The holiday season (or silly season) is here and that means quality time with loved ones, playing on the beach, a getaway to somewhere new, and looots of time relaxing. When it’s this time of year, it’s easy to let your health and fitness slide. But when you let your exercise routine fall by the wayside, it can make it SO much harder to start back up again in the new year.
Working out on your holidays doesn’t mean you have to hunt down a gym on your family getaway or even drag yourself to a gym at all over Christmas - there are plenty of simple yet effective workouts you can do at home instead.
You can workout just as hard at home as you can in the gym! And when you’re short on time (and would rather be by the pool), quick and simple workouts you can do anytime, anywhere are just what you need. I’ve got you, gurl.
Here are some of my favourite at-home workout moves for holiday season -
PUSH-UPS
How:
- Position yourself so that you are lying on a flat surface or bench. Ensure you drive your feet firmly into the ground, draw your shoulder blades backwards and create a slight arch in your back by shortening the distance between your shoulders and knees.
- Grip the bar outside of shoulder width and press up firmly, allowing the bar to be unracked. Pull the bar over your lower chest ensuring your shoulder blades are contracted.
- Breathing in, lower the bar down to just touch the middle of your chest. Ensure you bend your elbows at approximately 45 degrees away from your torso.
- Push the bar back up to the starting position.
Why:
The push-up is a killer movement for the upper body. It will target the chest (pecs), shoulders (deltoids), your triceps, core and serratus anterior.
PLANK
How:
- Begin in a push-up position.
- Lower both your forearms to the ground so that your elbows and fists are flat on the ground. Your palms should be balled up and your shoulders should be parallel to your elbows.
- Curl your toes under and engage your abs by tilting your pelvis and pulling your belly button toward your spine.
- Straighten your body, keeping your neck and spine neutral.
- Flex and engage your core, while squeezing your bottom. These are the two major muscle groups you’ll be working out in this exercise.
- Hold this position until after the burning begins, ensuring you always maintain your technique throughout. Keep your eyes on the floor in front of you. Avoid raising your behind. Your body should make a straight line from your heels to the back of your head.
Why:
The plank will target the major muscle groups of your core and engage your glutes. A strengthened core will not only assist you in executing other exercises with better technique, but also assist you in day-to-day activities.
SQUATS
How:
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart in a comfortable stance, with your hands out in front of you or at your sides for stability.
- Hinge at your hips, then knees as if you were going to sit in a chair.
- Go as low as you can without placing any pressure on your joints, but instead focus on your muscle contractions.
- Straighten your legs back up to return to a standing position.
Why:
The squat will strengthen and condition your glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves. It strengthens your core and will assist in muscle building all over the body.
HIP THRUSTS
How:
- Rest your upper back and shoulders on a bench.
- Position your feet so that your heels are close to your buttocks.
- Drive your hips upwards by pressing your feet firmly to the floor and squeezing your buttocks at the top of the exercise (while avoiding overextending).
- Gradually lower back to the starting position, ensuring that you maintain tension through your glute muscles.
Why:
The hip thrust will create a lot of isolation for the glutes while recruiting some quad and hamstring. This makes it an extremely effective exercise for those looking to strengthen and build their booty!
Now, there are plenty of home exercises needing ZERO equipment. However, if you really want to get those glutei burnin’ on lower body day, then THE BOD Fabric Booty Band is a great workout tool for when you’re on holidays with limited space and time.
Here’s a great booty band workout to try:
5 rounds
- 30 Hip thrusts
- 15 Single Leg Hip Thrust (repeat each side)
- 15 Donkey Kicks (repeat each side)
- 15 Three Point Toe Tap (repeat each side)
Here’s another fab booty workout you can do at home - no equipment needed!
10 of each exercise (10 on each leg) for as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes!
- Curtsy Lunge
- Squat Jump
- Pulse Lunge
- Side Skaters
If you wanna feel your core burn, try this 15 minute equipment-free workout:
1 minute of each exercise, with 10 seconds of rest in between.
- Side plank
- Plank roll
- Butterfly sit ups
- Russian twists
Another great (and fun!) way to incorporate some new exercises into your holiday routine is with THE BOD Booty Box. This 52 card workout game is perfect for playing (and getting fit!) with a friend or loved one and can be used anytime, anywhere!
Ready for more workouts like this? THE BOD App is the perfect workout companion for at home or in the gym. Get full training programs, exercise breakdowns, meal plans and flexible dieting options all in the app here.
Already a subscriber? Follow the BOD SQUAD on socials and tag us in your workout @thebod_ #thebod
Sophie x
Leave a comment