A 15 Minute Workout For People Who Haven't Exercised In A Hot Minute
It looks like things might be resembling some sort of normal existence this summer. Hallelujah! But wait. That means potentially meeting people and doing “normal” things, like exercising at the gym or going to a fitness class you loved in your former life. If you’ve been shunning your fitness routine for Netflix this year (and, let’s be honest, who hasn’t?) the idea of working out again might feel daunting.
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While your progress might have regressed since the last time you regularly sweated it out, all is not lost! You can definitely get back on the fitness wagon with this easy-yet-challenging 15-minute workout created by AKT‘s Master Trainer, Sasha Mihovilovic that’s gonna make you fall in love with working out again (or at least get you off the couch).
The workout
According to Mihovilovic, each circuit has four exercises that you’ll do for three rounds.
“You’ll do as many reps as you can for each exercise in the allotted time. Your goal is to increase your intensity each round, so aim to get in more reps of each exercise from one round to the next!”
Round 3 is a shorter “power round” where you should go all out max effort and get in as many reps as possible while keeping good form!
Warm Up Circuit
Three rounds – Round 1: 30 seconds each exercise, Round 2: 30 seconds each exercise, Round 3: 15 seconds each exercise
Low impact half jacks, alternating sides
Step out and in laterally from side to side, putting weight on your foot.
You can bring both arms overhead and down, like regular jumping jacks. Be sure to transfer your weight and place your whole foot on the ground when stepping out.
Can progress these full out jumping jacks, challenging your speed, how many can you fit into 30 seconds?
Lateral lunges, alternating sides
Take a big step out to the side into a side lunge, and then push off to bring the feet back together, alternating right and left, hands on hips.
When stepping out to the side, be sure to keep the opposite leg completely straight (don’t let it bend when bringing the other leg back in). That way you can fire up the glute maximus and glute medius! Be sure to keep the knees and toes facing front (no internal or external rotation).
Practice increasing range of motion: stepping further, getting lower, picking up the tempo
Party up + party down
“This is going to get your whole body moving, make sure to really twist the hips so you even get some oblique engagement through the torso!”
Take your feet a little wider than hip distance apart and shake your hips right and left.
Add your arms by swinging them overhead in the same direction as your hips four times. then bring them down and shake them low four times. Twist more, bend knees more, add a little more jump to it, pick up the speed!
Down dog to runner’s lunge, alternating sides
“This is a nice dynamic stretch while also firing up your upper body and core, while stretching your achilles, calves, hamstrings, hips, quads, and psoas. This is a great movement to really connect to your breath, inhaling through your nose, inflating your diaphragm, and exhaling drawing your belly button to the spine, as you work through the movement.”
Roll down, bringing hands to the floor, walking feet out to a downdog position.
From there, lead with your right heel to step up to a runner’s lunge. Be sure that the knee is directly over the ankle, weight into that heel, then push back to downdog, and repeat on the left. This is a nice dynamic stretch while also firing up your upper body and core, while stretching your achilles, calves, hamstrings, hips, quads, and psoas.
Practice trying to get heels all the way down in the down dog portion of exercise, while also getting deeper stepping out to runners lunge, increasing flexibility of hip flexor and quad
Circuit 1
3 rounds – Round 1: 30 seconds each exercise, Round 2: 30 seconds each exercise, Round 3: 15 seconds each exercise
Half plank push up to child’s pose
Come to your full high plank, then drop your knees to half plank position.
Bend the elbows to lower down as far as you can control without dropping the chest or arching the back. Keep your feet uncrossed and maintain one long line from head to knees.
Press up and send your hips back to child’s pose, with the knees open and the torso resting between the legs. Shift weight back forward and repeat.
Progress to full plank push up, try to get lower, and eventually push for speed
Heel switches with arms breathing up & down
Standing, kick your feet out in front of you striking the heel on the ground lightly. A similar feeling to running, but the feet are in front of you switching from right to left.
Once you get your momentum going, inhale and breathe your arms up (engaging from your back, lifting with resistance) for four counts, and then draw your arms down for four counts. Have fun jamming out with this one and getting your heart rate pumping!
Instead of switching heels on ground, kick them out about 45 degrees off the floor, and work on speed!
Forearm plank hold
Safely make your way down to the ground and extend out into a plank position on your forearms. Try not to clasp your hands but instead keep the arms out parallel to encourage balance and proper form.
Think about your postural alignment here, chin slightly lifted, shoulders down away from the ears, shoulders over the elbows, connect to your breath, belly button pulling to spine, glutes squeezed, inner thighs zipped together, weight evenly distributed on your metatarsals.
If you need to take breaks that’s fine! Hold for 5-10 seconds, take a quick breather, get back into it, and then work up from there!
Add in a balance stability challenge, lifting R foot off the floor round one, L foot off the floor the second round, and alternating tap sides for 15 seconds
Standing marching mountain climbers with thoracic twist
Stand up, bring your feet about hip distance apart, or slightly wider, alternate marching drawing the knee into the chest.
When you are ready, twist towards the leg that is lifting, activating the obliques and core. Your hands can be behind your head or to the chest in a prayer position.
High knee plyometric runs, with twist towards leg, push for speed
30 seconds to take shoulder stretch and tricep stretch
Circuit 2
3 rounds – Round 1: 30 seconds each exercise, Round 2: 30 seconds each exercise, Round 3: 15 seconds each exercise
Step to squat, alternating sides
From feet together, hands in prayer or on your hips, step out one foot to the side, bending both knees sinking hips down with the weight in the heels, into a squat. Keep your toes and knees pointing front as you do.
Then, squeeze the glutes to come back up to standing, feet back together, and switch to the other side.
Jump out to squat with double hop in center, work on increasing speed over time and getting lower
Grapevine R, grapevine L, 4X jack throw
A signature traveling dance cardio move from our dance class! Step side with right foot, cross the left foot, step again with right foot, and kick back left foot (also known as the grapevine).
Repeat on the other side.
After doing one grapevine right and one grapevine left, hold center and do four jumping jacks, tossing the arms in front of the chest, and then repeat the whole thing! The grapevine takes four counts each side, then four jack throws!
Practice traveling as much as possible on grapevine, jack throws can progress to heel click jumps
Curtsy lunge pulse 3-2-1, step in, alternating sides
Cross one leg behind for a curtsy lunge, keeping hips/shoulders square to the front. Practice keeping the weight in the front heel, so the glute max activates, and helps you stabilize.
Pulse for 3 counts, 3-2-1, and pull the back foot in. Switch to the other side.
Could replace step in with a hop and practice getting low low low here!
4X kick back reach up, 4X body roll through
Feet slightly wider than hip distance apart, bend knees and ground yourself into the earth.
Take the chest down and up right to left (like a chest pop) four times, tossing arms over head or to the side, while also kicking your opposite heel to your booty.
After your 4 kickbacks, body roll right and left four times having fun with the arms. This is a fun full body movement!
Add a hop to kick backs, really make this movement larger than life, and have loads of fun!
30 seconds to take a seated twisted glute stretch on each leg
If you’ve done your first workout in a while workout, you might need some serious self-care. Check out these awesome post-workout recovery essentials to treat yourself:
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