We’ve talked about the strength training and aerobic exercise recommendations. I wanted to provide you with a 25 minute workout you could do today to help you meet those recommendations each week.
The 25 minute at home workout
This 25 minute workout includes strength training of all your major muscle groups and cardio that you can do at home without any exercise equipment. This is based on a format I like to use called LUCC which ensures we work all our major muscles groups and get some cardio in with each workout.
Importance of warming up
Prior to starting a workout, it is beneficial to warm-up. Doing a warm-up gives your body time to prepare for exercise. This is great if you are working out first thing in the morning or after work after a long day of sitting. A good warm-up is about 5-10 minutes and helps you prepare for the workout you are doing. Meaning, depending on the type of exercise, your warm-up will look different. I’ve put together a video warm-up that you can use for this workout.
After you have properly warmed up, it’s time to work! This workout has 2 parts for you to complete.
Part A:
Upper body moves and lower body moves for 12 minutes.
Set a timer for 12 minutes and complete as many rounds as possible of (meaning cycle through the number of reps for each exercise as many times as you can during 12 minutes):
10 Squats
8 Pushups
20 Single Leg Toe Touches – Alternate Legs
10 Lying Y Raises
Rest for 1 minute. You can sit, stand, walk around, get some water, whatever you would like during your rest period.
Part B:
Cardio moves and ab moves for 12 minutes.
Set a timer again for 12 minutes and complete as many rounds as possible of (meaning cycle through the number of reps for each exercise as many times as you can during 12 minutes):
20 Second Plank Hold
20 Deadbugs
20 Cross Body Mountain Climbers
60 High Knees
10 Burpees – No Pushup
I like the approach of a timed workout because you can move at your own pace but also know it will be over after a certain amount of time. If you are wanting to get your heart rate up, consider moving at a quick pace where you can still maintain proper. To meet the strength training exercise recommendation, a moderate intensity is beneficial. While there is a rest break at the end of Part A, you should also rest as needed during the 12 minutes in Part A and Part B. Once you’re done, it’s time to cool-down.
Importance of cooling down
Cooling down is key to helping your heart rate and breathing return to normal. It is a safe way to return to non-exercise life. Cool downs can be anywhere from 5-10 minutes and include: doing the movements you did during the workout at a slower pace, walking around for 5 minutes, or, stretching all major muscle groups. I generally recommend moving at a slower pace for a few minutes before getting into the stretching. We’ll talk all about stretching when we discuss the flexibility recommendations. Yes, we should be getting our stretch on regularly!
Give this workout a try and let me know how it goes. If you like this one, be on the lookout for more and other options to get workout plans delivered to you!
Until next time! – Atim
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