fitness

The winter workout you can do in your living room.

Image via iStock.

We’ve all been there. You get home after a long day at work, and literally the last thing you feel like doing is heading back out to hit the gym, or worse, braving the dark, cold outdoors.

Enter: workouts. Ones that don’t involve a DVD or any extra equipment. Personal trainer and founder of Bodyism, James Duigan (who trains the likes of Jessica Gomes and Lara Stone) has created the perfect lounge room workout anyone can do.

RELATED: 7 workouts for people who suck at running.

“This circuit is an intelligent and brilliantly effective way to work your body. It improves posture, burns fat and tightens your glorious butt,” James says.

Wellness expert James Duigan. (Image via Twitter/@Jamesduigan

The warm up.

"Warming up with a yoga sun salutation creates a wonderful mindfulness and grace in everything you do for the rest of your day," says James.

Sun Salutation (Image via iStock)
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 The workout

1. Alternating Disco Lunges

1. "Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and at your side."

2. "Engaging your core, take a step forward with your left leg into a lunge position with both knees bent at a 90 degree angle and raise your arms in a ‘Y shape – push through the left heel and return to a standing position."

3. "Repeat on the other side. Repeat lunges 24 times."

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2. Push ups.

"This exercise is one of the best for working the core, making it a great tummy flattener. It also works your arms, legs and back," explains James.

(Image supplied)

1. "Set your hands one and a half shoulder widths apart and in line with your nipples, not with your shoulders. Keep your legs straight with the weight of your body distributed through your hands and toes."

2. "Lower yourself so your nose almost touches the ground, keeping your body straight, then lift back up to the starting position."

3. "Breathe out as you push up to start position, and in as you lower yourself down. Repeat 12 times. If you find this too difficult, start in the same position as above but with your arms on a chair or your sofa. The higher up your arms are, or the less horizontal the body is, the easier the push-up."

RELATED:6 ways to do a push-up (for people who can’t do push-ups).

3. Glute Bridge

1. "Start by lying on your back and place your feet hip-width apart with the toes facing away from you. Gently contract your abdominal muscles ensuring your back is lowered to the ground."

2. "Upward phase: Keep your abdominals engaged and lift your hips off the floor. Press heels into the floor for additional stability."

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3. "Lowering phase: inhale and slowly lower yourself back to your starting position."

4. "At raised point extend one leg while in the raised position, tip: avoid arching your lower back. Repeat 12 times (on each leg)." 

(Image supplied)

 

4. Mountain Climbers

1. "Start in a push up position, hands directly under shoulders, abs engaged, neck in line with spine."

2. "Keeping your hips square to the floor, drive your right knee up towards your chest and extend your left leg back."

3. "Keep your abs engaged the whole time as both feet switch positions. Don’t let the foot of the knee you drive up towards your chest touch the floor. Continue for 30 seconds. Repeat two times." (Post continues after gallery.)

The cool down.

Runners Lunge

1. "Stand with perfect posture with your hands on your hips. Both feet should face forwards with straight front shins and be hip-wide apart."

2. "Contract your stomach muscles and lower your body by bending your back knee (your back knee should just touch the floor)."

3. "Push up, putting your weight through the heel of your front foot back to the start position. For an additional level of difficulty, add a jump between your lunges."

RELATED: How to exercise safely.

90:90 stretch

"This is great for upper body mobility and loosening you up," James says.

1. "Lie on your side with your legs bent at a 90 degree angle, with your arms out straight in front of you."

2. "Slowly rotate one arm up and then towards the opposite side keeping your knees squeezed together."

Do you have a home workout routine?