Get fit in the New Year: Workouts to do at home

With the New Year quickly approaching many of us have fallen off of the wagon when it comes to our workout routine. Too many holiday obligations, too cold to go outside, too tired from the late nights and so on and so forth. And unfortunately as the pattern goes when we stop working out we tend to eat worse and mind our caloric intake less so it becomes a vicious cycle of neglecting yourself and your body. Then with the New Year, the gyms will become a mob scene and the crickets that you used to hear at your 5 am work out will now become people fighting for machines and interrupting a once solid and quiet routine at the gym. With both of those times upon us, it may be time to start adding a few home workouts to your schedule.

Many times I hear, "Well I only have 20 or 30 minutes to work out so it is not worth it." And for some people working out 20 to 30 minutes is a challenge. But what people forget is that 20-30 minutes is something, it does your body good. It gets your systems working and while it may not be the traditional gym routine that you have a lot of time for, it is enough to maintain what you have worked so hard to build all year. Doing something no matter what that something is or how little that something is, is always better than doing nothing. And sometimes removing the travel time that it takes to get to the gym and get home allows you to get a workout in.

The following exercises are meant to be done in a row without stopping. This is designed to be tough so challenge yourself. You will hold or perform each motion for 3 minutes. Do it as intensely as you can; it is only 3 minutes. Then immediately move into the next exercise without stopping. In the video we have offered a variety of levels to perform some of the exercises but push yourself to do it the hardest way. Once you have done the exercises one time through for 3 minutes, go back and do them again for another 3 minutes. That will equal a total of 30 minutes and if you have the time then do them again so it will be 45 minutes.

1. Push-ups. Yes just traditional push-ups. And not from your knees, from your toes. The point of these exercises, because there is only 5, is to get the most muscle groups involved. When you do the push-ups from your knees you are limiting the amount of abdominal involvement. Start on your toes, even if you cannot move, just hold the push-up position. Try to last as long as you can, then drop to your knees.

2. Side to side jumping. This is to help the muscles on the sides of your legs and the cardiovascular system. Do this as fast as you can and make as big leaps as possible.

3. Single leg dead lift. This helps with balance and everything in the back, gluts, hamstrings, etc. Try not to put your foot down in between each repetition for an added challenge. Do 90 seconds on one side and then do 90 seconds on the other side.

4. Burpees. Again with these, push yourself. Do not go slow; you only have 3 minutes. Drop down quickly, shoot your legs back, drive them back in and then jump up. Each time you do this try to increase the number of repetitions that you perform.

5. Shoulder taps. This is going to work your arms and your core. Try to make it harder by picking up one leg, even if it is just for a few seconds. Then try the other leg.

Mixing up your workout routine by adding things at home and at the gym will lead you to better results. Allowing yourself to be disciplined and not skipping days that you cannot make it into the gym will result in better outcomes overall.

Read more Sports Doc for Sports Medicine and Fitness.