Ankle taps
Twist your torso to the side and reach down with your right hand to touch your right ankle. Immediatley reach down with your left hand to touch your left ankle. Repeat. Continue this small focused movement and contraction of your core muscles for the duration of the exercise.
Arm circles
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and extend your arms parallel to the floor.
- Circle your arms forward using small controlled motions, gradually making the circles bigger until you feel a stretch in your triceps.
- Reverse the direction of the circles after about 10 seconds.
Bridge lifts
- Lie on your back with your hands at your sides, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor under your knees.
- Tighten your abdominal and buttock muscles by pushing your low back into the ground before you push up.
- Raise your hips to create a straight line from your knees to shoulders.
- Squeeze your core and pull your belly button back toward your spine.
- Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, and then return to your starting position.
- Complete at least 10 reps.
Burpees
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, weight in your heels, and your arms at your sides.
- Push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body into a squat.
- Place your hands on the floor directly in front of, and just inside, your feet. Shift your weight onto your hands.
- Jump your feet back to softly land on the balls of your feet in a plank position. Your body should form a straight line from your head to heels. Be careful not to let your back sag or your butt stick up in the air, as both can keep you from effectively working your core.
- Jump your feet back so that they land just outside of your hands.
- Reach your arms over head and explosively jump up into the air.
- Land and immediately lower back into a squat for your next rep.
Calf raises
- Stand on the edge of a step. Or, if you have a step-aerobics platform, place two sets of risers underneath the platform.
- Stand tall with your abdominals pulled in, the balls of your feet firmly planted on the step, and your heels hanging over the edge.Rest your hands against a wall or a sturdy object for balance.
- Raise your heels a few inches above the edge of the step so that you’re on your tiptoes.
- Hold the position for a moment, and then lower your heels below the platform, feeling a stretch in your calf muscles.
Crunches
- Lie down on your back. Plant your feet on the floor, hip-width apart. Bend your knees and place your arms across your chest. Contract your abs and inhale.
- Exhale and lift your upper body, keeping your head and neck relaxed.
- Inhale and return to the starting position.
Decline press up
Place your feet on a bench with your hands planted on the floor in front of you. Lower your body down until your chest almost reaches the floor. Press your body back up to the starting position while squeezing your chest. Pause briefly at the top before repeating.
Duck walk
Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Push your hips back, bend your knees, and try to squat until your upper thighs are parallel to the floor, extending your arms out in front of you for balance. Keep your chest up, your weight on your heels, and your eyes straight ahead.
Heel flicks
Begin by jogging forwards slowly, then gradually bring your heels up towards your bum (you can do it on the spot if you prefer). Focus on keeping your torso upright, and try to land lightly, making as little noise as possible as your feet touch the floor.
High knees
- Stand up straight and place your feet about hip-width apart.
- Place your hands palms down facing the floor, hovering just above your belly button.
- Quickly drive your right knee up to meet your right hand, bring the same leg back to the ground immediately bring the left knee coming up to meet your left hand.
- As you are alternating knees, you want to do it with a hopping motion, staying on the balls of your feet the entire time.
- Make sure you are engaging your abdominal muscles as each knee comes up to meet the hands.
High to low plank
Start in a high plank position so that your hands are right underneath your shoulders. Tighten your abs and glutes and make sure your body forms a straight line all the way from your head to your ankles.
Now start by bending your right arm from the elbow and lowering it on the ground so that you can lean on your right forearm, then do the same with your left arm.
So now you are on a low plank position. Try to make sure that your body forms a straight line from your head to your ankles.
Then push your body up with the right arm and then with the left arm to finish on a high plank position again.
Important is to keep moving all the time, do not rest in any position. Try to do it as fast as possible without losing a proper body shape. It means that your body should stay as straight as possible from your ankles up to the head. Also keep your abs and glutes tight all the time.
Exhale when pushing up to the high plank position and inhale when lowering down to the low plank position.
Incline press up
- Stand facing the bench, table, or the edge of a bed.
- Place your hands on the edge of the bench just slightly wider than shoulder width. Your arms are straight but elbows are not locked. Align your feet so that your arms and body are completely straight.
- Bend your elbows to slowly lower your chest to the edge of the bench while inhaling. Keep your body straight and rigid throughout the movement.
- Push your body away from the bench until your elbows are extended, but not locked. Exhale as you push up.
- Keep going with slow, steady repetitions.
Jumping knee tucks
Start in a standing position, slightly bending your knees. Hold your hands out at chest height. Lower your body quickly into a squat position, then explode upwards bringing your knees up towards your chest.
Jumping lunges
Starting standing with feet shoulder-width apart. Jump your left leg forward and your right leg back into a lunge, with both knees at 90 degrees. Jump up and switch your legs in midair so that you land in a lunge with your right leg in front. Continue jumping back and forth, pausing as little as possible.
Jumping wide to narrow squat
- Stand with feet shoulder width and knees slightly bent.
- Bend your knees and descend to a full squat position.
- At the bottom of the squat, powerfully explode straight up bringing your knees toward your chest while in midair. At the top of the jump, your thighs should touch your torso.
