By Mojabeng Dorcas Senekal
SPRING is just around the corner, and below is a 10-day work out for you to welcome this new season;
Day 1
Go on a 15-minute run, it can be around the neighbourhood or on the treadmill at the gym. Running on actual terrain is a better workout as you will be faced with natural elements such as hills that affect intensity. If you cannot run for the entire 15 minutes, walk in between periods of running. The important thing is to stay in constant motion for the entire 15 minutes. Rest for up to five minutes after your run, and drink water to rehydrate yourself. Then do at least one chest resistance exercise that consists of at least three sets of 12 repetitions, resting for no more than 60 seconds between sets. Finish with a set of 25 abdominal crunches either on the floor or on an abdominal machine at the gym.
Day 2
Start Day 2 with 20 minutes on an elliptical machine at the gym. Since you ran on Day 1, you want to do a different aerobic activity on Day 2 to keep yourself fresh. If you do not do the gym then start the workout with another run or some other form of aerobic activity, such as bicycling. Rest for five minutes, rehydrate with water, then do at least one full-leg resistance exercise, such as squats, leg presses or lunges. Do three sets of 12 repetitions, with no more than 60 seconds in between sets. Do 25 repetitions of a different ab exercise than you did on Day 1. For example, if you did 25 crunches on Day 1, do 25 full sit-ups on Day 2.
Day 3
Day 3 should be a day of complete rest, particularly if you haven’t worked out your legs in a while. Your legs will be very sore from Day 2’s workout, so any type of running or aerobic exercise will be painful and counterproductive. Give your muscles a day to heal and get back at it tomorrow.
Day 4
Go on a 20-minute run or do some other form of aerobic exercise for 20 minutes. If your legs are still sore from the Day 2 leg workout, an elliptical machine will place the least strain on your leg muscles because of its low-impact design. Rest and rehydrate, then work your upper back muscles. Do an upper-back resistance exercise, such as reverse flies. Do three sets of at least 12 repetitions, with no more than 60 seconds of rest between sets. Finish with 25 repetitions of an abdominal exercise.
Day 5
Do 30 minutes on an elliptical machine and incorporate intervals into the workout. The intervals are one- to two-minute periods of increased exertion (either higher speed or greater resistance). Do five minutes at your regular pace, then one to two minutes at an increased pace and continue that cycle until the 30 minutes is up. Cool down and rehydrate. Because of the increased duration of your aerobic exercise, you won’t do any resistance exercises on Day 5.
Day 6
This should be another day of complete rest. This will prepare your body for the final four days, in which you will be exercising every day.
Days 7 and 8 should be a repeat of the workouts from days 1 and 2, but switch the days. Do 20 minutes of aerobic activity and do legs and abs on Day 7. Run for 20 minutes and do chest and ab exercises on Day 8. The switch is because you will be doing your longest run of the week on Day 9 and you need a day of rest between that run and your leg workout.
Day 9
Go on a 30-minute run in your neighborhood or on some other surface terrain (not a treadmill).
Day 10
Finish your 10 days with 30 minutes on an elliptical machine or on a bike, then repeat the back workout from Day 4.
