Body Weight Workout

Body Weight Workout

You don't need weights or even a gym membership to give your body a workout.  We often forget that our body weight alone can give us a great workout.  Here is a sample workout to try at home:

Jumping Jacks x 25

Planks x 30 seconds

Mountain Climbers x 25

Planks x 30 seconds

Squat Thrust x 10

Elbow to Knee Crunch x 50 (25 each side)

Walking Lunges

Push ups x 10 (or more if you can)

Planks x 30 seconds

Jumping Jacks x 25

Elbow to Knee Crunch x 50 (25 each side)

Pushups x 10 (or more if you can)

Jumping Jacks 

1. Stand with your arms at your sides. Be sure your feet are straight and close together. Hold your head straight, but in a comfortable position to avoid strain.
2. Bend your knees. Jump up while spreading your arms and legs at the same time. Lift your arms to your ears and open your feet to a little wider than shoulder width. This should all be done in a fast fluid movement.
3. Clap or touch your hands above your head. As you return from jumping up bring your arms back down to your sides and at the same time bring your feet back together.

Planks 

 1. Lay on the ground face down.
2. Place your elbows directly under your shoulders and forearms flat on the ground.
3. Curl your toes underneath, and raise your body off the ground.
4. Hold this position, focusing on tightening your core
5. Repeat on the side - using only one arm.

Mountain Climbers

1.       Place yourself in the basic push-up position with your arms in line with your chest and your legs extended outward, resting on the balls of your feet. 

2.       Bring one leg forward to your chest.

3.       Then switch and bring your opposite leg forward to your chest while returning the other leg back to its original position.

4.       Repeat the motion rapidly

Squat Thrust

 1.       Stand with feet together

2.       Squat down and place your hands on the floor next to your feet

3.       Jump feet backwards into a push-up position

4.      Jump feet back between hands and stand up

 Elbow to Knee Crunch

1.       Start in standing position

2.       Lift your right arm over your head and your right leg out to the side away from your left leg

3.       Bring your right elbow down and your right knee up to meet half way, causing the outer section of your core to contract. 

4.       Repeat on left side

 

Walking Lunges

 1.       Stand upright, feet together

2.       Step forward with left leg

3.       Lower hips toward the floor and bend both knees

4.       Push off with your right foot and return to starting position

5.       Repeat with opposite leg

Pushups

 1.       Lay on the floor, face down with your palms down on the floor, approximately shoulder width apart

2.       Raise yourself using your arm to get in starting position

3.       Lower your chest to the ground until your elbows for a 90 degree angle (keep you back flat)

4.       Raise yourself back to starting position