Fitness: A Home Workout

Looking for a typical "home workout?" Our fitness expert Alexandra Allred, is a former member of the US Women's Bobsled team, is an accomplished martial artist, and continues to teach kickboxing while juggling her career as a full-time writer and mother of three.

These workouts are for a woman who has been given permission by her doctor to workout and is a person who has taken 2 to 3 aerobic classes a week. Please keep in mind that this particular program was designed for an intermediate exerciser!

"Alex suggests" that beginners must first speak with their family physician before working out then, take it slowly. Break the workout down in half. Even if you feel like you can do it all, go slowly. If the workout asks for 3 sets of 20, do 3 sets of 10. Only do half of the abdominal exercises suggested. This program was not designed for pregnant women. This is not to say they cannot do this but we must insist your OB/GYN is consulted before working out with this program. As always, Pregnancy.org wants to ensure the utmost safety for everyone.

LOWER BODY:Quadriceps, hamstrings, hips, calves and abdominals

Working from home you will need: hand weights (3 to 5 lbs.), stool and X-ray paper

Cardio warm-up: 1.4 mile walk with weights or 10 minutes kicks/jabs to music

Legs
Sliding squats with weights - side to side (approximately 20 feet): 3 sets
Slide to the right, slide to the left = 1 set
*This should not be a hurried exercise. Be sure to make nice deep/low squats in each set

Lunges with weights (up and back = 1 step): 12 steps / 3 sets
*Holding weights, let the hand weights hang loosely on either side of your hips. Take a step forward, making sure the heel hits first, rolling forward on to the toes. With a long extension of your leg, your back knee should stop a few inches from the floor - that's a nice low dip - People with bad knees should do side-to-side squats to avoid undue pressure on the knees - Keep head up, back straight.

*Pregnant participants - as you move into the third trimester, perform Side-To-Side squats rather than the lunges. This is a precaution as your joints are looser and we want to be knee and hip friendly.

X-ray paper:
Front kicks: 25 each leg
Back (Donkey) Kicks: 25 each leg
*What is X-ray paper? A target. If you cannot find a target (or a partner to hold the target) you can perform these kicks on your on, kicking the air. Be sure to keep the kick hip level. If pregnant, you may want to lower the kicks as you move along.

Lunges with weights (punching with each step): 3 sets
Sliding squats with weights (jab, jab, hook, hook with each slide): 3 sets
Wide stance squat (dip all the way down and hold for 15 seconds): 3 sets

Abdominals:
Bicycle maneuver: 2 sets of 16
*at the end of each set, try to freeze for an 8-second count, holding your opposite elbow as close to your knee

Throw downs: 2 sets of 20
*NOT FOR PREGNANT PARTICPANTS! On this exercise, hold on to a partners feet, a railing or the bottom of your couch for weighted resistance. While lying on your back, slowly lower feet down to the floor - do not let your feet actually touch the floor. Bring your feet back up, count that as one.

Full sit-ups with jabs (weights!): 2 sets of 20
*Cross-jabs with weights

Upper Body: Shoulders, triceps, biceps and lower back

Working from home you’ll need: hand weights, chair, X-ray paper

Cardio warm-up: ¼ mile fast walk, jump rope (10 minutes) or sparring

Upper Body:
Push up: 2 minute burn - as many as possible
Jabs with weights: count 50 jabs per arm
Hooks with weights: 50 each
Upper cuts with weights: 50 each arm Push-ups and chair dips

Remember the pyramid system. Start with 20 each. Rotate to 19, then 18 and so on.