Nothing spells out beanies, jackets, fireplaces, dreary weather and an extra row of chocolate more than winter. Unfortunately what comes with these guilty pleasures is every excuse known to man not to train and ensure we stay on track with our exercise regimes.
Winter is in fact the perfect opportunity to throw on an extra layer, hit the gym, burn a few extra kilojoules and get us ready to turn heads come the first day of summer.
The good news is, the excuses stop here! Read on to be enlightened with an Ultimate Winter Workout program. Up you get and off you go!
Dumb-Bell Squat- Hold a pair of dumb-bells at arm’s length by your side. Start standing with your feet hip width apart, keep your weight in your heels as you bend and lower your hips until your thighs are parallel with the floor, then return to standing. Your knees should stay behind your toes at any time during this movement. For added benefit, flex your thighs as hard as possible at the top of each repetition. This keeps tension in the muscles, working them harder.
Dumb-Bell Shoulder Press – Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, holding a pair of dumb-bells on your shoulders with your arms bent and elbows facing each other. Press the dumb-bells upwards above your head until the arms are fully extended. Slowly lower the arms back to starting position.
Mountain Climber – Start in a push-up position with your arms completely straight. Bring your right knee as close to the outside of your elbow as you can. Return the foot back to the start position and repeat with your left leg. Alternate back and forth between the two legs as quickly as possible.
Theraband Seated Row – Attach a Theraband around a fixed object and position yourself with a straight back and your legs slightly bent. Without moving your body, pull the handles to your arm-pits, aiming to squeeze the shoulder blades together as you pull the hands. Pause, then slowly return your arms to the start position.
Abdominal Crunch – Lie on the floor with you knees bent and your feet flat. Place your hands on your thighs. Focus on squeezing your abdominals and raise your chest towards your thighs, until your finger-tips are touching your knees. Pause, then slowly return to the start position. Be sure to keep your neck straight while doing this exercise as to avoid unnecessary strain.
Rather than counting repetitions, run this program as a circuit where by you perform each exercise for 1-minute, having a 15-second rest interval while you move to the next exercise. If just starting out, work at a speed you feel comfortable with and take extra rest when required. For those of you who are a little fitter, aim to complete the circuit 5-times. Can’t think of a better way to stay warm ;-)