12 Days of Christmas Bodyweight Workout

Turkey with extra gravy, buttery smooth mashed potatoes, a glass of eggnog or two, and an endless assortment of Christmas cookies... It's easy to get carried away during the holidays. Add to that the frantic schedule of heading from one social obligation to another and often less than ideal weather conditions, and it's easy to feel discouraged when you get back into your fitness routine after the holidays.

But what if there was a workout you could easily slip into your busy eating-and-visiting schedule that doesn't require any equipment? Besides, this way you can get a headstart on your New Year's resolutions instead of deciding it's already too late to fulfill them on January 10th. Turn on some tunes and set a timer for yourself and you might even have fun with this "12 Days of Christmas" workout... Or not. Either way, you should give it a try.

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How To:

The workout premise is just like the song. Start with one 20-second plank hold. Then move on to 2 superman extensions, followed by a plank hold for 20 seconds. Next, 3 burpees, 2 superman extensions, and a 20-second plank hold. Follow that with 4 rolling side-arm planks, 3 push-ups, 2 burpees, and one 20 second-plank hold. Keep going until you've built up and completed the full countdown from 12 alternating side lunges down to that plank hold.


1 - Plank hold for 20 seconds
2 - Superman extensions
3 - Burpees
4 - Rolling forearm side planks
5 - Push-ups
6 - Reverse Lunges
7 - Tuck jumps
8 - Sit-ups
9 - Air Squats
10 - Mountain climbers
11 - Hip raises
12 - Alternating side lunges









Summary:

START
1
2-1
3-2-1
4-3-2-1
5-4-3-2-1
6-5-4-3-2-1
7-6-5-4-3-2-1
8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
DONE.


Variations:

You can try to just complete all the exercises, do it for speed as fast as possible, hold weight when you're doing the squats and lunges if you have dumbbells (or milk jugs!) available or mix it up with other exercises if you have access to a more extensive gym.


Don't forget to stretch afterward! If you need some extra inspiration, revisit Yoga with Abi's most recent videos.

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