People must be mindful of the types of food they consume, especially when it is loaded with fat and carbohydrates. Consuming large amounts of food with fat and carbohydrates can pack on the pounds in areas you would have never expected it to go. For those who want to start off the New Year with a workout regimen, I have created a list of exercises that are useful for burning off those unwanted calories. The list of exercises and the areas they target are listed below:

Legs

1. Squats

Instructions

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.

• Keeping your back straight, slowly sit back, bending your knees, until your thighs are parallel to the ground.

• Extend your arms straight in front of you making sure they are also parallel to the ground.

• This exercise targets the quads, glutes, and calves.

2. Lunges

Instructions

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart

• Take one giant step forward with your right foot, and upon your foot’s landing, bend your knee at a 90-degree angle, making sure your knee stays behind your toes, while simultaneously bending your left leg toward the floor.

• Push yourself back up to your starting position, and repeat the movement.

• This exercise targets the glutes, quads, and calves.

3. Jumping Jacks

Instructions

• Stand with feet together, knees slightly bent, and arms to sides.

• Jump while raising arms and separating legs to sides.

• Land on forefoot with legs apart and arms overhead.

• Jump again while lowering arms and returning legs to midline.

• This exercise targets the hip adductors and abductors, deltoids, lower trapezius, pectorals major, rectus abdominals, hamstrings, quadriceps, biceps brachia, and upper trapezius.

4. Calf Raises

Instructions

• Push yourself up onto your toes, and slowly come down.

• This exercise targets the calves.

5. Leg lift

Instructions

• Lie flat on your back with your legs stretched out in front of you.

• Bend your knees and raise your legs.

• Straighten your legs until your feet are pointed at the ceiling.

• Slowly lower your legs.

• This exercise targets the abdominals and leg muscles.

Abs

1. Heel Touches

Instructions

• Lie down with your back on the ground, bend your knees, and spread your feet apart.

• Your arms should be straight and by your sides.

• The fingers on your right hand need to touch your right heel and the fingers on your left hand need to touch your left heel.

• Crunch forward and sideways with your upper back off the ground while touching your heels.

• This exercise targets the obliques.

2. Knee Crunches

Instructions

• Lie flat on your back placing your hands behind your head with your knees bent and heels at a comfortable distance.

• Exhale while you engage the abdominal and core muscles and slowly curl your head and shoulders off the mat.

• Gently inhale and lower your torso back toward the ground slowly while keeping your feet, tailbone, and lower back in contact with the ground.

• This exercise targets the abdominals.

3. Scissors

Instructions

• Lie flat on your back and extend your arms against your sides with your palms pressing into the floor.

• Bend your knees and draw them into your ribs.

• Lift both legs straight up toward the ceiling, continuing to engage your abs and press your lower back into the ground.

• Slowly lower your right leg down toward the ground, until it is a few inches above.

• Then scissor your legs, so you lift your right leg back up as you lower your left leg down towards the ground.

• This exercise targets the abdominals, quads, hips, and hamstrings.

4. Plank

Instructions

• Get into push-up position on the floor.

• Bend your elbows 90 degrees and rest your weight on your forearms.

• Your elbows should be directly beneath your shoulders, and your body should form a straight line from your head to your feet.

• Hold the position for as long as you can.

• This exercise targets the abdominals and lower back.

5.Leg Raises

Instructions

• Lie flat on the floor and place your arms out to the side on the floor with your palms facing down.

• Your head, legs, and bottom must be in contact with the floor.

• Engage your stomach muscles and grasp the sides.

• Slowly lift your legs to a 90-degree angle, keeping your legs straight and not bending at the knees.

• Pause for a second then slowly lower the legs back down.

• This exercise targets the lower abdominals and hip flexors.

Arms (Use Dumbbells)

1. Bicep curls

Instructions

• Stand up with dumbbell in each hand being held at arms length while keeping your elbows close to the torso.

• Rotate the palms of the hands until they are facing forward.

• Curl the weights forward while contracting the biceps as you exhale.

• Hold the contracted position for a second then slowly bring the dumbbells back to the starting position.

• This exercise targets the biceps and forearms.

2. Dumbbell Thrust

Instructions

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart while holding the dumbbells on your shoulders.

• Squat down making sure your hips go below your knees and your back is flat.

• Stand up through your heels and press the dumbbells up at the top of the squat while fully extending your arms at the top of the press.

• This exercise targets the quadriceps, legs, and shoulders.

3. Hammer Curls

Instructions

• Position two dumbbells to the sides and palms facing in with your arms straight.

• With elbows to the sides, raise on dumbbell until forearm is vertical and thumb faces shoulder.

• Lower to original position and repeat with alternative arm.

• This exercise targets the biceps brachii, brachialis, upper and middle trapezius.

4. Single Dumbbell Swing

Instructions

• Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold one dumbbell in front of your hips.

• Slightly bend your knees with the weight between your legs.

• Push your hips back and then thrust them forward while maintaining a slight bend in your knees.

• The weight will swing forward until it’s between your stomach and chest height.

• Push your hips back and continue swinging the weight back and forth.

• This exercise targets the hamstrings, glutes, shoulders, back, abs, and hips.

5. Tricep Kickbacks

Instructions

• Hold a dumbbell in your right hand with your palm facing in and place your left lower leg and your left hand on top of a bench, table, or chair.

• Lean forward at the hips until your upper body is at a 45-degree angle to the floor.

• Bend your right elbow so your upper arm is parallel to the floor, your forearm is perpendicular to it, and your palm faces in.

• Keep your elbow close to your waist and pull your abdominals in while bending your knees slightly.

• Keeping your upper arm still, straighten your arm behind you until your entire arm is parallel to the floor and one end of the dumbbell points toward the floor.

• This exercise targets the triceps.

(Complete 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps or as many as you can for each exercise.)

To see results within a few months, consistently work out three to four times a week for at least 30 minutes. I can guarantee you will shed off the pounds sooner than later. Also keep in mind of the foods you decide to eat regularly. It is important to be conscious of the types of food you intake, so you can see outstanding results and all of your hard work will not go to waste. Once this is done, you will be amazed at the progress you have made looking at the before and after pictures.