Best Health Magazine Canada

Live Better. Feel Great

  • Home
  • Best Looks
    • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Skin
    • Style
  • Best You
    • Arthritis and Pain
    • Body Image
    • Cold and Flu
    • Fitness
    • Health
    • Heart Health
    • Home Remedies
    • Relationships
    • Sleep
    • Weight Loss
    • Wellness
  • Best Eats
    • Cooking
    • Diet
    • Digestion
    • Healthy Eating
    • Nutrition
    • Recipes
    • Smoothies
    • Swap and Drop
  • Contests and Games
    • Contests
    • Games
  • Subscribe
    • Give a gift
    • Digital Magazine
You are here : Home / Best You / Workout Routines / Your at-home holiday workout routine

Your at-home holiday workout routine

Don't let a busy social schedule derail your fitness plans during the holidays. This quick and effective holiday workout will help you beat stress and stay fit all season long

Best Health

Your at-home holiday workout routine

It’s that time again’the festive season is right around the corner. It may be ‘the most wonderful time of the year,’ but for many of us, it’s also a period where finding the opportunity to squeeze in a workout becomes a real challenge, due to a busier-than-usual social schedule.

This year, rather than waiting for holiday stress and calorie overload to pile up and take their toll, make an effort to get into the swing of a fat- and tension-burning home fitness routine before the season even begins.

This cardio- and strength-building program can be completed in as little as fifteen minutes‘no matter where you are. Apart from helping you stay fit, it will also help you to feel mentally and physically prepared for the inevitable hustle and bustle of the holiday season’from last-minute shopping to celebrating with friends and family.

Tip: Repeat the whole sequence twice for additional calorie burning and muscle toning.

1. Power Skip

This blood-pumping cardio move will help you get warmed up. Begin with both feet flat on the floor. As if you were marching in place, lift your left knee to your waist while simultaneously pumping your right arm to the sky. Switch sides and alternate movement 32 times. Keep your chest proud and back straight while performing the exercise, using the lower abdominals to assist in lifting the leg.

Variation:
Boost the intensity by jumping the standing foot off the floor.

2. Walk the Plank

This lateral move incorporates the core training of a traditional plank with the increased resistance of a push-up.

Starting in a prone plank position, with weight on the hands and balls of the feet, walk your hands and feet out simultaneously to the right, keeping your abs tight, shoulders away from ears and core strong. Make sure your body stays long and keep your buttocks down. Repeat, before switching directions and walking out with your left hand and foot, twice. Complete this exercise four times, each direction.

Variation:
Add an additional pectoral challenge to this move by incorporating a push-up after each sideways walk.

3. Can-Can Kicks

This move is fun and flirty, and adds a great cardio interval to your home routine.

Using a dining room chair or low stool, stand up straight with hands on your hips, feet parallel, with the chair in front of you. Being careful to not kick the chair, swing the right leg over the chair from the left side to the right. Next, swing the left leg over the chair from the right side to the left. Focus on creating an arc of motion with your leg from one side of the chair to the other. Alternate legs and repeat eight times each side.

Variation: Ramp this move up a notch by adding a squat in between leg kicks.

4. Plie Squat

This ballet-inspired move is designed to work your quads, glutes and core.

Stand with feet wider than hip-width apart, toes pointing outward. With hands on your hips, squat down until your buttocks is parallel to your knees. Return to standing position. Repeat this move 16 times.

Variation: Turn up the heat of this already challenging move by placing your hands behind your head.

5. Bench hops

This classic compound move will help to heighten your heart rate.

Grab your chair or bench (make sure it’s sturdy). Facing the seat, bend over and place hands on both sides. Grip the edges of the seat and hop your right leg out laterally, bringing your left leg to meet it. Repeat on left side. Do 16 alternating reps.

Variation: Ramp this exercise up by jumping both legs together to either side of the bench.

6. Tricep Dips

This power move uses your body weight to tighten and tone the backs of your arms.

Sitting on your chair or stool, place hands on seat beside your hips, fingers facing forward and feet flat on the floor. Lift buttocks off sitting area, arms straight’but don’t lock your elbows. Next, bend your elbows and lower yourself toward the ground, keeping your body close to the chair. When elbows are bent as far as comfortable (aim for around 90 degrees), push yourself back up to the starting position. Repeat 16 times.

Variation: Add an extra challenge to this move by extending one leg straight out for a count of eight, then switch sides for remaining reps.

Don’t miss out! Sign up for our free weekly newsletters and get nutritious recipes, healthy weight-loss tips, easy ways to stay in shape and all the health news you need, delivered straight to your inbox.

Filed Under: Workout Routines

Watch This

Secrets to Staying Healthy & Happy

What it Means to be Spiritual but Not Religious

One-quarter of Canadians are turning their backs on traditional religion, looking inward instead of upward for spiritual sustenance. Meet four soul survivors who identify as spiritual but not religious

Healthy skin tips from a Twilight makeup artist

Even vampires need help to score flawless skin for the big screen. Here are some healthy skin tips straight from the set of Twilight Eclipse

8 healthy ways to eat blueberries

Try these fresh and tasty ways to incorporate blueberries into your diet

3 Tips to Beat Salad Boredom

Salads are healthy, but after eating them for lunch all the time, they can get tired quick. Beat mealtime boredom with these tips.

Apple Lover Muffins

We Also Think You’ll Like:

  • Why You Should Start Adding These Nutritional Powerhouses to Your Diet
  • This Beet, Cherry & Lentil Salad Will Forever Change How You Feel About Pulses
  • This Sesame, Cilantro and Roasted Fennel Rice Bowl Is Anything But Ordinary
  • Why You Should Make Post-Workout Stretching a Priority
  • This is Exactly What You Should Eat on Days You Workout

 

subscribe to Best Health

Subscribe to BH

Subscribe for a chance to win a $40,000 car!

  • Subscribe
  • Give a gift
  • Digital Editions

CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

DON'T MISS A DAY OF BEST HEALTH

Featured Content

Fake a good night’s sleep

Are itchy, red eyes making you look less-than-perky? Find which over-the-counter remedies will soothe your eyes’and help you look well rested

CONTESTS

Vinylux Facebook Live Giveaway

Official rules.

Win The Best

Enter for a chance to be 1 of 4 lucky readers to win all prize packs!

Write + win!

Tell us what you think of the February/March issue!

ABOUT BEST HEALTH

Best Health is a health & wellness magazine from renowned publisher Reader’s Digest that brings an inspiring voice to today’s contemporary Canadian woman.

  • Email Communications
    • Sign Up
    • Unsubscribe
    • Manage
  • Magazine
    • Subscribe
    • Give a gift
    • Digital Edition
  • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Site Map
  • Contact Us
    • Advertise with us
    • Customer care

DON’T MISS A DAY OF BEST HEALTH

CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Show Full Site

© 2018, Reader's Digest Magazine Canada Limited - © 2018 , The Reader's Digest Association (Canada) ULC - All rights reserved.

Please support this website by adding us to your whitelist in your ad blocker. Ads are what helps us bring you premium content! Thank you!