The 8½ minute fat burning, metabolism boosting, busy mums workout


One of the greatest fitness misconceptions is that to burn calories and lose weight you need to spend hours every week at the gym plodding away on a treadmill or cross trainer. Good new: short, sharp workouts will give you a far better result and, of course, they can be squeeze into your precious moments of freedom. The reason for this is that they boost your metabolism, helping you to burn more calories afterwards. So here’s another metabolism-booster for you. It’s only 8½ minutes long but if you have time to go through it twice, then that would be great. You could, for example, do it once in the morning and once in the evening.  

 

Warm up: never skip this bit, or you might strain yourself. Try and warm though all the main muscles by doing big movements such as squats and lunges.


60 seconds: On the bottom step of your staircase, step up and down. Half way through swap your leading leg. Make sure that when you step up, you place your foot fully on the step.


Exercise 1, 30 seconds: take a large step to the right and then squat with your feet shoulder width apart. Now step left and squat. Keep alternating left and right, making your moves strong and purposeful.  Teaching points:

  • Weight into the heels, back long, knees aligned and behind your toes, abdominals drawn inwards.

 

60 seconds: On the bottom step of your staircase, step up and down. Half way through swap your leading leg. Make sure that when you step up, you place your foot fully on the step.

 

Exercise 2, 30 seconds: dynamic right leg lunges. Take a large step forwards with your right leg. Now drop your left knee down towards the floor. As you come back up push yourself back to the start position with force. Keep going! Teaching points:

  • Long stance, up on the toes of your back leg, drop the knee straight down to the floor, chest lifted.

 

60 seconds: On the bottom step of your staircase, step up and down. Half way through swap your leading leg. Make sure that when you step up, you place your foot fully on the step. 


Exercise 3, 30 seconds: dynamic left leg lunges. Take a large step forwards with your left leg. Now drop your right knee down towards the floor. As you come back up push yourself back to the start position with force. Keep going! Teaching points:

  • Long stance, up on the toes of your back leg, drop the knee straight down to the floor, chest lifted.

 

60 seconds: On the bottom step of your staircase, step up and down. Half way through swap your leading leg. Make sure that when you step up, you place your foot fully on the step. 

 

Exercise 4, 30 seconds: press ups. working at the correct level for you. Box press up technique: all fours box position, hands in-line with shoulders but wider than shoulders, back long and aligned, abdominals drawn in to support the back. Lower yourself downwards and forwards of your hands whilst maintaining the back in a neutral position. ¾ press up: take your knees further back and bring the weight forwards into your arms. Your body should be in a diagonal line from shoulders to knees. Lower yourself in one “block” towards the floor making sure that you do not let your lower back arch. Abdominals need to be drawn in. 


60 seconds: On the bottom step of your staircase, step up and down. Half way through swap your leading leg. Make sure that when you step up, you place your foot fully on the step. 

 

Exercise 5, 30 seconds: Dynamic lunges alternating left and right foot. Step forwards with your right foot, lunge, push back to your start position. Now step forwards with your left foot, lunge and push back. Keep going with energy!


60 seconds: On the bottom step of your staircase, step up and down. Half way through swap your leading leg. Make sure that when you step up, you place your foot fully on the step. 

Now you have two choices:

 

  • If you are very short of time you can cool down and stretch
  • Alternatively, rest for 1 minute and then REPEAT the workout. Remember to stretch at the end of your second round.


Finally, take a photo of yourself looking hot and sweaty, and post it on facebook to prove you worked hard!