With Christmas just a few days away, the holiday festivities are fully in motion, along with all the cravings and over-indulgence that comes with them! But you don’t have to worry about that extra mince pie - we’ve got 5 festive-themed exercises that will give you a good calorie burn in the midst of the merry chaos. Christmas_workout_1080
#1. STAR JUMPS
These star jumps will lead you into this workout nicely! Start with your legs bent at the knees. Then, explode up as high as possible, spreading your arms and legs away from the body. When landing, keep bending your knees until you can touch the floor either side of you with your hands.
#2. SNOW ANGELS (SIDE PLANK WITH LEG LIFT)
You’ll need an exercise mat for comfort. Planking is an effective exercise to strengthen your core muscles, as well as the shoulders, arms and glutes. From a side plank position, press down into the floor with your bottom foot whilst lifting your top leg as high as possible. Try not to drop your hips throughout! Repeat the movement on your other side to complete the exercise (and the angel!)
#3. REINDEER KICKS
You’ll need an exercise mat for comfort. Get down on your hands and knees. Keeping your core tight, back straight and face down, kick back with one leg, squeezing the glutes. Bend the knee and lower the leg to return to the starting position. Repeat with the opposite leg for one rep.
#4. SLEIGH-BELL SWINGS
A full body exercise, the kettlebell (or sleigh bell!) swing not only builds strength, but also improves your posture, cardiovascular fitness, and athletic ability. Place the kettlebell on the floor between your feet, and squat down to grab the handle with both hands. Stand back up with the weight, keeping your shoulders back, and back straight. Driving through your heels, push from your hips to send the weight swinging upwards to around chest height. As it descends, let the kettlebell do the work as you smoothly transition into the next swing, hinging at the hips in every rep.
#5. OVERHEAD PRESS-ENTS
Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, hold a pair of dumbbells at shoulder level, with your arms bent and palms facing each other. Then. Bracing your abs, press the weights above your head until your arms are straight. Return the dumbbells to your shoulders to complete one rep.   Do each exercise for 40 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds. Repeat 3 times for a 15 minute workout that will really get your heart rate up, meaning you can eat that Christmas pudding without the guilt! If you’re struggling to keep your fitness on track this Christmas, check out our guide full of tips to help you stay focussed!