Rainy Day Workout Routine

It’s tempting to want to stay inside on a rainy day. Even a quick trip to the gym may seem daunting when it’s wet, gray and chilly out. I’m all for staying indoors when the weather is miserable, but that’s no excuse to skip your workout.

There are plenty of ways to get in a workout at home on a rainy day. First things first, get out your favorite workout play list and blast some energy charged music. This will help you get revved up when the icky weather is slowly lulling you to camp out on your couch instead.

No equipment? No problem. You don’t need anything other than a bottle of water  (it’s important to stay hydrated) and your own body weight to get in a good workout.  If you do have equipment at home, such as weights, resistance bands, or a workout DVD you enjoy, even better!

Start with jogging or marching in place to get warmed up.  Dynamic stretches like butt kicks or leg lifts are another great way to warm up Remember, you never want to skip a warm up!

After you’ve warmed up for 5 minutes it’s time to get started. Do the following circuit by performing each exercise for one full minute. If one minute is too intense, bring it down to a more comfortable time frame, i.e. 45 or 30 seconds. It’s important to challenge yourself without causing injury, so stay tuned-in to your body. Once you’ve completed the circuit, repeat it two more times.

 Rainy Day Workout:

• Basic squat  (1 minute)
• Jumping jacks (1 minute)
• Full push ups or modified push ups on your knees (1 minute)
• Alternating lunges (1 minute)
• High Knees (1 minute)
• Plank (1 minute)
• Mountain Climbers (1 minute)
• Tricep Dips (1 minute) use a coffee table or ottoman

Repeat the circuit two more times.  Remember to modify the time to match your fitness level. If you are uncertain of how to perform an exercise, www. Livestrong.com is a great resource for all things fitness. In addition, you can search on You Tube or perform a Google search for examples of the above-mentioned exercises.

Finally, cool down with a nice long stretch session. Let that heart rate come down slowly and don’t skip over any muscle groups.

There it is! No excuses. When you finish you can camp out on the couch and enjoy the rain knowing you got in a great workout!

Happy Monday!