Muscle-strengthening activities are an essential part of your movement routine. They can help make your everyday life a little easier while also contributing to your weekly physical activity goals. The weekly workouts are short and modifiable so you can modify them as needed to fit them to your activity level and goals. Check out our Holiday Challenge Workout Reminders for more recommendations and tips to make these workouts your own.
This week, we have a total body workout!
Week #1: Total Body
● Aim to complete each movement 3 times. You can complete all 3 sets for one movement before going to the next, or complete 1 set of each movement and repeat all 5 a total of 3 times.
● Rest 15 seconds after completing each movement before starting the next one.
Pause Marches – 16 repetitions OR 45 seconds
● Stand with a tall posture and engage your core. Slowly bring one knee up to hip height (or whatever your full range of motion allows), pause and hold for 2-3 seconds, then lower back to your starting position. Alternate between your right and left legs.
● Modification: Use a waist-high surface or wall for support or perform from seated.
● Challenge: Hold your arms straight overhead while you complete these. Be sure to squeeze your core.
Chair Squat – 16 repetitions OR 45 seconds
● Modification: Hold onto another stable object or surface for support. Use your upper body to help support you as you return to standing.
● Challenge: Perform on a shorter, stable surface to increase the depth of your squat. Slow it down for another challenge. Lower into the squat for a 4 second count and return to standing for a 4 second count.
Lunge & Overhead Press – 16 repetitions OR 45 seconds
● Modification: Perform the lunge, then do the overhead press once you return to your standing position. Hold onto a stable surface for support in your lunge if needed.
● Challenge: Use a weight and/or pause once you are in the lunge with your arms overhead. Focus on squeezing your core here.
Front Raise & Lateral Raise – 16 repetitions OR 45 seconds
● Alternate 1 front raise and 1 lateral raise until you reach 16 total repetitions (8 of each).
● Modification: Raise one arm at a time and/or perform from a seated position.
● Challenge: Pause for a few seconds at shoulder height before lowering your arms back to the starting position.
Bird-Dog – 16 repetitions OR 45 seconds
● Standing Option: Place your hands against a wall for support. Position your feet so that you are leaning forward slightly. Extend one leg away from the wall and reach the opposite arm up towards the ceiling.
● Modification: Lift and extend one arm, lower, then lift and extend your opposite leg.
● Challenge: After extending, perform a crunch by touching your elbow to your opposite knee under your stomach and then lower both to the ground.
End your work-out with a few minutes of stretching.
Check back next week for another workout!
Don’t miss another great blog: Subscribe Now
Very helpful! Thanks for posting!
This is great! I finish the 15 week program on Wednesday and am continuing on with the challenge through the end of the year and am very thankful for the additional support. This is truly becoming a lifestyle and life journey. Blessings to you all.
LOVE IT!!!
Hello: I really appreciate all your time and effort you are putting into this Challenge! Thank you.
Can there be a video of these exercises. Reading the instructions is tedious. Thank you.
Hi Cynthia, unfortunately we don’t have the capacity to create that type of content.