Rise and Shine – Morning Workout

There are plenty of benefits to an Early Morning Workout. The first one is: you’ll get it out of your check-list and no one will take that ‘own time’ away from you. It will also be a way to kick-start your day, enhancing your metabolism, improving your energy levels and realizing the endorphins that will set the happy mood that will last for the rest of the day.

Workout plan:

Warm up: myofascial release/ pain relieving stretching

Begin your workout by stretching and elongating your muscles.

Plank: 3 sets of 30 seconds

You take a pushup like position with the body’s weight on forearms, elbows and toes. The arms should be directly under the shoulders with the entire body in a straight line and the back completely flat neither arched, nor rounded.

Push-up: 3 sets of 12 repetitions

Lie on the floor face down and place your hands about 36 inches apart while holding your torso up at arms’ length. Lower downward until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale. Breathe out and press your upper body back up to the starting position, squeezing your chest.

Sit-up variations: 3 sets of 15 repetitions

For the ‘original’ sit-up have your knees bent and the balls of your feet placed flat on the ground. Place your hands behind your head. Tighten your abdominal muscles gently by drawing in your belly button to your spine. Keeping your heels on the ground and your toes flat to the ground, slowly and gently lift your head first, followed by your shoulder blades. Pull up from the floor reach a 90-degree angle. Hold the position for a second. Do crunches variations touching the opposite knee with extended arms.

Squat: 3 sets of 12 repetitions

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. You can place your hands behind your head. This will be your starting position. Begin the movement by flexing your knees and hips, sitting back with your hips. Continue down to full depth, if you are able. Quickly reverse the motion until you return to the starting position. As you squat keep your head and chest up and push your knees out.

Lunges: 3 sets of 12 repetitions

Begin standing with your feet shoulder width apart and your hands on your hips. Step forward with one leg, flexing the knees to drop your hips. Descend until your rear knee nearly touches the ground. Your posture should remain upright and your front knee should stay above the front foot. Drive through the heel of your lead foot and extend both knees to raise yourself back up. Step forward with your rear foot, repeating the lunge on the opposite leg.

Side plank: 3 sets of 30 seconds

Turn onto your right side with your legs extended and your feet and hips resting on the ground and stacked on the top of each other. Place your right elbow directly under your shoulder to prop up your torso and align your head with your spine. Gently contract your core and lift your hips and knees off the floor. This strengthens your sides and deep ab. Roll onto the other side and repeat.

Workout designed by Holmes Place Expert Panagiotis Kostopoulos
Personal Trainer, Holmes Place Maroussi
Believe and you will achieve