There’s something about the cold draft drifting through our barely adequate bedroom window that means that strapping on a pair of running shoes and taking a spin around the block seems preferable only to sitting through all three seasons of Call The Midwife back-to-back. And, if you’re a cheapskate like us, you probably haven’t got one of those nifty gym memberships that means you can visit a running machine situated in a climate controlled environment at your local fitness centre. To save ourselves from turning into big flabby messes during January and February, we decided that we needed to figure out some sort of indoor exercises that don’t mean spending money. So we chatted to fitness lady extraordinaire Charlotte Ordto recommend some workouts that we can do instead until Spring erm, springs.
Charlotte’s helped people on ITV’s The Biggest Loser to shift pounds and owns her own gym – which is two more things that we’re ever going to achieve meaning we should probably STFU and let her talk instead. Give us a shout in March when you’ve got abs like Britney circa I’m A Slave For You.
**Glute Bridge **
"This is a great exercise for toning up your butt and backs of your thighs. Lying on your back, bend your knees to 90 degrees and, keeping your feet on the floor, lift your hips up squeezing your butt muscles at the top. Hold there for a few seconds before slowly lowering and repeat for 10-15 repetitions."
Real Row
"This is a superb exercise for improving your core stability as well as improving your posture by working your upper back muscles. Lying on the floor face down. Push yourself up onto straight arms so that you are in a straight arm plank position. From there, keeping your hips and shoulders parallel, lift one hand up so that the back of your hand touches the front of your shoulder on the same side. Return to the floor and repeat on both sides for 10-15 reps."
Static Lunge
"Take a big step forward with one leg and, keeping your front foot flat on the floor, slowly bend and lower your back knee towards the ground. Once your knee is around an inch off the floor, slowly push back up to the start position. You can make this exercise more challenging by holding weights in either hand."
Overhead Press
"This exercise is great for toning and strengthening your arms and shoulders. With a dumbbell in each hand, elbows at right angles at shoulder height and palms facing forwards, press the dumbells overhead until your arms are straight, before returning to the start position. Make sure you keep your back straight and butt muscles tight throughout, and repeat for 10-15 reps."
Incline Push Up
"The push up is an effective exercise for toning your chest and arm muscles and is also great for developing core stability. With your hands on a step or sturdy, elevated surface, and your legs out straight behind you, slowly bend your elbows and lower your chest down towards the step. Press your arms back out straight and repeat for 10-15 reps."
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.