It's about that time when anyone and everyone migrates home for the holidays, wherever "home" may be. As magical as this time of year is, though, it can also present some difficulties in terms of keeping up with your workout routine. But worry not, my friends. There are workouts you can do in your room that'll help you coast right through the holidays with ease and feel amazing from the inside out in the process.
"Despite what you might think, you don’t need tons of space to get a good, full-body, cardio and resistance workout," David Wiener, a training specialist for fitness app Freeletics, tells Elite Daily over email.
According to Wiener, effective HIIT and bodyweight training can be done anytime, anywhere, and an app like Freeletics can easily help you get the job done. The platform includes in-depth video tutorials and training instructions to guide you through hundreds of workouts, and demonstrate the proper training techniques and form along the way.
However, if you don't have access to Freeletics, don't sweat it (pun intended). Josh Morin, a strength and conditioning specialist and certified nutrition coach, has you covered with a home workout that'll challenge you from head to toe. "Perform each exercise for 45 seconds with 15-second breaks [in between]," he tells Elite Daily.
In total, Morin suggests performing four rounds of the following circuit, with a one- to two-minute break between each round. Happy sweating, fam!
"Start by standing with a slight bend in the knees and hands resting on your thighs," Morin explains. "Keeping the knees bent, open the arms and legs out to the sides."
Then, bring your arms above your head, and keep your legs wider than your shoulders before closing them and returning to your starting position.
"Basic high knees can be performed while running in place or moving over a distance," says Morin. For these high knees, though, the trainer suggests standing in place with your feet hip-width apart (small bedroom swag, amirite?).
Drive your right knee toward your chest before quickly placing it back on the ground for a classic high knee. "Follow immediately by driving your left knee toward your chest," the trainer says.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and place your hands behind your head. "This will be your starting position," says Morin.
Begin the movement by flexing your knees and hips, and sitting back with your hips. "Continue down to full depth if you are able, and quickly reverse the motion until you return to the starting position," Morin tells Elite Daily. "As you squat, keep your head and chest up and push your knees out."
Morin suggests using a weight here, but if you don't have one, a generally heavy object, like an old college textbook, could work — or you could go weightless, too! Whatever's best for you.
Anyway, here's how this one is done: Begin by standing upright with a tight core and a flat back, Morin tells Elite Daily. Then, extend your arms to chest level in front of you (while holding the weight, if you're including it in this workout).
"Step forward with one leg — your front thigh should be parallel with the floor," Morin explains. "Drop the back knee and rotate the torso toward the leg that stepped out while keeping arms extended."
Finish by pushing back up to the starting position.
Next, lie on the floor face-down, and place your hands outside the shoulders while holding your torso up at arm’s length. This will be your set-up for push-ups.
"Lower yourself downward until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale," Morin explains. "Now, breathe out and press your upper body back up to the starting position while squeezing your chest."
After a brief pause, the trainer says, at the top contracted position, you can begin to lower yourself down again for as many repetitions as you can handle. You got this, girl.
Get into a plank position with your hands about shoulder-width apart, your back flat, abs engaged, and head in alignment.
"From this position, pull the right knee into your chest as far as you can," says Morin. "Now, switch and bring the other knee in, running the knees in as far and as fast as you can while keeping the hips down."
Round things out with a plank, "planting the hands directly under the shoulders (slightly wider than shoulder-width apart), like you’re about to do a push-up," Morin says.
Then, he explains, ground the toes into the floor and squeeze the glutes to stabilize your body. "Your legs should be working in the move, too (but be careful not to lock or hyperextend your knees)," Morin adds.
To finish, neutralize the neck and spine by looking at a spot on the floor about a foot beyond your hands. Your head should be in line with your back, says Morin.
So, how are you feeling?
