If you’re looking for a simple routine that you don’t have to think much about, I have just the thing to spice up your workout!  Purchase a used deck of cards from a thrift store and have a nice black sharpie nearby. 

Create your own circuit workout:

A circuit workout typically consists of stations that you move to.  The stations can alternate between upper and lower body, body weight and cardio activities or core, upper, lower, stretching, yoga poses or cardio.  The choices are endless depending on the type of circuit you want to do.  Creating multiple circuits is also an option. 

Create a circuit workout with the cards by dividing the deck into red and black.  On the red cards put exercises that will bring your heart rate up like jumping jacks (3/4 jacks or ½ jacks for joint modifications); jumping rope (with rope or mini jumps without rope and the feet stay planted to modify for joint/bladder issues with jumping).  You could also put all upper body exercises on the red cards. On the black cards, do all lower body exercises.

You can also choose to put upper body activities on the red cards, and lower body activities for the black cards and do a separate 10-minute cardio activity another time.  Another option is to use the suites on the cards. Spades can equal upper body, hearts equal lower body, diamonds are core activities and clubs are cardio activities. The number on the card can also indicate the number of reps - this isn’t the best choice as lower cards will have few reps. I prefer doing the reps that you can in a 30 second internal. More advanced can use 60 second intervals.

A suggestion for a 10-minute workout is to; do 30 seconds of each activity (1 card) and then move on to the next station or card (5-10 seconds rest) and then start the next station for 30 seconds. Presetting the stations based on cards picked can be done, or pick a card alternating between red and black for the entirety of the workout.  Picking the card will constitute as the rest period.  If you need longer rests, take them.  This is a suggestion for a quick 10-minute activity burst in the day.  If you are doing a longer workout or one that is not timed, take longer rest breaks between the next burst of activity.  Work at a pace for your current fitness level and progress that pace as your endurance improves.  Workouts are not a one size fits all!  The deck of cards workout can be tailor made to your ability and level. You could even have one whole deck be upper body and another be lower body to give yourself 52 different exercises! So many ways to spice up your routine with a simple deck of cards.

A mini circuit workout fits into our Gimmie 10!  Challenge or can be your own at home workout.  Simply set a timer for 10 minutes, or the desired workout length; add some music for fun and away you go!

As you can see, using a deck of cards for a workout can be fun and a great way to mix it up!  The possibilities are endless!

Another way to spice up the deck of cards is to use the face cards as core/abdominal exercises, the remaining red number cards as upper body and the black as lower body.  Face cards could also be cardio activities; the red number cards could be exercises using body weight like push ups and the black number cards be exercises with equipment like resistance bands/tubes, free weights, or kettle bells. 

Another deck could be all stretching or yoga poses. You could finish up a workout with static stretches or have a yoga deck to mix up your yoga routine. 

Actually – I hope this has inspired you to purchase 2 or 3 decks of cards to create multiple workouts.  Label each deck and have endless choices to spice up your Gimmie 10! workouts or to add variety into any workout of any length.  By shuffling the deck, a new routine will be created each time you shuffle the deck!  You can also keep the red and black cards separated to create the alternating workout from upper to lower body, or cardio activity and then a resistance activity (body weight, resistance tube, free weights are all types of resistance)