To give your muscles a good workout, you don’t need a lot of fancy equipment, and you don’t need to clear your calendar.
At the bare minimum, you need 30 minutes of cardiovascular three times a week, and 10 to 15 minutes of muscular exercise at least twice a week.
Here are 11 exercises that will work your major muscle groups, thanks to Amy Bomar, owner and education director of FIT Launch, a fitness training and education company in Everett. The exercises take less than 10 minutes. Repeat the entire series for an even better workout.
Here’s how to do it. Start with a warmup such as walking for about five minutes. Then go through these exercises in order, taking 30 seconds for each one, with a minimal rest period between each. If you’re not tired after the 30 seconds, you need to increase the intensity. Repeat the whole sequence if desired.
Finish with stretches of all your major muscle groups: chest, shoulders, lateral spine, low back, hip flexors, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and calves. Hold each stretch for about 15 seconds.
Click here to see photos of the exercises as demonstrated by Bomar. Some of the exercises are shown from more than one angle or with easier and harder modifications.
Learn more
Go to Amy Bomar’s Facebook page to see photos of more exercises and a variety of stretches. Bomar also offers personal training as well as group classes, indoors and out. You can learn more at fitnessgatherings.com.
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