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 seated total body workout! This is a workout seated you could do from your office or anywhere you have a chair.
Week #3: Total Body Seated
- Start each movement in a tall, seated posture with shoulders back and down and a neutral head position.
- Rest 15 seconds after completing each movement before starting the next one.
- 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 6 a total of 3 times.
Chest Squeeze – 16 repetitions OR 45 seconds
- Bring your arms up to shoulder height and bend at the elbows so your hands are pointed to the ceiling. Start with your arms on either side of your body (you should look like a big letter U). Keeping your arms bent, draw your forearms and hands together, squeezing your chest as you do so. Release slowly back to your starting position and repeat.
Row – 16 repetitions OR 45 seconds
- Keeping your back flat, lean your upper body towards your thighs. Start with your arms extended towards the ground. Keeping your elbows close to your body, draw your elbows upwards as you squeeze your shoulder blades together.
- Modification: Perform with one arm at a time.
Arm Circles – 16 repetitions OR 45 seconds
- Extend your arms straight out at shoulder height making a “T” position. Slowly rotate from your shoulder to make forward, dinner plate-sized circles with your hands. Switch halfway to make backward circles.
- Modification: Perform with one arm at a time.
Alternating Crunch – 16 repetitions OR 45 seconds
- Place your hands behind your head. Lower your right elbow towards your left knee, squeezing your core, then reverse the movement to return back to your upright position. Be sure not to pull on your head/neck and stop at whatever point your range of motion allows.
Seated Abduction – 16 repetitions OR 45 seconds
- Move to sit a little closer to the front of your chair. Place your hands on the outside of your knees. Press your legs out against your hands as you press your hands into your legs. Hold for 2-3 seconds then release to complete 1 repetition.
Heel to Toe Taps – 16 repetitions OR 45 seconds
- Sit at the front of your chair. Engage your core and extend your legs so that your heels are on the floor. Bend at your knees and draw your feet towards the chair, finishing with your feet close to the chair and toes on the floor. Extend your legs back to the extended position with heels on the floor.
- Modification: Complete the movement on one leg at a time. The other leg can remain in a standard bent position as if you were sitting normally.
Check back next week for another workout and check out our other weekly workouts!
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