As a health and wellness promoter and professional, it’s really important to me to prioritize self-care no matter what kinds of obstacles there are in life. And to set the best example I can, I make sure to keep up with my wellness regimen of eating well, working out, and doing things for my overall betterment (be it meditating, painting, reading, writing, doing yoga, education, etc). Despite my best efforts, though, there is one time of the year where I struggle.
I don’t know about you, but as soon as New Years celebrating is over I am so ready for spring. There is something so upsetting to me about the thought of winter continuing after the fun of celebrating winter holidays is over (and the hubs and I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day or count it as a holiday, but that’s a topic for another day).
One of the worst things for me is the idea that I’ve spent so much time traveling and doing the wonderful holiday thing, and then I’m ready to jump back into my usual cardio routine except, oh wait, it’s actually 20 degrees colder than I remember and the really bitter, nasty part of winter is just starting. Ugh. I have zero motivation to go out and pound some pavement when the windchill factor is “don’t even bother wearing a coat, I’ll rip right through it anyway” and the high for the day is “ha-ha, what high??”
Anyone else with me on this?
So how do I reconcile my seeming dissimilar motivations? In this blog post, the Green Hat and I are going to share with you some of our favorite moves for keeping our hearts healthy without facing the winter chill.
Last year, I wrote a post about the benefits of High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, and when it comes to getting a lot out of your workout in a small space with little to no equipment, I really don’t think there is anything better or more effective. One of the really awesome things about HIIT (besides sounding like a bada$$ when you talk about it) is that you can really personalize it to your level and interests. The sky is the limit when it comes to picking your exercises, and with that kind of flexibility you are less likely to get burned out and bored.
Sometimes, though, that many exercise options can be overwhelming and make it hard to know where to start! How do you know what exercises you need to be doing to get your specific body to your specific goal?
I can’t stress enough the importance of enlisting a fitness expert to guide you to where you want to be. The fitness industry is vast, and the knowledge that you can glean from having a certified professional in your corner is immeasurable. And it’s always a good idea to get your physician’s clearance to exercise if you’ve never done it before, or if you have any preexisting conditions that could contraindicate particular fitness moves.
Below are some of my go-to exercises for when I need to kick it with some cardio. To do these exercises, all you need is a person-sized space (big enough for a yoga mat or a beach towel, if that is easier to visualize) and some go-get-em attitude! Try out these options with a HIIT workout to get launched into your cardio zone (all without having to leave the comfort of your heated living room).
Squat Leg Tuck
Sometimes, in order to get a great workout, all you need to do is remember the basics. Just because something is a basic exercise doesn’t make it an easy exercise. In fact, all exercises build on the basics!
Squats are very effective by themselves, but adding a few key features can really crank up the intensity. Any time your arms are above your head, it increases the demand on your cardiovascular system and your upper torso muscles. Standing on one leg challenges your stabilizing muscles and core. For a squat that will thrust you into your cardio zone, try out this Squat Leg Tuck exercise!
Stand tall with your feet about hip width apart. Raise your arms above your head without shrugging so your neck stays relaxed.
Keep your chest up as you push your hips back and sink into a squat. Your arms should remain behind your ears (or as close as possible). Your knees should remain on top of your ankles but BEHIND YOUR TOES at all times.
Stand up powerfully and, as you do, draw one knee up to your chest as you pull your elbows down toward your hips. Think about compressing your core, but maintain a tall posture.
Return to your squat position.
Repeat on the other leg!
Squat Jumps
Our next squat variation is a bit more explosive than the first. “Explosive” exercises are very effective at getting your heart rate up because they recruit so many muscle fibers. To execute this exercise, you think about pressing your body away from the ground with enough force to leave the ground. (**If you are unsure about jumping, just think about standing up powerfully but keeping your feet on the ground)
The landing is more important than taking off, though, so you want to make sure you land softly on your feet and bend your knees back into a squat. Landing on straight or locked knees can cause more harm than good, so we want to avoid that! Land gently and try to absorb your landing into your muscles by spreading your weight throughout your feet and pushing your hips back as you bend your knees. Again, if you aren’t sure you can do this safely just keep your feet on the ground at all times or seek the assistance of a fitness professional in your area.
I like to keep my legs wider than hip width when starting squat jumps because it tends to help me land lighter on my feet and help with balance.
Launch powerfully upward, using as many muscles as possible. Move so explosively you blur the camera!!
Extend all the way, whether you are jumping or standing powerfully, before recoiling into your starting position. Remember to LAND LIGHTLY!
