Home cardio workout

Burn fat and enjoy a great cardio workout at home with these effective moves by personal trainer Anne-Marie Lategan.

Twist jumps

 

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at a right angle at your sides.
• Keep your knees slightly bent.
• Twist your upper body towards the right.
• Jump up.
• Twist your legs over to the right and your upper body over to the left.
• Land allowing your knees to bend to absorb the shock.
• Alternate as fast as possible for your one-minute time limit.

Tip: Keep your back upright and focus on one point in front of you rather than twisting your head with the movement.

Backward lunges with overhead raise

 

• Stand with your legs hip-width apart.
• Hold a weight with both hands in front of your body.
• Step backwards with your left leg and bend both knees to perform a lunge.
• While lunging, lift the weight with both arms over your head.
• Step forwards to the start position.
• Repeat with your right leg.
• Alternate between left and right.

Tip: Keep your upper body upright when you land – don’t lean forward.

Stability Ball Pikes

 

• Place your feet and shins on a Stability Ball.
• Place your hands on the floor.
• Keep a straight line between your shoulders, hips and feet.
• Roll the Ball closer to your hands while pushing your bottom up to the ceiling.
• Roll the Ball back to the starting position.

Tip: If the exercise is too hard, keep the knees bent while rolling the ball in. Don’t ever move your hand position.

Lunge to single leg stances

 

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Lunge forward with your left leg and bend both knees.
• As you lift up, push off with your left leg into a single leg balancing stance on your right leg.
• Perform 12 repetitions each side.

Tip: Keep your upper back upright.

Kneeling stability ball roll outs

 

• Kneel on the floor behind a Stability Ball.
• Place your elbows and forearms on the Ball.
• Lean forward with your hips to form a straight line between your knees, hips and shoulders.
• Push your arms forward and roll the Ball out.
• Pull your arms back in until your elbows are underneath your shoulders.
• Keep your hips in the same position throughout the movement.

Tip: This exercise can also be performed with your knees off the floor.

Resistance band crunches

 

• Tie a resistance band around a secure object.
• Lie on your back on the floor.
• Hold the edges of the resistance band in your hands and keep your hands next to your ears.
• Ensure that there is slight tension in the band.
• Crunch your head and shoulders up off the floor, pulling on the resistance band.
• Slowly lower with control.

Tip: Support your neck with your hands if you feel any discomfort. Breathe out as you crunch up.

Resistance band crab walks

 

• Stand with both feet on a resistance band.
• Grab hold of the edges of the resistance band and cross it over in front of your legs.
• Step four steps sideways towards the right.
• Repeat four steps sideways towards the left.
• Alternate between right and left.

Tip: Look straight ahead and keep your spine upright.

Double leg stretches

 

• Lie on your back on the floor and keep your legs at a right angle and your shins parallel to the floor.
• Crunch your head and shoulders off the floor.
• Tuck your knees into your abs and push your lower back into the floor.
• Grab hold of your shins with your arms.
• Breathe out.
• Simultaneously stretch your arms above your head and stretch your legs out to 45 degrees.
• Keep your head off the floor and your lower back pushed into the floor.
• Breathe out.
  Take your arms sideways into a semi-circle and tuck your knees in again, grabbing hold of your shins.
• Repeat the move.

Tip: The closer your arms and legs are to the floor, the harder it is to stop your back from arching.