Hey Mamas, it’s Janna Murphy here, coming straight outta Lakeville with some serious mom moves to get you fit!
I’ll be honest, I am not a personal trainer. But I am a mama who loves to get my body moving. I want to be strong and healthy to keep up with my beautiful kids. I have always enjoyed exercising and encouraging others to do so as well. Now, I wouldn’t call these exercises sweet moves by any means, but they will raise your heart rate and hopefully make you happy you did them.
I realize we are all from different walks of life. Some of us may not be able to afford the gym, others may have injuries or illnesses, maybe you single parent or have a demanding career. But it seems as though TIME is almost always a hindering factor for nearly all of us. It drives me crazy when people post things on social media suggesting we all have the same 24 hrs in a day. They seem to say, “Look! I did it, why can’t you?!” Well, I am here to tell you that isn’t always realistic! We can’t always do it all. So instead of being discouraged before we’ve even begun, let’s encourage one another to keep trying! And that’s where my workout plan comes into play.
My goal is to create four workout moves for you to do at home, or you can take them to the gym. I like to repeat this sweat session 3-4 times a week. The total workout should take you 10-15 minutes depending on how fast you complete them. Try timing yourself to see your improvements. If it starts to get easy, add more reps to each exercise.
Let’s get started!
First, grab a seat on the floor and get some stretching in. Take some long, deep, relaxing breaths, as these are just plain good for the soul.
15-Minute Sweat Session
1. Jumping Jacks | 20 reps: These are guaranteed to get your heart rate up. Feel free to modify as needed. Here is one example.
2. Squats | 10 reps: Stand with your legs wide and your arms extended in front of you for balance. Keep your weight in your heels as you squat down, and then back up. If you have any preexisting injuries, use a chair for balance. (Be sure to place it next to a wall to ensure it doesn’t slip during your movements.) When utilizing a chair as a modification, focus on using your legs as you return to a standing position.
3. Arms | 10 reps: Use the same chair from the squat exercise. Sit down on the chair and slide your legs straight out until your are using your arms to hold yourself up. Lower your body up and down 10 times. Be sure to pull in your tummy to isolate your core and add some extra abdominal work.
4. Sit-ups | 10 reps: Lay on your back with your knees bent. In this position, reach around to touch your right ankle, then the left, continuing to alternate until you complete 10 on each side. The key with this exercise is to not sit up while reaching, but to emphasize a side bend to touch the ankle.
5. Repeat each set of exercises three times. Try to do this 3-4 times a week whenever it fits into your schedule – it can be in the morning, evening, or even nap time.
6. ENJOY YOURSELF! By the end of this workout session, you will have targeted a little bit of everything: cardio, upper and lower body, as well as abs. Great job, mama!
