Circuits

Get the family together for a fun day after Christmas exercise circuit!

Circuit programs are fun because you can literally put anything together.  If you have a few exercises that you know or have done before and maybe a new one that you saw on Pinterest, put them together in stations.

For example, you can do a plank, march in place, do calf raises, jumping jacks and have heavy laundry basket. First start by doing some jumping jacks, if that isn’t your thing because of the impact or desire not to pee yourself - do a 3/4 or 1/2 jack. Move both arms and alternate legs or just do one leg and one arm at a time. This can get your heart rate up a bit. You can set a timer on your phone or use an app set to 20 seconds go and 10 seconds rest between bouts of activity in your circuit, basically move to the next station or spot and start. Next do calf raises, toes forward 10-15 reps, then slightly out and in. Rest and move to the next station. You get down and do 3, 20-30 second planks. Next station is marching in place to get the heart rate up again. Then lastly, you lift and squat with the heavy laundry basket 10-15 times. Rest and repeat the circuit…or by then maybe you thought of a few others things to do. Make it fun and use what you have.

I have about a hundred colored pieces of paper in plastic sleeves with an exercise on the front and the back side. That way I can go through the pile and set up a circuit easily. It can be a family or a you and your workout buddy thing. Maybe you pick all the arm exercises and your buddy does the legs. You alternate in bouts of cardio to get the heart rate up every arm and leg exercise picked. Save the exercises and keep adding to the stack to make your own library. This can also be done on a deck of cards you shuffle…see my blog post Deck of Cards, August 23rd, 2021.

This is a workout the whole family can do together, no matter the age - we all have a move…maybe it’s a dance circuit or it’s random exercises we used to do in gym class… make it fun and something everyone can join in on! Start a new tradition, instead of shopping, do circuits the day after Christmas!