- Release your legs, control your landing by going through your foot (toes, ball, arches, heel) and descend into the squat again for another explosive jump.
- Upon landing immediately repeat the next jump.
Leg raises
- Lie on your back, legs straight and together.
- Keep your legs straight and lift them all the way up to the ceiling until your butt comes off the floor.
- Slowly lower your legs back down till they’re just above the floor. Hold for a moment.
- Raise your legs back up. Repeat.
Mountain climbers
Start in a traditional plank — shoulders over hands and weight on just your toes. With your core engaged, bring your right knee forward under your chest, with the toes just off the ground. Return to your basic plank.
Narrow press up
Start on the floor and place your hands directly under your chest, closer than shoulder-width apart. Begin lowering your body by bending your elbows, keeping your core tight and your back flat, until your chest grazes the floor. Keep your elbows tucked in toward your body.
Pile squats
- Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder distance apart and toes turned out into a 45 degree angle.
- Bend knees and lower your torso, keeping your back straight and abs tight.
- Squeeze your glutes and come to standing position.
Pulsing squat
Start standing with feet about shoulder width apart. Lower hips until thighs are parallel to the ground and pulse two times. Squeeze glutes and push into your heels to bring yourself back to standing. Be careful not to let your upper body lean forward, and prevent your knees from bowing inward or outward.
Russian twists
- Sit on your sit bones as you lift your feet from the floor, keeping your knees bent.
- Elongate and straighten your spine at a 45-degree angle from the floor, creating a V shape with your torso and thighs.
- Reach your arms straight out in front, interlacing your fingers or clasping your hands together.
- Use your abdominals to twist to the right, then back to centre, and then to the left.
Seated knee tucks
Sit down with your hands on the mat, elbows bent, your legs in the air fully extended and lean back slightly. As you breathe out, bend your legs and bring your knees toward your chest. Hold for a second or two, breathe in and then fully extend your legs back to starting position.
Side plank
Start on your side with your feet together and one forearm directly below your shoulder. Contract your core and raise your hips until your body is in a straight line from head to feet. Hold the position without letting your hips drop for the allotted time for each set, then repeat on the other side.
Side step lunge
Take a big step to one side and turn the leading foot so it is at a right angle to your standing foot, twisting around so your chest is facing sideways from your original position. Lower until the knee on your leading leg is bent at around 90°, keeping the trailing leg straight, then push back up.
Sit ups
- Lie down on your back.
- Bend your legs and place feet firmly on the ground to stabilize your lower body.
- Cross your hands to opposite shoulders or place them behind your ears, without pulling on your neck.
- Curl your upper body all the way up toward your knees. Exhale as you lift.
- Slowly, lower yourself down, returning to your starting point. Inhale as you lower.
Split squat
From a standing position, take a long step forwards as if performing a lunge. The heel of your back foot should be raised. Keeping your torso straight, lower slowly until your back knee almost touches the floor, then push back up. Complete all your reps on one leg, then switch to the other.
Squat
- Stand with your head facing forward and your chest held up and out.
- Place your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. Extend your hands straight out in front of you to help keep your balance. You can also bend the elbows or clasp the fingers.
- Sit back and down like you’re sitting into an imaginary chair. Keep your head facing forward as your upper body bends forward a bit. Rather than allowing your back to round, let your lower back arch slightly as you descend.
- Lower down so your thighs are as parallel to the floor as possible, with your knees over your ankles. Press your weight back into your heels.
- Keep your body tight, and push through your heels to bring yourself back to the starting position.
Star jumps
To do a star jump, stand tall with your arms by your side and knees slightly bent. Jump up, extending your arms and legs out into a star shape in the air. Land softly, with your knees together and hands by your side. Keep your abs tight and back straight during the exercise.
Step ups
- To start, place your entire right foot onto the bench or chair. Press through your right heel as you step onto the bench, bringing your left foot to meet your left so you are standing on the bench.
- Return to the starting position by stepping down with the right foot, then the left so both feet are on the floor.
Sumo squats
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and turn your feet out, externally rotating your hips.
- With your hands clasped together at your chest, push your hips back and squat down, keeping your back straight and your upper body lifted.
Tricep dips
- Sit on the edge of the chair and grip the edge next to your hips. Your fingers should be pointed at your feet. Your legs are extended and your feet should be about hip-width apart with the heels touching the ground. Look straight ahead with your chin up.
- Press into your palms to lift your body and slide forward just far enough that your behind clears the edge of the chair.
- Lower yourself until your elbows are bent between 45 and 90 degrees.
- Slowly push yourself back up to the start position and repeat. Control the movement throughout the range of motion.
Wall sit
Lean back against the wall with your torso, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Then press back and slide down the wall until your thighs are parallel with the ground. Your knees should be above your ankles and bent at right-angles. Keep your head, shoulders and upper back against the wall and hold the position.
Wide press up
- Start in plank position with your hands wider than your shoulders.
- Face your fingers forward or slightly to the outside.
- Slowly bend your elbows out to the side as you lower your body toward the floor.
- Pause when your chest is just below your elbows.
- Engage your core as you press into your hands to lift your body back to the starting position.