Tiny Workout for Tiny Spaces
My home has taken on more responsibility – School, Office, Gym, Family Game Room, Craft Corner. Maybe your home has too? With all these additions to our homes space optimization has become a must! In my home, I have limited exercise equipment to items I can store in one medium size container. Here is what I have in my home:
- Yoga mat
- Resistance Bands (3 bands at different strengths)
- A beach towel (a yoga strap will also work)
- Two tennis balls
While I love my above equipment today’s “Tiny Workout” does not require any equipment! You will utilize your body weight as resistance during this full-body workout. Find a place in your home that you can lie on your back and freely stretch your arms overhead. This is all the space you will need today! Let’s get started:
Warm-Up:
- 12 Body Weight Squats
Stand with legs shoulder-width apart. Keep toes and heels connected with the ground. Eyes forward. As you bend the knees, stretch your fingertips out in front of your chest. Relax the arms as you extend the legs back to the start position.
- 4 Roll Downs
Stand with legs together and toes turned slightly out. Stretch the arms overhead taking an inhale. Exhaling draws your navel towards your spine keeping your weight centered over the ankles begin to round the spine forward. Once the hands are extended to the floor (knees may soften if needed to reach the floor) take a deep breath in, exhaling return to the start position.
- 4 Roll Down to Plank
Repeat the above exercise but add in walking the hands forward to find a plank at the bottom of the rollout. Walk the hands back to the toes, recenter your weight over the ankles to return to standing.
Round 1 – Standing Work:
- 12 Step Back Lunges
Begin standing with legs together. Step one foot back, keep back heel lifted with the ball of the foot connected to the floor. Keep eyes forward, chest lifted, as you bend both knees. The back knee should be positioned directly below your pelvis at the bottom of your lunge. Step forward, repeat to the opposite side. Perform 12 on each leg.
- 4 Chair Holds
Stand with legs together. Reach arms forward and up as you sit your hips back and down like sitting in a chair. Find a position that challenges you and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat for 4 rounds.
Round 2 – Kneeling Work:
- 12 Balance All 4s
Kneeling on all 4s with palms directly under the shoulders and knees under the hips. Begin with an inhale by sliding the right arm forward and then lift until in line with your ear – to add a higher level of difficulty slide the left leg away and then lift as the arm moves. Exhale to return to your start position. Repeat to the opposing side. 12 repetitions to each side.
- 6 Knee Taps
Still kneeling from the exercise above, take an exhale to hover the knees about a fist-width from the floor. Count to 10 before returning the knees gently to the floor. Repeat for 6 repetitions.
- 6 Long Stretch
Begin kneeling on all 4s. Taking an exhale lift the knees. Begin straightening the knees shifting your body forward towards your fingertips to find a plank. Inhale to lift the hips towards the sky pressing the heels to the floor for a down dog position. Return to start by bending the knees back to find your all 4s position.
Round 3 – Lying Supine Work:
- 12 Spinal Bridging
Begin lying on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor with knees & ankles a fist-width apart. Taking a deep inhale to prepare, begin mobilizing the spine on the exhale by lifting the tailbone, then the low back, then the ribs, taking an inhale as you find the center of the shoulder blades. Return the spine to the floor one vertebra at a time on the exhale. Repeat for 12.
- 12 Reverse Balance all 4s
Lying on your back bring the legs into a tabletop with the arms extended to the sky (if you flipped over this would be the same start position as “balance all 4s” from above). On an inhale begin reaching the right arm overhead while the left leg begins to extend away. Keep the shape of the spine consistency at the arms and legs move to keep the back safe (resist arching of the back). Repeat exercise 12 times to each side.
- 4 Roll-ups
Lying on your back extend both legs long on the floor and arms overhead. Exhaling begins to reach the fingers towards the toes rolling the head up with the arms, roll to a seated position. Stretch forward to the toes taking an inhale, return to lying on the exhale with control of the movement. Repeat for 4 repetitions.
You’ve made it!
Give yourself a pat on the back! I hope you found this Tiny Workout packed a big punch and leaves you with confidence that your small space does not have to take away from the quality of your exercise program.
If you enjoyed this workout you can find more free home workouts at brittaneyf.com or join or Classes on Demand community for dozens of exercise videos you can complete at home.
Move better, feel better.