Jumping Jacks
Your tried and true exercises are, well, tried and true for effectiveness. Some exercises you just can’t go wrong with. Like jumping jacks! Even if you are doing a modified jumping jack (stepping out to the side instead of jumping), you are still raking in the cardio benefit.
Stand tall with arms down and legs together.
Jump or step into a wide leg position with your arms spread above your head. For added benefit, focus on pulling your legs together when you return to start.
Lunge Jumps
Jumping jacks move your legs and arms laterally, which is awesome because we don’t normally move in that direction and so it’s good not to forget those muscles. But if you are looking to up the ante some more, the linear movement of a lunge combined with the explosive power of getting off the ground is where it’s at.
Lunges are an advancement of squats; they work your big leg movers but challenge you all the more because your joints have to work a little harder. If you aren’t sure about lunges, seek a local fitness professional or just start conservatively. Just standing in a split squat position (one foot in front of the other) can bring you balance and strength benefits that you would otherwise miss out on by only focusing on exercises that keep your feet on the ground together.
Start with one foot far in front of the other. Your hind foot should be on its toe (ie, far enough away from your front foot that you can’t put your heel down while staying balanced between your legs). You can bend your hind knee into a lunge or keep it straighter, just make sure your torso is tall and your front knee stays BEHIND YOUR TOES at all times.
Push powerfully away from the ground with your front leg and either step your hind foot forward to trade feet (nonexplosive) or jump to trade feet.
Jumping to trade feet. The energy channels straight UP, so focus on pulling all of yourself in one unified direction. Make sure you move fast enough to blur the camera! 🙂
Land with the position of your legs swapped. If you feel stable, sink into your lunge and repeat. Make sure that you do not land on locked knees! Keep your core tight and your chest lifted at all times!
Lateral Lunge Jumps
As I stated earlier, lateral movers are important and shouldn’t be forgotten when seeking well-rounded fitness. This exercise, like all exercises in this post, can be done stepping instead of jumping if you are worried about the impact on your joints. If you are feeling more confident, however, adding the explosive part of the exercise can have a big payoff for boosting your metabolism and increasing lean muscle mass, not to mention working on your balance and cranking up your cardio training.
Start in the middle of your space (or mat, in my case) and step out to the side. Your inside leg stays straight while you shift your weight to your outside leg and bend into a squat on that leg. Keep your KNEE BEHIND YOUR TOES and your chest up.
Push off from your outside leg and travel toward your inside leg. Just like the lunge jump, you are focusing your power UP.
Shift your weight to your inside leg and trade feet. What was previously your outside leg is now your inside leg.
Plant your new inside leg and step out to the side with your new outside leg.
Land and shift your weight to your new outside leg, completing a squat on that leg. Repeat!
The main thing about cardiovascular exercise is that you complete the exercises rhythmically. This means you continue the movement in a cycle for a length of time. You really start reaping the benefits of cardiovascular exercise when you are in your cardio zone for at least 10-15 minutes, but that doesn’t mean that you have to do the same exercise that whole time. You can pick any of the exercises above (or any others that suit your fancy: jump rope, biking, rollerblading, jogging, swimming, going up and down your stairs…) and complete them in circuits until you accumulate how many minutes you were intending to work out. Here’s an example circuit cardio workout, using the exercises listed above:
Warm up: Basic squats, lunges, lateral lunges without explosive power. 1 minute each = 3 minute totalCircuit:Squat Jumps: 40 sec work, 20 sec restLunge Jumps: 40 sec work, 20 sec restSquat Leg Tuck: 50 sec work, 10 sec restLateral Lunge Jumps: 40 sec work, 20 sec restJumping Jacks: 50 sec work, 10 sec restRepeat Circuit 2-4 times = 13-23 minute workout
With an approach like this, cardio can be something you can keep in your workout no matter what the weather is like and, one of my favorite features, no equipment means that anyone can do this kind of workout.
These exercise examples are heavily focused on the lower body (just like running or biking), so you will want to make sure that you stretch thoroughly after your workout and keep those muscles moving over the next few days to prevent overly tight muscles and soreness. If you’re like me, though, you might enjoy that feeling! 🙂 Working on your flexibility also has the added benefit of keeping your body very functional and preventing tightness injuries, which are common when you’re starting out a new and challenging workout program. Make sure you listen to your body and do what’s best for you.
These types of exercises can also be incorporated into the Commercial Break Workout I highlighted in this blog post to help you get through the holidays. How do you stay dedicated through the colder months?
Like my workout shirt? Contact me here for information about ordering your own!
Thanks for stopping by! Keep up the good work, and the Green Hat and I will see you soon!
Three fur babies (Molly, Gaelic, and Bosco) helping me workout for this blog.
Comments