Your 4th of July Weekend Tips: Part 2

This is my first summer in Seattle and I’ve come to learn that when it’s nice out, working out in the gym or inside the house are not options. Even at 6:00AM, as long as it’s not raining and it’s just warm enough, I take my clients outside.  It doesn’t make much sense to take a lot of equipment outside but the great thing is you don’t have to!  All you need is a towel, water and sun screen.  Here is a great total-body workout that will snap you into shape outside -- or wherever you may be this 4th of July weekend!

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Start out with some dynamic stretching to get the body warmed up.

KNEE HUGS: Stand up nice and tall and hug one knee into your chest. Hold the stretch for 2 seconds, release the knee, take a step and bring the other knee into your chest. Repeat 10 times on each side.

PULL BACKS: Stand up nice and tall and bring one foot up to your butt, holding your ankle. You should feel the stretch in your quad but to feel it more in your hip flexor, bring your hip forward about an inch. Hold the stretch for 2 seconds, release the ankle, take a step and bring the other ankle to your butt.  Repeat 10 times on each side.

INCHWORMS: Bend down, reaching for the floor with your hands and walk yourself out into a plank position. Hold the plank for a second and walk your feet back to your hands. Remain bent over and repeat the movement. Repeat 8-10 times.

ARM CIRCLES: Make big arm circles forwards 10 times; switch directions for another 10 times.

Do the following exercises back-to-back in a circuit with little to no rest between exercises. Take a 2-3 minute break after the last exercise and repeat the entire circuit 1 or 2 more times, depending on how you're feeling.  Remember to drink a lot of water, especially if it’s hot. It might be tempting to work out in direct sunlight to get some color but resist the urge and find some shade.

SQUAT:

With feet hip-to-shoulder-width apart and toes pointed forward, hinge at your hips and sit back and down, keeping your spine long and belly button in. Squeeze your glutes to help bring you back to standing. Repeat 12-15 times.

PUSH-UP WITH ROTATION:

Get in pushup position. Keeping a neutral spine and your belly button in, bend your elbows to bring your chest toward the ground; push yourself up and rotate yourself into a side plank. Return to pushup position and repeat, rotating to the other side. Repeat 5-7 times on each side.

BURPEES:

Bending your knees, get yourself down towards the ground with your hands on the floor. With your weight in your hands, jump your feet back so you’re in a plank position. Jump your feet back toward your hands and jump up into the air. Do this at your own pace but the faster you do it, the faster your heart will pump. Repeat 9 times.

LUNGE TO BALANCE:

Step forward into a lunge position, making sure your toes are pointing forward and the angle of your front shin and torso are parallel; keep most of your weight in the front foot. Push off the front foot to get back to standing but don’t let that foot touch the ground; balance on the opposite leg for 2 seconds.  Repeat the movement 12 times and then switch legs.

PRONE COBRA:

Lie down on your stomach on your towel with your arms by your sides. Using only your mid-back, squeeze your shoulder blades together and down. Slowly bring your shoulders back down. Repeat 12-15 times.

BRIDGES:

Flip over to your back and bend your knees so that your heels are a few inches away from your glutes, toes pointed forward. Push through your heels and squeeze your glutes to bring your hips up into a bridge.  Keep your belly button pulled in and don’t let the natural curve in your back change as you squeeze your hips up. Hold the bridge for 2 seconds and come back down. Repeat 15 times.

SQUAT JUMPS:

Squat down the same way you did in the first exercise but this time, using your glutes to help you, jump up into the air and land back into your squat position. Make sure the landing is soft and that your hips hinge back as you come down. Use your arms to give you momentum. Repeat 10-12 times.

Gently cool down by repeating the dynamic stretches.

And that's it, y'all! Remember to stretch after your workout, drink some more water and enjoy the rest of the day.

Happy 4th!