to talk to your doctor before attempting this (or any) exercise program. Remember to go at your own pace and to honor any injuries/limitations that you have by making modifications where necessary.**
Winter Warmer Workout
Warm-up: five minutes of light cardio, doing a combination of jumping jacks, jogging in place, high-knees, butt-kicks, hopping back and forth and side to side, arm circles, and/or marching in place.
Perform each move in the order listed below, and then repeat entire sequence. Aim to complete 3 rounds in total:
- 20 Squats, immediately followed by 20 Jump Squats
- 20 Alternating front kicks (20 on each leg)
- 20 Push-ups (modify on your knees as needed)
- 20 Around-the-World Lunges on each leg (front lunge, then side lunge, then back lunge all on the same leg – that’s 1 rep)
- 20 Mountain Climbers
- 20 Tricep Dips (legs extended and/or 1 leg raised to make this more challenging)
- 20 Sumo Squat Thrusts (I could only find a video of a regular squat thrust, but for this variation, come down into a sumo squat with a wide stance, toes turned out)
Cool-down/stretch for at least 5 minutes at the end, being sure to include a stretch every major muscle group!
Let me know if you try this workout, and of course, leave a comment or shoot me an email if you have any questions. You can also tweet about it by using the #winterwarmer hashtag.