It’s 2020, which means it’s time to make some changes. Maybe you’ve decided to work less, play more, and focus on your health. Or, perhaps you’ve made the common New Year’s resolution to get in shape!
Whatever your goals are for 2020, it’s always a good idea to make some lifestyle changes that will benefit you in the long run.
If you’re looking for some tips on losing weight, building more muscle, or boosting your energy levels, then you’ve come to the right place! Here, we’ve broken down your next workout regime into 5 quick workouts to stay in shape for 2020.
So, let’s not waste any more time – shall we begin?
1. Pop-A-Squat
Wall squats are great for strengthening weak muscles and increasing flexibility. They are an excellent leg-strengthening exercise that makes the quadriceps stronger and more limber.
What’s also great about wall squats is that you don’t need any equipment or extra space. You can perform a wall squat on any wall or door, and all you need is the power of your legs.
To do a wall squat, you must:
- Stand against a wall or door with your arms at the sides of your body and feet about shoulder-width apart
- Keep your feet about 2 feet from the wall or door frame
- Lean against the wall or door with your back straight and neck aligned with your spine
- Bend your knees as you exhale, sliding down the surface until your body is in a sitting position
- Breathe in and out as you maintain this position
- Straighten your knees and slide back up the wall or door to your starting position
- Repeat this exercise for 8-10 repetitions, about 3-4 times a week
Wall squats work all of the muscles of your body that it uses to extend your legs, flex your thighs, and shape your glutes. By focusing on developing these muscles, you’ll find that your legs are stronger, more toned, and shapely. This exercise will also improve your balance, making it easier to run and jump.
2. Let’s Make Mountains Out Of Molehills
Mountain climbers are a core and calorie-blasting exercise that combines high-intensity cardio with abdominal strength training. This highly efficient exercise is a full-body workout, targeting core muscles, such as the back, hips, abs, glutes, legs, and shoulders.
Mountain climbers improve mobility and also reduces your risk of injury when doing other workouts. They support heart health and weight loss, allowing you to improve your coordination and cardiovascular health.
To do mountain climbers, you must:
- Start in a traditional plank position with your weight on your toes and shoulders over hands.
- Engage your core and bring your knee forward underneath your chest with your toes just slightly off the ground
- Quickly return to your original plank position and switch legs, bringing the other knee forward.
- Repeat this motion of switching legs and pick up the pace to get your heart rate up
Mountain climbers are a great way to burn calories in a short amount of time. You don’t need any equipment or a certified personal trainer to monitor your movements. All you need is your body, a firm floor, and the motivation to keep on climbing.
3. Kick That Butt
Butt kicks are a great warm-up exercise to get the muscles moving, and the heart rate up before your high-intensity workout begins. Butt kicks are a plyometric aerobic exercise that works your cardiovascular system and improves muscle strength training.
They also improve your stamina and endurance so you can handle the more high-interval training workouts. Butt kicks also help you increase your speed of hamstring contractions, which can help you run faster for longer periods of time.
You can be as explosive as you want with this training exercise to maximize your hamstring, glute, and quad muscles.
To do butt kicks, you must:
- Start by standing with your feet with your arms are your side
- Your feet should be about hip-distance apart
- Slowly bring your heel back towards your buttocks
- Your heel should touch your buttocks slightly as if you’re kicking yourself backward
- Place the ball of your foot back on the ground and alternate your heels one-by-one
- Repeat this motion for about 1 minute, or until you feel like you’re warmed up and ready to optimize your workout
You don’t have to be an experienced runner to perform correctly formed butt kicks. Adding butt kicks to your exercise routine can strengthen your hamstrings, which will help you to run faster and more efficiently. This exercise will help you to burn fat, boost your stamina, and elevate your fitness levels.
4. Get Those Knees Up
High knees, or leg lifts, are a high-intensity cardio workout performed at a fast pace. They engage your core while also strengthening your leg muscles, and increases your heart rate. They also improve your momentum, flexibility, and coordination.
Like all of the exercises listed in this article, you don’t need a personal trainer or any other extra equipment to perform a high-knee workout. You don’t even need to be at the gym! You can do high-knees anywhere, at any time.
To do high-knees, you must:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart
- Lift up your left to where your knee sits across your abdominal or chest area
- Switch to lift your other knee to your chest
- Continue repeating this motion at a fast pace, as if you’re running in place
High-knees are great for strengthening your core muscles, upper thighs, buttocks, and calves. Practicing this exercise will improve your balance and burn calories to achieve your weight loss goals. The trick is to get those knees up high at a fast pace to maximize your fitness health.
5. Push It & Push Up
Push-ups are great for building upper body strength while working your triceps, pectoral muscles, and shoulders. They also help to strengthen your lower back and core by engaging the abdominal muscles.
Doing push-ups every day is a highly effective upper body workout. For the best results, proper form is essential. You want to make sure that your stance is correct and that you’re getting just low enough to the ground to feel your chest muscles at work.
To do a push-up, you must:
- Start by kneeling on an exercise mat or on the floor, bringing your feet together behind you
- Bend forward to position yourself in a high-plank position, with your palms on the mat
- Your hands should be shoulder-width apart with your fingers facing forward
- Slowly lower your body down towards the ground with your elbows slightly flared out
- Press upward away from the ground with your arms, extending your elbows back into the plank position
- Repeat this motion in proper form to build your upper body and increase your heart rate
In Conclusion
Practicing these 5 quick workouts will help you to stay in shape for 2020, and many years onward. You can even mix it up with a few side lunges or jump rope workouts thrown in to shake things up.
A healthy heart is a happy heart. So, combine these workouts with healthy eating habits and a positive attitude to make 2020 the best year yet. To add even more security to your health and wellness regime, get a check-up with us at The Medical Centre of Lehigh Acres! Schedule an appointment today so that you can get moving and get healthy!
