Exercise Articles

Fitness for All: Stars and Stripes Workout Challenge

During the month of May, we remember those who have fought for our country and lost their lives doing so. This Memorial Day, in addition to remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, why not try this “Stars and Stripes” inspired workout challenge?

Based on the 50 stars and 13 stripes featured on the American Flag, this workout challenge will have anyone feeling patriotic (and potentially sore) this Memorial Day weekend.

Starting with the 50 stars, shoot for a least one rep of each of these and if you can feel free to do more than one rep.

Stars:

• 50 push-ups
• 50 sit-ups
• 50 lunges
• 50 mountain climbers
• 50 bridges
• 50 tricep dips
• 50 scissor kicks

And now onto the stripes. Again, shoot for at least one rep of each of these and do more if you can. 

Stripes

• 13 pull-ups
• 13 squat jumps
• 13 side plank hip dips
• 13 burpees
• 13 single leg deadlifts
• 13 pike push-ups 

If you are still feeling like you want to push yourself even harder, try Googling the “Murph” HERO Workout and give that one a try. Inspired by Lt. Michael Murphy, a Navy SEAL who earned a posthumous Medal of Honor for his courageous acts in Afghanistan. 

Happy Memorial Day Weekend Everyone!

Fitness for All: Spring Clean Your Way to Lean

Looking for a unique new way to burn calories while getting your daily chores done? Then this “Spring Clean your Way to Lean” workout is just for you! Simply follow this 5-day plan and clean your way to a slimmer, you… and the house will look good, too.

Day One: On day one, we focus on the upper body. Scrubbing the bathtub, the floors, and your toilets can burn over 250 calories an hour. Try to use both sides of the body equally as you scrub those areas clean. Pruning the bushes and trees will require some great arm strength and will work your core at the same time. You can burn upwards of 500 calories an hour if you keep up the pace! 

Day Two: It’s time to engage the core! As you bend to weed and pick vegetables in your garden, practice lunges and squats for a whopping 241 calories burned per hour. And when you’re ready to mix it up, try lifting bags of dirt or produce. Onto vacuuming, yes, you can get a nice arm and leg workout vacuuming if you do it right. Try taking large lunge steps forward and backward as you vacuum the floors.

Day Three: Back to the upper body… time to dust! Don’t forget to find all those hard-to-reach surfaces and use lots of back-and-forth arm motions to burn 165 calories an hour. Then move onto the windows. At 229 calories an hour, you can probably find a few that could use some cleaning.

Day Four: Time to work those legs and organize the pantry. Squat down every time you lift something off a shelf or get up on your tip toes to work your calves when reaching up onto higher shelves for items. Take everything out of the pantry, clean it thoroughly, and then put everything back all while burning 344 calories in an hour.

Day Five: One last day to sweat it out. By loading and unloading the dishwasher and laundry, you can squat down to put dishes in the dishwasher and do another squat every time you grab items out of it as you empty it. (This also works with laundry. Squat to pull out one item, stand up as you fold, and then squat down again to get the next item.) 

Fitness for All: March Madness Workout – Can You Do It?

This month, we offer you this “March Madness-inspired” workout challenge. These exercises are inspired by all the full body moves that basketball players use while on the court. Can you keep up? You will need a cones, a kettle bell and a medicine ball.

Down and Back - Place two cones about 12-15 feet apart. Start by standing behind one cone as you face the other. As quickly as possible, sprint to the second cone. Once you’ve reached the second cone, quickly backpedal, returning to starting position. Continue moving as quickly as possible between cones. 2-3 sets, 6-8 reps.

Rotating Power Slams - Stand with feet hip-width apart and rise onto toes, holding medicine ball with both hands overhead, arms fully extended.  Shift hips down and back, bending knees as you explosively slam medicine ball into the ground outside of the left foot, rotating the torso. Allow ball to bounce back into hands and repeat sequence to opposite side. 2-3 sets, 6-8 per side. 

Cross-Body Lunge - Stand holding medicine ball overhead with arms extended. Step out to the left 

foot to perform a lateral lunge, sitting hips back and bending left knee, keeping ball in front of chest. Press off left foot and step it across the body in front of right foot, performing a forward lunge at a 45-degree angle, extending arms and medicine ball out in front of the body at shoulder height. Return to starting position and repeat sequence. 2-3 sets, 8-10 per side.

Alternating Single Arm Swings - Stand with feet hip-width apart and grasp handle of kettlebell in right hand using an overhand grip. Hinge at the hips as you draw the kettlebell back between the legs. Thrust hips forward, generating power from lower body to raise the kettlebell to shoulder height. Once at shoulder height, release the kettlebell momentarily mid-air to switch hands, so the kettlebell is now in the left hand. Continue alternating hands. 2-3 sets, 8-10 per arm.

Unstable Mountain Climbers - Position a medicine ball directly below chest and place hands on top of the ball. Extend legs with toes on floor, assuming a plank position. Keeping core engaged, draw right knee into chest. With control, quickly switch sides, stepping back with right foot while drawing left knee into chest. Continue alternating sides. 2-3 sets, 6-8 per leg.

Fitness for All February Fitness Challenge – Can You Do It?

It’s February… again. Yeah, we know that for some February is their least favorite month (Hello Groundhog Day?!) but this short month is the perfect opportunity to start a Winter Challenge!

This easy at-home winter challenge can be adapted any way that you see fit. Want a harder workout? Double the amount of reps/miles/etc. Need a more laid-back work out? Lessen the reps/miles/etc. Any way you look at it, you are still getting that much-needed mid-winter exercise.

Here’s the 28-day (thanks short month!) February Fitness Challenge breakdown and feel free to adjust accordingly!

Day 1: 25 squats

Day 2: 10 burpees

Day 3: 30-second plank

Day 4: 10 push ups

Day 5: 1-mile walk

Day 6: 25 walking lunges

Day 7: 30-second bridge

Day 8: 20 donkey kicks

Day 9: 50 high knees

Day 10: 2-mile walk

Day 11: 25 burpees

Day 12: 15 pushups

Day 13: 150 jumping jacks

Day 14: 45-second plank

Day 15: 50 jump squats

Day 16: 30 jump lunges

Day 17: 45-second bridge

Day 18: 30 donkey kicks

Day 19: 20 pushups

Day 20: 3-mile walk

Day 21: 60-second plank

Day 22: 20 single leg bridges

Day 23: 150 skiers

Day 24: 40 walking lunges

Day 25: 50 squats

Day 26: 20 burpees

Day 27: 60-second bridge

Day 28: 100 high knees