In addition to keeping you from getting bored, cycling through different modalities every day also offers up some benefits for your body, too. “It’s really important to mix up your routine to ensure you’re hitting every single muscle group, diversifying movement patterns as well as addressing all the components of physical health: strength, cardiovascular, flexibility, and mobility,” Samantha Jade, a personal trainer and senior SoulCycle instructor, previously told Well+Good. A good weekday workout routine includes all three of those things, plus a recovery day, which helps keep your body from adapting to any single set of movements (because if it does, it can keep you from getting stronger).
"You should strive to be 'active' daily, but this can occur such a huge variety of way," says Jedidiah Ballard, an emergency medicine physician, former United States Army Ranger, and Isopure athlete. "Since your body needs time to recover, you should try not to do the same thing every day, and the best way to achieve this is by alternating bodyweight exercises with cardio days." Below, he lays out a weekday workout routine that will keep your body and brain guessing—and getting stronger—every single day.
Monday: HIIT
Start your week with something high intensity. Dr. Ballard suggests doing 10 burpees (with a full push-up at the bottom if you need an extra challenge), followed by five dumbbell, then resting for a minute in between rounds. Repeat for five to 10 total rounds. You can also get your daily dose of HIIT by following along with the video below.
Tuesday: Cardio
For your first of three cardio days during the week, challenge yourself to 20 to 40 minutes of walking, running, or biking. If you've got some extra time, treat yourself to a 10 to 20 minute stretch when you're done.
Wednesday: Strength training
Now it's time to build those muscles. To keep things interesting, Dr. Ballard suggests setting a timer and doing 10 pushups and 20 air squats every 20 minutes of TV you watch that day (it's a great way to pass the time!). Or, you can work your full body in 15-minutes flat with this Pilates-inspired workout from Solidcore workout.
Thursday: Cardio
Your second cardio workout will be similar to your first, with 20 to 40 minutes of work in your preferred modality. If you're a runner looking to up your endurance, try cycling through this distance-running workout twice, then finishing off with a stretch.
Friday: HIIT or Yoga
The last workout of the work week comes down to dealer's choice. To get your heart pumping, you can repeat Monday's HIIT workout (or try a totally different HIIT option). If you're looking for something lower impact, flow through this yoga series.
Saturday: Cardio
Your final cardio day! Opt for 20 to 40 minutes of walking, running, biking, or whatever your preferred movement of choice. And if dance cardio is more your speed? Press play on the video below, then throw yourself a little solo dance party to get the full session in.
Sunday: Rest day
After putting your body through a full week's worth of workouts, it deserves a day off to rest and recover. Treat yourself to a nice, deep foam-rolling sesh, or practice some relaxing yoga for breathing.
To get a studio-worthy workout without having to leave your living room, try one of these streaming services (some of which cost $0). Or, break up your day with the 60/60 fitness method.
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