For those of us who work hard and chill even harder, fitness-based New Year’s resolutions have the potential to be super frustrating. Think about it: Suddenly, you’re asking your body to deliver on huge goals with little to no ease-in period. Sometimes jumping into a super-strict workout regimen out of left field just doesn’t work, especially if you’re used to doing things in your own time.
If that sounds like you, own it! Setting goals is always a great idea, but when it comes to kicking off a new workout plan, you’ve got to know yourself. If you’re not the spring-out-of-bed-for-a-6-a.m.-workout type, guess what? You don’t need to start now. Just continue taking small steps every single day—a year from now you’ll be so proud of how far you’ve come.
Check out this printable schedule of lazy, 10-minute workouts and scroll down to see each of the moves broken down by yours truly—just try not to hate me too much for demoing these on a warm, sandy beach…
Army Crawl
From a forearm plank, bring your right palm to replace your right elbow and then your left palm to replace your left elbow. Welcome to high plank! Reverse back the way you came, keeping hips stable.
Bicycle Crunch
Lying on your back with legs extended, bring your hands behind your ears and peel your shoulders off the mat. Bring your right elbow to your left knee while keeping your right leg extended, then switch sides.
Bridge Hip Lift
Sitting on your butt, bring the soles of your feet to the floor hip-width apart and your arms behind you (fingertips facing forward). Lift your hips to the sky and squeeze your glutes at the same time. Lower and repeat.
From downward dog, extend your right leg to the sky. Shift your body weight forward and bring your right knee to your right elbow, then lift again. Repeat with the left leg and left elbow.
Ice Skaters
Springing off your right foot, leap about two feet to the left to land on your left foot. Bend your left knee and touch the floor with your right hand. Spring off your left foot to return to the right, and repeat!
Jackknives
Resting on the “meaty” part of your right hip, perch on your right forearm and lift your left arm in the air. Zipping your inner thighs together, lift your legs in one straight line to touch your toes with your left hand. If you can’t reach your toes, turn these into oblique tuck-ups by bending your knees.
Low Lunge Reaches
Start in a low lunge with your left leg forward in a 90-degree bend and your right leg extended behind you. Bring your right hand to the floor and make big arches with your left arm. This is not only working your legs, but it’s also a killer oblique stretch!
Jumping Lunges
Lunge your right foot forward, keeping your left knee as close to the ground as possible. Springing off your right heel, switch legs mid-air and land in a left-leading lunge. Make sure to keep your torso upright and your front knee tracking over your toes when you land.
Mountain Climbers
From a high-plank position, keep your shoulders stacked over your wrists as you bring your right knee to your left elbow. Step your right foot back to plank and switch sides. Now pick up the pace!
Plank Leg Raise
From high plank, keep your right foot flexed as you send your right heel to the sky. Engage your lower abs to keep your low back from curving. Replace your right foot and lift your left, then repeat. You don’t have to lift high on these, just in line with the rest of your body.
Plank Jacks
From high plank, hop your feet out wider than your hips. Keeping your body in one straight line, hop your feet back to hip-distance. Make sure your butt stays in line with your torso on this one.
Plank to Squat
From a squat with your feet hip-distance apart, bring your hands to the floor and hop your feet back to land in high plank. Engage through your core as you hop your feet back outside your hands to land in a squat.
Ski Jumps
With feet together, bend your knees and swing your arms (like they have ski poles!) to hop your entire body about a foot or two to the right. Land with bent knees to reset, then explode to jump to the left.
Squat Jump
Start in a squat with feet hip-distance apart and your knees tracking over your feet. Explode through your heels to jump in the air. Land softly back into a squat position before jumping up again.
Squat Kick
Start in a squat with feet hip-distance apart and your knees tracking over your feet. Squeeze your glutes and send your arms behind you to stand on your right leg, while extending your left leg in front of you, foot flexed. Engage your quads and core to hold for a second before releasing back down into the squat. Switch sides!
Star Jumps
Star jumps are an awesome way to work your outer thighs and get your heart rate up. Start with feet together, knees bent, and your chest toward your thighs. Explode through your heels and jump into the air with your arms and legs extending into a star shape, then return to your crouched starting position.
Reach to Crunch
From hands and knees, extend your right arm out in front of you and your left leg behind you. On an exhale, crunch to make your right elbow meet your left knee, then inhale to release back to the start.
Cat/Cow Stretch
Cat and cow poses are great for mobilizing your spine and stretching your back and abdominal muscles. On hands and knees, start by dropping the low belly down to the floor and looking up (cow pose). Then, press your shoulder blades to the sky, arch your back, and look back at your thighs (cat pose). Alternate between the two poses.
Quad Stretch
Start in a runner’s lunge with your right knee stacked over your right foot and bring your left knee to the ground. Sweep your arms up overhead and bend back slightly to feel the stretch in your left quads. The deeper the lunge, the deeper the stretch! Hit both sides.
Katie Dunlop is the creator of Love Sweat Fitness. As a NCCPT certified trainer, Katie created the Hot Body Guides using the same formula she used herself to lose over 45 lbs. Most recently, she created the Guiltless Nutrition Lifestyle & Recipe Book. Katie’s unique, accessible approach to fitness has empowered thousands of women to get fit and have fun with it!
