It’s easy to hit snooze this time of year. The days are short. The mornings are dark and cold. And sometimes that 10-minute walk to your favorite studio or gym feels like a long, cold trudge against the wind, both ways. For those kinds of days, you can use a bodyweight workout at home to make sure you’re still doing something active.

This week’s workout features a mix of HIIT and core for your heart-rate-raising pleasure. If ever you feel like you want more than the quick bodyweight workouts I provide, you have tons of options, including going through the workout again or going back into the archive of bodyweight workouts and doing a couple of the routines back-to-back.

For this week’s workout, we’ll use one prop: a towel. If you don’t have slippery floors to slide your towel on, the change the hamstring slides to a glute bridge (just raising and lowering your hips) and change the push-up with a slide out to a push-up that alternates from wide to narrow.

For today’s Spotify playlist, I pulled together some of my favorite silly old songs ( a couple are newer) inspired by a workout at HardPressed during which I heard the song Air Force Ones. Memories.

For the workout, you’re going to go through each set three times except for the four-minute plank-hold. You’ll only do that once. Does a four-minute plank hold sound intimidating? You can change positions every 30 seconds. I promise that you can do it!

Here’s your workout:

Burpee broad jumps: For this variation of a burpee, you’ll jump forward rather than jumping up – you may want to do this in a hallway. Start by planting your hands on the ground next to your feet the you’ll step or jump your feet back into a plank. You can add a push-up when you’re in the plank, then jump or step your feet back to your hands. From a squat position, you’ll propel yourself with a jump forward. Turn around and repeat.

Hamstring bridge with a towel: With your feet planted on a towel, slide your feet out and in, keeping your hips up. If you don’t have a wood floor, just plant your feet and lower and raise your hips.

Moving push-ups: With your hands a little wider than your shoulders, do a push-up on your knees or toes. Then slide your right arm out to do an offset push-up on your knees or toes. Slide your arm back in for a push-up in the center position. Slide your left arm out and do an offset push-up on that side. And then go back to the top.

Squat hold and pulse: Holding a low squat, you’re just going to pulse in your lowest position. Keep your weight in your heels and your knees behind your toes.

Plank hold (with variations): For your plank hold, you can do a full plank or a forearm plank. Every 30 seconds you can change how you’re holding that plank, taking it to a side plank or maybe putting your knees down to do a modified plank – in a modified plank position, keep your knees, hips and shoulders in a straight line.

Bicycles: In these bicycles, you’re bringing your opposite elbow to opposite knee. To make it easier, start with your heels on the floor. To make it harder, you can play with straightening your legs.

Most challenging variation:

Mid-level variation:

Beginner variation:

Leg Lifts: Keeping your lower back down on the floor, lift your straight legs up and then lower down. You can bend your knees to make this a little bit easier. Shorten your range of motion if you feel your lower back creeping up off of the floor.

One Hundred: In a high boat pose, pulse your palms down – counting to 100 pulses. To make this easier, you can bend your knees and hold them in a table top position.

 

(Disclaimer: This workout is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor is it a replacement for seeking medical treatment or professional nutrition advice. Do not start any nutrition or physical activity program without first consulting your physician.)