The beginning of the new year warrants a lot of excitement and dedication toward the goals people create for themselves. Most people dedicate themselves to physical goals like maintaining a workout routine. The end of the month is winding down, and if your new year’s resolution was to stick to a workout routine and it’s not quite looking like you’ll achieve it, here are some pointers for sticking to a workout routine in the comfort of your own home.
Let’s face it. Having your eyes glued to the TV seems way more fun than working out. But finding out who the unsub is on Criminal Minds (not to mention Matthew Gubler = eye candy) or streaming Girl Boss on Netflix for some major girl power attitude isn’t going to get you any closer to your resolution. So what if there was a lazy girl workout you could do while watching T.V.? You don’t actually have to get to the gym when all you really need is some floor space to move.
Abs and booty are the two regions of the body that are easiest to work out for the lazy girl in all of us. Some days, you can talk yourself out of going to the gym but that’s not to say you wasted an opportunity to get closer to your resolution. You can do scissor kicks and sit on the couch! Scissor kicks target your lower abs and can make you feel the burn even while sitting or laying down. A few more exercises you can do and still watch T.V. are elbow to knee crunches, wall sits, push-ups (or knee push-ups) and donkey kicks. These exercises are most effective when done slowly and the core is engaged, breathing out when going up and inhaling when lowering down.
- Elbow to knee crunches: You’re definitely going to feel the burn on all of these, but this one especially. This exercise targets the lower abs and obliques. Lay flat on your back, hands behind your head (make sure your elbows don’t point forward but instead are parallel to your shoulders). Raise your head and don’t let your shoulder blades touch the ground. You want to keep that core engaged the whole time. Every time you rise, bring your elbow to the opposite knee (left elbow to right knee) and repeat that on each side.
- Wall sits: These are easy for the most part and as long as you focus on your breathing, you will mostly feel the burn all over your body. But that’s a good thing! Instead of focusing on the burn, focus on your breathing and zone out watching T.V. It helps!
- Push-ups: These are a full body exercise, but target the upper body if you decide to do knee push-ups. One is just as effective as the other. It just depends on your level of training and which form suits you. Make sure your weight is stacked on top of your shoulders, not behind or in front, and that your hands are shoulder width apart.
- Donkey kicks: These are meant to round out that booty and engage the core. You will feel the burn in your hamstrings and hopefully in your booty too! For this exercise, you can rest on your elbows or your hands if you prefer, just so long as your shoulders are above your hands. Correct form can help you persist through any exercise. Kick your leg out and up behind you and keep your foot flexed. For an additional burn, bring that knee to your chest after the kick and curl your core while tightening it. You’ll get double the burn doing this.
Remember ladies, we all have different ways of accomplishing our goals. Whether we complete our goal at the gym or inside the comfort of our living room, we all have a routine that suits us best. I hope this guide can help you on your way to reaching your goals.