An injured Achilles and bad knees are limiting my ability to perform some of my favourite activities. I will talk about how mentally and physically shocking it has been for me later because today is not about me, it is about you!
If something is limiting your ability to perform your favourite workout, get creative!
You don’t need a personal trainer or a fitness class (except for mine) to get a good workout, you can put together your own workout especially if your goal is to simply get your body moving. For this purpose, I recommend a circuit.
A circuit is basically a combination of a variety of types of exercises, preferably no more than 10, performed together to help you achieve your workout goal. For example, if you are looking for a cardio based workout, your circuit will be all about exercises that get your heart rate up (e.g., jogging in place, 2 min going hard on the elliptical, jumping jacks, burpees). A circuit can be a great way to challenge muscle strength and endurance.
If you’re keen on putting together your own workout, a basic way of achieving this is to do the following:
First, think about what you want to accomplish or how you want to feel. For example, “I want a cardio-based workout and at the end of it I want to feel like challenged but not dying.” Understanding this will give you an idea of the type of exercises you should incorporate, how long and how hard you should exert yourself.
Second, choose exercises that you like to do. I only recommend this if you are not training for something specific and if you are looking for a simple workout to get your body moving.
Third, take your workout outside. An outdoor workout allows you more room to move around and you may have the freedom to crank up the tunes to keep you motivated.
Below is a basic circuit that you can do at home in your backyard, no weight required! I’ve also included a video that demonstrates each exercise. Before you get started, here are some tips:
Space out the stations so that they are a good distance from each other. Use a rock or sticks, or canned foods as a mark for the stations.
Walk quickly or run to the next station
Make sure you have a timer handy
If you don’t like the exercises I’ve outlined below and you’d like to put together your own exercises, check out my previous posts such as the ABCs or Loving that Lower Body for exercise ideas.
The workout below can be done by yourself or with your family. In fact the more people the better! Turn the workout into a competition by assigning reps to each exercise. (E.g 12 reps of each exercise). See how many times your family can get through the circuit in 10 minutes.
Please let me know how you do. I‘d love to hear from you.
-GhanaGirl
Basic home circuit
Perform each exercises for 30 second, run or walk to the next station, rest for 90 seconds (or longer if needed) after you complete all five stations.
Station 1 - Jumping Jacks
Station 2 - pushup (on the ground or against a tree)
Station 3 - squat with alternating knee lift
Station 4 - reverse lung and kick
Station 5 - high knees or jog in place
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