Your simple 20-minute quarantine workout

We’re all learning to navigate staying at home 24/7. During these unprecedented times, it’s always good to have a simple do-anywhere workout in our back pockets. These moves are tried and true, won’t let you down, and you can do them anywhere you have a chair and a wall. In 20 to 30 minutes (dumbbells optional), you can do this effective full-body circuit to stay strong, get your heart pumping and keep your immunity up.

If you’re relatively new to exercise or strength training, forgo the dumbbells and the advanced variation options.  Do the modifications instead. If you’re at an intermediate to advanced level of fitness, at least five pound dumbbells are recommended.  Perform each exercise for 25 to 60 seconds, resting in between each move for no more than 20 seconds.  Perform the circuit two to four times through, resting for two minutes in between each set.

Stay strong!

Squats:

With your feet hip-width apart and holding medium to heavy dumbbells at your shoulders, bend your knees into a squat. Keep your back straight, your chest up and your shoulders back.  Return to standing.

Modifications:  Don’t use weights and don’t squat down as far.

Advanced variation:

Jump squats:  Lower into a squat, extending your arms straight in front of you.  On the way back up, push off your feet into a hop, swinging your arms back and behind you.  Land toward the front of your feet, not your heels.

Push-Ups:

Start in a plank position. Your wrists, elbows, and shoulders are in one line and your core is activated so that you have a flat back, pushing through your heels to create length in your body. As you take an inhalation, lower your chest towards the floor. On exhalation, push your chest back up to the starting position.

Modification:  Perform on your knees with your hips lowered and aligned with your body.

Split Squats:

Holding a medium dumbbell in each hand, start by standing with one foot forward, and the other foot back. Bend both knees. The thigh of your front leg and the shin of your rear leg should be parallel to the floor. The knee of your rear leg should be almost touching the floor. Keep your front knee behind your front toe. Return to standing. Do 10 reps on one side, then switch for 10 on the other side.  Keep switching until your interval is finished.

Modifications:  Don’t use weights and don’t squat down as far.

Chair Triceps Dips:

Place your palms behind you on the seat of a sturdy chair with your knees bent and feet on the floor. To begin, lift your hips off the chair.  Slowly and gently bend your elbows and lower your body down in front of the chair. Keep your elbows facing the back of the room. Extend your arms and repeat.

Modification: Stay in the starting position, holding it there with your arms straight the whole time.

Sumo Squats:

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your toes pointed outward.  Hold two medium dumbbells in front of you at chest level.  Keeping your tailbone tucked under, lower into a squat position with your knees tracking your toes.  Return to standing.

Modifications:  Don’t use weights and don’t squat down as far.

Reverse Plank:

Start in a seated position on the floor with your legs together and extended in front. Place your hands under your shoulders with your fingertips pointing in front of you. Lift your hips off the ground until your body is straight.

Advanced variation: Lift legs alternately (Pictured above)

Modification: Keep your hips on the floor and open your chest, stretching through the upper body. Try lifting your hips slightly off the floor for short periods of time. Practice makes perfect–You can work your way higher in subsequent weeks.

Wall Sit:

Lean against a wall in “chair” position with your knees bent and your thighs as parallel to the floor as possible.

Advanced variation: Raise each arm laterally using dumbbells.

Modification: Sit with your thighs at more of an angle, higher on the wall. Omit the arm raise.

Russian Twist:

Sit holding one dumbbell with both hands in front of chest. Keeping the spine long and the abs tight, lean back slightly and lift the feet a few inches off the floor. (To modify, keep the feet on the floor and omit the weight.) Slowly twist the torso to the left and bring the dumbbell beside the left hip. Return to center, and then slowly twist to the right and bring the weight beside the right hip to complete one rotation.