As I was going to the gym today, I was thinking of how badly I just wanted to stay home and workout from my room. So I was thinking I'd pass along some of the best workouts to do at home instead of walking to the gym in the snow or driving in this crazy weather....
Warrior III: Stand with the feet together, and lift up the left leg with a pointed toe, putting your body weight onto the standing, right leg. Continue to lift your leg and drop the head and torso so they form a straight horizontal line from head to toe with the arms at your sides. Engage your core and make sure the left thigh, hip, and toes are aligned. Remain facing down and keep your back as straight as possible. Ensure your right knee doesn't lock and center the weight on the middle of the foot. Hold for 5 breaths and then slowly return to standing.
Bridge Opposite Arm-Leg Reach: Lie face up with your left knee bent, left foot flat on the floor, and right leg extended toward the ceiling. Reach toward the ceiling with your the left arm and keep your right arm down by your side. Without moving your hips or shoulders, open your raised leg to the right and raised arm to the left. Now, concentrating on your abs, return your raised leg and arm to the center. Do 10-12 reps, then switch sides and repeat.
Low Belly Leg Reach: Lie face up with knees bent to 90 degrees, hands behind head, and abs contracted. Keeping knees stacked over hips, lift shoulders and crunch up; inhale and hold for 3-5 seconds. Exhale and extend legs to 45 degrees; hold for 3-5 seconds while squeezing lower belly. Do 2 sets of 10-15 reps.
Straight-Line Side Lifts: Lie on your left side with your legs straight and stacked on top of one another and your feet flexed. Rest your head on your straight left arm. Inhale while lifting both legs off the ground, then exhale while slowly lowering them until they're about 1 inch off the ground. Do 10–12 reps, then switch sides and repeat to complete 1 set; do 3 sets.
Swan Dive: Lie face down on a mat with arms stretched overhead, toes pointed. Lift your arms and legs about 6 inches off the ground. Hold for 1 count, imagining your legs being pulled out and back, away from your hips. Then, circle your arms out to each side of your body behind you. Exhale and reach your arms toward the toes, palms facing the body (as seen in the photo). Hold for 1 count, then bring arms back to starting position and relax entire body to ground. That's one rep. Repeat for 6 to 8 reps.
Chaturanga: Begin in a plank position, keeping your elbows directly above your wrists. Keep your body in a straight line and bend elbows to 90 degrees while lowering toward floor. Contract abs; be careful not to round shoulders forward.
Chair Twist: Stand with your feet together. Bend knees, reaching hips back (knees behind toes), lowering until thighs are nearly parallel with floor; raise arms forward and up. Rotate torso to right and secure left elbow on outside of right knee. Hold for 3 breaths; return to starting position. Repeat on left side; that's 1 rep. Do 3 reps.
Caterpillar Plank: Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, bend forward at the waist and place your hands on the floor; crawl forward to plank position with shoulders directly over wrists. Bend elbows to lower your body toward the floor, then push back up. Next, bend your left knee, bring it up and in toward your chest, then rotate your waist as you raise your bent left leg out until it's parallel to the floor. Return to plank and repeat on the opposite side. Return to standing.
Leg Extension Crunches: Sit with hands on the floor behind you, palms down and fingers toward butt. Lean back on sitting bones, tighten abs, and raise both legs off floor. Bend knees and crunch legs in toward body; extend legs, then raise them as high as you can. Lower legs toward floor (but don't touch). Do 15 reps.
Squat Side Kick: With feet hip-width apart, slowly lower into a half-squat, keeping knees over toes. Raise right knee to hip level, then extend right leg to the side, straightening left leg as you push out through your right heel. Pull right knee in, and return to starting position. Do 10 reps; switch sides, and repeat. Do 3 sets.
Now you should do these poses in a circuit and do them at least three times each to really get the exercise in. I personally love working my core so I can do three of these exercises in the circuit and then do lunges for two minutes and then start over again.
