Even the healthiest among us succumb to the occasional cheat day. Or, in some cases, a whole cheat month, especially around the holiday season. It’s easy enough to keep up diets and meal plans throughout the week, but Friendsgiving dinners, holiday celebrations, and weekend festivities will have you throwing all that out the window! Think decadent hot chocolate, warm apple pie, delicious eggnog, and gooey cookies.

It can be challenging to stay in shape with these temptations. If you want to stay healthy without compromising on your holiday treats and cheats, consider trying this quick home workout we’ve put together.

It works different areas, so you can burn calories while getting a complete body workout. Factoring in time between sets, this home workout should only take you around thirty minutes, so let’s get started!

Don’t Forget to Stretch!

1 minute

Stretching is important before any workout and, since we’re targeting the whole body, use this time to do a few different stretches. If you already have a personalized stretch routine, that would be great to use! Otherwise I can take you through some pre-workout stretches that I use. I spend around 10 seconds each on these different stretches.

Touch Your Toes

Start by standing up straight, then bend over and outstretch your arms towards your feet. Strive to touch the tops of your toes with your fingertips. Don’t worry if you can’t quite get there, just put in the effort to really reach for it!

 

Shoulder Stretch

Raise your right arm and move it across your body so it’s parallel from your left shoulder. Use your left hand to pull your right arm close to your chest. You should feel it in your back shoulder. Repeat this process with your left arm.

Triceps Stretch

Put your right arm over your head and bend your elbow so that your right hand is reaching for your left shoulder. Use your left hand to press down on your right elbow. Feel it in your upper shoulder and the back of your arm. Repeat this process with your left arm.

Quadriceps Stretch

While standing up straight bend your right knee back and grab the front of your right foot with your right hand. Use your hand to bend your right knee back. You’ll feel this stretch in the front of your leg. Repeat this with your left leg. 

Abs

5 minutes w/ 10 second breaks between sets

 

In & Outs: 30 seconds x4

Sit down on the floor and use your palms to prop up your upper body. Bend your elbows back and lift your feet off the floor, then bend your knees. This is your starting position. Straighten your legs out and move back so that you’re resting on your forearms. Return to the starting position.

 

Forearm Plank: 1-minute x 2

Lay down on your stomach. Put your hands together and form a fist. Prop yourself up on your forearms and tip toes, keeping your body parallel to the ground. Stay in this position for one minute. Take a 10 second break and do it again. 

 

Mountain Climbers: 30 seconds x2

Outstretch your arms underneath you and put your feet back so that your propped up by your palms and the top of your  feet. Quickly bring your right knee up towards your chest, tap your toes down, then revert back. Swiftly switch between your left and right leg and do this for two 30-second sets.

Thighs

6 Minutes w/ 10 second breaks between sets

 

 

Toe Squats: 30 seconds x4

Bring your legs together and rise up on your toes. Go down into a squat, then back up. Continue doing this for 30 seconds. Repeat four times.

 

Right Leg Circles: 30 seconds x2

Left Leg Circles: 30 seconds x 2

Lay on your back with your legs together. Lift your right leg in the air. Make a large clock-wise circle with your right leg, crossing over your left leg. Do this for 30 seconds, then switch to your left leg and do the same. Do 2 sets for each leg.

 

Lunges: 1-minute x 2

Stand up straight with your feet slightly apart. Place your hands on your hips. Put your right foot out in front of you and go down so that both knees are bent. Return to a standing position, keeping your hands on your hips. Alternate legs and go down into a lunge with your left leg in front. Do (2) 1-minute sets. You can either alternate legs or do one set of right-leg lunges and one set of left-leg lunges. 

Glutes

5 Minutes w/ 10 second breaks between sets

 

Tippy Toe Glute Bridges: 30 seconds x4

Lay down on your back. Bend your knees and balance on your tippy toes, bringing your lower body off the ground and keeping your shoulders down. Raise up your bottom and abdomen, then lower back down without touching the floor.

 

Glute Kickbacks: 30 seconds x4        

Sit on your knees. Outstretch your arms underneath you, resting your palms on the ground.  Raise one knee off the ground and outstretch your leg behind you, then bring it back without touching the ground. After you do one set for 30 seconds, switch legs and do the same for 30 seconds. Do (2) 30-second sets for each leg.

 

Squat Jumps: 30 seconds x2

Squat jumps are similar to regular squats. The only difference is when you come up from the squat position you jump, then go back down into a squat as soon as your feet touch the floor.

Biceps & Triceps

6 Minutes w/ 10 second breaks between sets

 

Alternating Shoulder Taps (triceps): 30 seconds x4

Start in a plank position with your arms outstretched below you. Lift up your right arm and tap your left shoulder. Repeat this with your left arm.

 

 

Incline Push Ups (triceps):  30 seconds x4

Grab a sturdy object to balance on, and get into position to do a push-up, but put the palms of your hands on the object. Do these push-ups for 30 seconds and complete 4 sets. 

 

 

Towel Bicep Curls: 1-minute x 2

Place a hand towel around your upper thigh, right above the knee. Grip the ends of the towel with both hands. Use your arms to pull your leg up, then lower your leg back down, but keep your foot off the ground. Switch legs for the second set. 

 

Doorway Curls (biceps): 30 seconds x4

Stand opposite a door frame with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grip the door frame with your fingers, making sure your thumb is facing you. Pull yourself forward, bringing your chest parallel with the door frame. Lower yourself back to the starting position. 

Are you ready for a work out?  

Ideally, this is a full-body home workout. But, if you’re trying to focus more on one or two specific areas, you can increase the number of sets or do longer sets to get a more centralized workout in the same amount of time. Just cut out the rest. Remember that with any exercise program you should first check with your doctor or medical professional. Hopefully this helps you burn calories this holiday season.  

Written and Published by Jessica – Writer at HMS Mfg. Co. for the Stola™ brand

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