Workout: The Holiday Express

The last month of the year is usually a party train coupled to an eat-fest and an end-of-fiscal-year deadline. And it’s easy to believe we have to kiss our healthy routines goodbye until we roll into January, bloated and tired. Trying to fit our normal routine onto a runaway holiday schedule can derail our confidence. The guilt over missed workouts can quickly lead to just giving up.

Instead, let’s make good use of our time, strengthen our maintenance mode and put our focus on preserving our progress: feeling good, sleeping well, stressing less and carving out time to move.

This 12-minute workout does double holiday duty. The day after a great party we can do it slowly and breathe deeply to help our system recover from whatever shenanigans we got up to the night before. And when we’re feeling great? We can pick up the pace for a challenging sweat session. Twelve minutes can help us put the brakes on the holiday backslide.

The workout has a circuit format — move from one exercise directly to the next. After all six movements, rest for one minute. Repeat for 3-5 sets. Total time investment: 12-20 minutes. Cheers!

Kneeling hip flexor stretch

INTERVAL: 45 sec each leg
SETS: 2
INTENSITY/LOAD: Bodyweight
TEMPO: Hold
REST INTERVAL: 30 sec after both sides

Start in a kneeling position with your right foot in front of you, and both arms overhead.
Keep your spine tall and shift your hips forward to stretch the front of your left leg.
Hold for 45 seconds before switching legs.

Child’s pose with opposite arm reach

INTERVAL: 45 sec each side
SETS: 2
INTENSITY/LOAD: Bodyweight
TEMPO: Hold
REST INTERVAL: 30 sec after both sides

Start on hands and knees.
Reach to the right with both hands.
Push back into your heels and lean to the left side of your body.
Hold for 45 seconds before switching sides.

Jumping jacks

INTERVAL: 30 sec
SETS: 3-5
INTENSITY/LOAD: Bodyweight
TEMPO: Quick
REST INTERVAL: N/A

Traditional jumping jack: jump and move both legs out to your side as you raise your arms overhead, land and quickly jump up to return to starting position.
For best results challenge yourself to do as many as possible in 30 seconds.

Slow-motion burpees

INTERVAL: 30 sec
SETS: 3-5
INTENSITY/LOAD: Bodyweight
TEMPO: Moderate
REST INTERVAL: N/A

Squat and put both hands on the floor.
Step back with one leg at a time to move into a high plank position.
Return to standing, and repeat.
Move quickly and consistently for 30 seconds, but avoid the rapid jumping and flopping movements of the traditional burpee.

Squat to cross-body reach

INTERVAL: 30 sec
SETS: 3-5
INTENSITY/LOAD: Bodyweight
TEMPO: Quick
REST INTERVAL: N/A

Start with your feet hip-width apart.
Squat down, and as you return to standing, use your right hand to reach up and across your body to the left.
Return to the start position and switch sides.
Repeat for 30 seconds.

Crossover push-ups

INTERVAL: 30 sec
SETS: 3-5
INTENSITY/LOAD: Bodyweight
TEMPO: Slow
REST INTERVAL: N/A

Start in a standard push-up.
Keep your feet in place and cross your left hand over your right then move your right hand to your right side.
In this position, do a push-up.
At the top, walk your hands back to the start position.
Then cross you right hand over your left and move your right hand to the side before dropping into the next push-up.

Ice skater hops

INTERVAL: 30 sec
SETS: 3-5
INTENSITY/LOAD: Bodyweight
TEMPO: Quick
REST INTERVAL: N/A

Start with feet hip-width apart.
Balance position on your left leg.
Jump to your right and land on your right leg.
Then quickly explode back to your left leg.
Alternate sides for 30 seconds moving at a comfortable speed.

Reverse lunge with trunk rotation

INTERVAL: 10
SETS: 2
INTENSITY/LOAD: 3-4 RPE
TEMPO: Moderate
REST INTERVAL: 30-45 sec

Start with your feet hip-width apart and your hands pressed together straight out in front of your chest.
Lunge backwards with your left foot.
Keep your spine tall and rotate your upper body to the right.
Return to center before standing up.
Alternate legs.