Life can get so busy and it’s not always easy to find time to work out. But in this Living Healthy there are five moves that take 15 minutes total and you don’t need equipment or a gym membership.
Stephanie Kaise has a master’s degree in kinesiology. It’s complicated stuff, but she says keeping workouts simple is a lesson she learned long ago.
She says pick five diverse exercises.
“A couple core exercises, upper body, lower body, all mixed in there to get a good total body workout,” she said.
Then run through them three times each for 30 seconds.
First, a plank. It works your core and you can start on your knees.
Next is a squat.
“The important thing, always, is to have proper form, so in the 30 seconds do as many as you can with good form,” Kaiser said.
Over time you can add a cardio component.
“If you are feeling really great about your squats and you want to add that high-impact option, then jumping is a great way to get your heart rate up,” fitness instructor Tara Rochford said.
After you worked your lower half, push-ups will challenge your chest, shoulders, arms and abs.
“You’ll be surprised how quickly you start to see a difference in your strength,” Rochford said.
Then work your backside with a bridge.
Finally, a move called bird dog, extending opposite legs and arms and bringing them together.
“This one really works on trunk stability, so what you want to focus on here is not letting your hips or shoulders come out of alignment,” Rochford said.
Always be sure to stretch, so you’re not feeling your work-out the next day.