Thanksgiving is around the corner, so work up an appetite and stave off unwanted calories with these Turkey Day exercises provided by Brandi Ohlsen of the Columbia Bay Athletic Club. These movements don’t require equipment and can be done anywhere. Increase the intensity and work each exercise into an interval-based program by aiming for a maximum number of reps during a set time or by completing three sets of 10-15 reps for each movement.
Alternating Lunge with Straight-Arm Rotation
With a tall spine, extend arms forward in line with chest. Press hands together to create resistance, and step back into lunge position. Keeping hands in line with sternum, rotate arm outward toward front leg. Step forward and alternate lunges side to side. Modify: Hold a stationary lunge vs. stepping back into a lunge. Intensify: Add a plyometric jump switch.
Push-up into Alternating Side Plank
Start in preferred push-up position (full plank or kneeling). Lower body toward floor, and back up. After each push-up, slowly rotate to one side into a side plank, moving through midline to other side. Modify: Do exercise on your knees. Intensify: Add single leg lift on push-up and side plank.
Squat Arm Reach into Burpee
From squat position, lower hips toward floor, keeping heels down. Reach upward, keeping arms straight, shoulders down, middle back retracted. Bring hands to floor, and jump back into plank position. Jump back into squat position and repeat. Intensify: Add a jump or an elevated surface.
Reverse Tabletop into Opposite Hand-to-Toe Touch
On hands and knees, slowly elevate knees off floor. Hold, activating your transverse abdominal muscles. Rotate your body in to out, swiveling into a thoracic bridge position. Reach your top arm to opposite foot while extending leg into air. Modify: Hold knees off ground in reverse tabletop position.
Speed Skaters
Squating with feet apart, push off from inside foot, jumping laterally. Land toe to heel, decelerating momentum. Pause at landing before jumping to other side. Modify: Step side to side. Intensify: Change speed or distance of jumps.
Plank with Arm Reach and Hip Extension
Begin in a forearm plank position with elbows under shoulders. Alternating arms, reach forward and return back to set position. After each reach, alternate to legs by lifting one leg at a time up and down in line with hips. Make sure to keep hips up and in line with shoulders. Modify: Perform exercise in a kneeling plank position. Intensify: Reach arm and opposite leg together in plank position.
A big thanks to the Columbia Bay Athletic Club in Juanita for these moves. Even a brief workout will have you feeling better about saying "yes" to seconds.
