Let’s face it, friends… sometimes you just don’t have 45 minutes to work out. Not when there’s groceries to be bought, kids to be dropped off or picked up from school, and those last 18 episodes of Downton Abbey or Lost to watch… I get it and I’m not judging. Nope, I’m here to provide solutions.
And my gift to you is this 20-minute workout you can do anywhere. It’s a high-intensity metabolic workout that will use all your muscle groups and keep your heart rate high. You’re gonna torch calories and raise your metabolism for the rest of the day, folks. It’s worth every drop of sweat, I promise you.
This workout is simple and requires only you, your workout shoes, a small space, and a jump rope- or not! I appreciate that having a few kids makes jumping rope, ahem… not quite as fun as it used to be. In that case, just sub with jogging in place. It’s all good!
You do this workout by time, not reps, so don’t rush the reps… make them count. Do 4 rounds of each exercise, all in a row: 45 seconds ON, 15 seconds REST, then repeat 4 times. Once you’ve done 4 sets of the first exercise, move straight into the second, taking only enough time to transition. The 20 minutes will fly by, and you’ll have burned about 200 calories. Ready? Here we go:
Pushups: Do these from your knees or toes. Make sure to keep your shoulders directly above your hands throughout. Lower your body until your chest is nearly touching the floor/mat. Exhale as you push up.
Jump Rope: if your space does not allow room to jump rope, just jog in place instead.
Mountain Climbers: From a pushup position, raise one knee to your opposite elbow, then quickly switch… it’s like you’re running in place with your hands on the ground. Keep your shoulders directly above your hands throughout.
Squats: from a standing position, legs apart about shoulder width, sit back by bending your knees and pushing your rear end back. Make sure your upper body is fairly upright and your knees remain behind your toes. Keep your weight in your heels throughout the exercise.
Plank Jacks: from a pushup position, jump both feet outward, like you’re doing a jumping jack on the ground. Jump your feet back together again to complete the rep. Keep your shoulders above your hands throughout the exercise, and keep your abs tight to protect your low back. If this exercise fatigues your low back too much, just hold the plank.
If you try this workout, let me know… your comments make my day! Happy weekend, friends!