The holiday season is an exciting time, especially for the very festive Filipinos. It’s when families from different places come together to celebrate special occasions and catch up with each other. The holidays are also the time for your relatives to show off their creativity by decorating the whole house with colorful and inviting ornaments.
But one thing the holiday season is most famous for is the spread of various delicious dishes served for the festivities. And because the “calories don’t count” during this time of year, you might be tempted to indulge yourself and eat everything you like on the table, regardless of if they’re healthy or not. After all, you only taste these dishes and treats once a year, right?
However, you might experience some weight gain after the holidays, which you might want to lose. To recover from your holiday-related self-indulgence, you need to make an effort to start being active. You should also do your research to learn the different ways to lose your extra holiday weight.
Staying Active After the Holidays
Once you’re set on losing the weight you gained over the holiday season, you should set a routine to begin with. If it’s your first time working out, you should look for workout routines for beginners at home. Starting light will allow you to ease into the workout process and build your flexibility and strength gradually.
Easy Workout Routine for Beginners
This seven-day workout routine incorporates exercises that are neither too simple nor too complex. Forcing your body to follow a hard routine when you are inexperienced will only strain your muscles. Some of these exercises are unfamiliar to most beginners, so here are the steps on how to do the exercises properly.
Squats
Benefit: Lower body strengthening
- Keep your feet about shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your knees and drive your hips back.
- Strengthen your shoulders and keep your chest up. The position should form 90 degrees.
- Maintain the position for as long as you can endure.
Planks
Benefit: Core strengthening
- Face downwards with your forearms and toes on the floor.
- Straighten your body and torso and ensure the shoulders’ position does not go above the ears.
- Maintain the position depending on your desired time.
Frog Jumps
Benefit: Muscle Endurance
- Set your feet in a wide stance, bend down, and place your arms in between. That should be your starting position.
- After maintaining your starting position, jump with your arms raised and feet wide. Land on your toes and squat before returning to your starting position. Repeat until finished.
Bridge
Benefit: Hamstring and Butt Muscles Strengthening
- Lie flat on your back with your hands at the sides, palms down.
- Bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the ground.
- Slowly raise your hips with your arms still on the floor. The position should form a straight line from your knees to the shoulders.
- Maintain the position depending on your desired time.
Burpees
Benefit: Cardio Endurance
- Start with a squat position.
- Prepare to do a push-up by placing your arms on the floor before kicking your feet back into a push-up position.
- Do one push-up and position yourself in a squat position before raising your arms.
- Put your arms down, go into a squat position, and repeat the steps.
Mountain Climber
Benefit: Shoulder and Core Strengthening
- Get into a plank position.
- Pull your right knee into your chest as far as possible, then switch legs after.
- The position should always be one knee in and one knee out. Alternate your legs as fast as you can without bouncing your toes.
Unique Exercises to Spice Up Your Routine
Once you’re used to the easy workout routine discussed above, you might be in the mood to become more adventurous when it comes to exercising. With these unique workouts, you’re sure to be excited to exercise again!
Rowing
The ultimate fat burner exercise! This unique workout helps develop both the upper and lower body, working out several muscles at once.
Pole Dancing
Show us how you burlesque! Your strength will be tested with one of the most effective core and cardio workouts there is. You’ll also be toning other muscles, improving your balance and flexibility, and increasing your endurance.
Swordsmanship
Fight like actual movie stars when you try this unique exercise! This type of martial art increases flexibility, agility, strength, coordination, balance, timing, and stamina.
Wall Climbing
Spiderman who? Invite your friends and climb walls to increase your range of motion, brain function, and strength with this unique workout.
Trapeze
Get a burst of adrenaline as you fly across the air. Aside from upper and lower body strength, this unique exercise increases your flexibility and muscle coordination.
Aerial Swing Yoga
Ever wanted to fly? Aerial yoga is a practice that aids in digestion and improves balance, flexibility, and muscle coordination.
Parkour
Become the next Tom Cruise with this workout! Parkour is a type of martial art and is a full-body workout that improves your balance, cardiovascular endurance, and bone strength. Get your ninja on!
Calisthenics
Be the next Ninja Warrior with this workout! One of the oldest forms of circuit training that uses only body weight.
Saber Combat/Choreography
Star Wars in real life? This illustration of combat improves memory, creativity, and coordination.
Beer Yoga
Yup, drinking beer and yoga is an actual thing. Drinking beer while practicing yoga is believed to aid in reaching your highest level of consciousness.
Other Workouts to Try
If you’re still looking for other types of workouts, you should try looking for a gym that offers Muay Thai classes. This combat sport is also called Thai Boxing and is the national sport of Thailand. It involves training that builds your strength and flexibility while also toning your muscles.
Another exercise you can try is what has been called the 800-calorie workout. It is a new climbing workout that uses a versa climb machine and provides you with intense cardio exercise. In just 30 minutes, you can burn up to 800 calories while enjoying yourself.
Lose Your Holiday Weight
Start working out and get rid of the guilt you feel for indulging yourself over the holiday season. By starting a simple workout routine, you can lose the extra weight you gained recently while also taking care of your physical well-being.
Still hesitant to start your workout because of space? You should know that it’s alright to exercise wherever you’re comfortable, whether indoors or outdoors.
If you decide to work out indoors, you need to ensure that you have the right equipment. However, if you’re trying to save, you can also use household items for your workouts.
On the other hand, you can always join a gym and use its equipment for your workout routine. Becoming a member also provides you with access to qualified personal trainers who can guide you every step of the way.
