Katie: Sick Kid at Home Workout

I knew it was coming, she had that look in her eye, she was quick to go to that over tried and cranky place…we have a sick kid.  I don’t like it when the kids are sick.  Of course I want them to feel good and its hard seeing them all miserable (ie. its hard being with them when they are miserable.)  But what I really don’t like, is that it means that we can’t go to the gym.  I know this sounds so terribly selfish, but the gym is my happy place, its my prozac and paxil, and it makes me a better mom and wife.  It gives me patience, a mother’s best tool!

I need my endorphin fix, so I make due and I find a way to get a good workout in at home.  Yes, the kids interrupt me and the dog licks my face, but I find a way to get my sweat on.  I have learned that I need this and when life gets in the way I find a way to make it work.

So I thought I would share one of my at home workouts that takes about 30-35 min to do depending on how often you get interrupted.  (This isn’t a beginner workout and it gets your heart rate climbing! So listen to your body, modify where you need to, I’ve included modifications, stop and march in place if you need to.  Use safe and proper form.  Be careful and safe. ) **this workout also relies heavily on putting your bodyweight in your wrists, so if you have an injury or weakness there this is not a good choice.

All you need for this workout is your yoga matt and set of  light dumbbells (I used 5 pounds as that’s all I have).  This is a circuit training style workout, with a strength exercise followed by a cardio interval. The cardio intervals I have selected are intermediate to advanced, you can substitue 1 minute of marching, high knees, jumping jacks, whatever gets your heart rate up safely. Also move through the exercises at your own pace, stop and rest if you need to.

Warm up: 2-3 minutes: for a warm up I like to go through a few sun salutations  from yoga, basically flowing from mountain pose, to plank, lowering slowly, to upward dog, to downward dog, and back to mountain.  I start slowly and then move a bit faster…flowing into the moves.  You can also march in place, do arm swings, torso twists, high knees etc.  The idea is to warm up your body and prepare it for exercise.

Push ups: From toes or knees, 10-12 (stop as soon as your form breaks down).  Rest in childs pose for 30 sec.  REPEAT for a total of 2 sets

Cardio Interval: Wood Chops for 1 minute (remember you can change this to any cardio exercise for 1 minute, listen YOUR body) *make sure your knees do not pass over your toes. 

Plank to push up with alternating dumbbell row: In plank position (holding dumbbells in hands) lower to push up and back up, then alterante a row on each side. This is one rep, do 6-10 reps, rest 30 sec and repeat.  (this is an intermediate to advanced move, a good modification is to do wide dumbbell rows, 15 reps of light weight, rest and repeat.)

Cardio Interval: 15-20 plyometric lunges, rest 10-15 sec, 20 more (you can substitute your choice of cardio for 1 minute)

One-Legged Dead Lift Balance: 12 per leg, rest and do 2 sets (the balance is tricky right after the cardio, with your heart pumping, so if need be march in pace till your HR comes down)  This exercise is a slow controlled one, its difficult, if need be keep back foot on floor.

Cardio Interval :  Squat Jumps 1 minute (if needed do 20 sec, rest 10, 20 sec on, rest 10) or choose a cardio interval that suits your body, be safe.

Good Old Fashioned Tricep Dips: find a bench, sturdy braced chair, or do them from the floor with your arms behind you and one leg raised. 10-12, 3 sets

Cardio Interval:  Flo Jo Sprints on the spot 1 min (oh man this one had me breathing hard!)  As Bob Harper would say “I love it when fit people start breathing like that!”

Russian Twists: do 20 rest for 15-30 sec and repeat (these are done without the medicine ball shown in the video) You can modify by keeping your feet on the floor.

Cardio Interval: Side crunch to burpee for 1 min (again you can choose to modify)

Downward dog leg lift to knee tuck: 10 per side x 2,  we are coming down now, transitioning to cool down.  Rest a few breaths on downward dog before switching legs, rest in child’s pose before doing the second set.  (if getting into downward dog is too much with your heart rate up from the burpees, rest in child’s pose first before inverting)

Cool down: 3-5 min, I like to go back to the sun salutations and move through them slowly until my heart rate returns to normal.

This is a fairly quick, power packed workout that will get the sweat pouring and the endorphins flowing.  Its something I like to do on days when we are confined to the house.  It gives me my “happy” back and I am a much better Nurse…wink.