“Breaking Barriers!” Full-body Fitness Regime

Goal of the Workout:

This workout aims to improve cardio strength, overall body muscle tone and flexibility. It’s intended to provide a sweat-dripping, heart-pumping workout

Daily Benefit:

The daily benefits of this workout include increased stamina, overall muscle strength, improved flexibility and mobility, and higher metabolism for boosted energy levels and fat-burning progress.

Warm up:

• Jumping Jacks – Start with your legs together and arms by your side. Jump while spreading your legs and arms out simultaneously. Return to the starting position to execute one rep. This exercise does not require any additional equipment. One round should be 5 minutes. It warms up the entire body.
• Arm Circles – Stand straight with your arms extended by the sides. Do forward and backward arm circles. This exercise does not require any additional equipment. Duration for this exercise is 3 minutes. Works on shoulder muscles.

Cardio:

• High Knees – Stand up straight and bring your knees up as high as possible towards your chest, one at a time. The faster, the better. This exercise doesn’t need any equipment. One round should be 10 minutes. It works on leg and core muscles.

Strength Training:

Upper Body

• Push Ups – Begin in a high plank position and then lower your body until your chest touches the floor and then push back up. This exercise does not require any equipment. Aim for 3 sets of 15 reps. Works on chest, shoulders, and triceps.
• Tricep Dips – Sit on a chair and hold the edge with both hands. Slide your bottom off the chair and lower yourself. Then push back up. The equipment required is a sturdy chair, which is optional if one can find a suitable elevated surface. Aim for 3 sets of 15 reps. Works on Triceps.
• Bicep Curls – Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand. Keep your elbows close to your torso and curl the weights while contracting your biceps. The exercise requires dumbbells, alternatively, one can use any heavy household items. Aim for 3 sets of 12 reps. Works on Biceps.

Lower Body

• Squats – Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart. Lower your body as much as you can by bending your knees and pushing your hips back. Then stand back up. This exercise does not require any equipment. Aim for 3 sets of 15 reps. Works on Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings.
• Lunges – Stand straight, take a step forward and lower your body until the front knee is parallel to the floor. The back knee should not touch the floor. Then return to the initial position. No equipment is required. Aim for 3 sets of 15 reps on each leg. Works on Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings.
• Calf Raises – Stand straight and push through the balls of both feet to raise your body upward. Then come back down. No equipment is necessary. Aim for 3 sets of 20 reps. Works on the calf muscles.

Stretching:

• Standing hamstring stretch – Stand up tall, bend forward at your hips and drop your head down to stretch out your hamstrings. No equipment is required. Stretch for 30 seconds.
• Arm Stretch – Stretch your arm across your chest and hold it with your other arm for 20 seconds, then switch. No equipment is required.

Motivational Quote

“The pain you feel today, will be the strength you feel tomorrow.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger