This month I decided I would finally test the waters a bit and try some low-commitment (read: free) strength training in small (read: 15 minutes or less) doses. My free membership at SparkPeople has been the perfect medium for this experiment—in fact, reader Quix suggested this idea to me ages ago!
Here’s my current SparkPeople online exercise video routine (which basically mimics the current bootcamp they are running over there):
Sunday: 10-minute Cardio JumpStart
Notes: Okay, this is the only video that isn’t technically a strength-training/toning workout. Watch the intensity on this one; there’s a lot of hopping and I got a little overzealous and slightly injured myself yesterday. It’s fine to keep it lower impact if that’s what you can do right now.
Monday: 8-minute Lower Body Ball Workout
Notes: This video (and most of the others) utilize a stability ball. I picked mine up at a sporting goods store for about $20.
Tuesday: 8-minute Upper Body Workout
Notes: I started off with my teeny 3 lb hand weights last week but I’m going to try it with my 5-lb weights tomorrow.
Wednesday: 5-minute Core Workout with Ball
Notes: Despite the brevity of the routine, I could feel this one the next day!
Thursday: 10-minute Lower Body Workout
Notes: This is a floor workout, plenty of leg lifts and stuff like that.
Friday: 6-minute Upper Body Workout with Ball
Notes: Just in case you were getting lonely for your stability ball! I had to do one of the modified versions of at least one of the exercises, but that’s okay. I’ve got to start somewhere, right?
Saturday: 15-minute Abs Workout
Notes: This is the longest of the workouts, but it still goes by pretty quickly. It’s a floor workout, so it’s more comfortable if you have some kind of exercise or yoga mat you can lie on.
So that’s my strength routine for the month of January! I also do at least 5 days of cardio per week, 30 minutes at a stretch. Generally I just hop on an elliptical machine because it’s lower impact on my legs, but I plan to work up to jogging for 30 minutes on the treadmill eventually.
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