“Alphabet workouts” are the most fun way to stay fit since H-O-R-S-E

For some, running is the be-all-end-all; for others, it’s a yoga 365 love affair, and while loving and leaning into a workout that fires you up each day is all well and good, sometimes variety is necessary. So, bless-up that we’ve found yet another way to bring the childhood game of H-O-R-S-E into our adult fitness lives using “alphabet workouts.”

Alphabet workouts are pretty much what they sound like: Each letter of the alphabet corresponds to a short burst of basic strength training or a cardio move. While you can spell out whatever you want (or just go through the entire alphabet), my fave option is to spell out my name—last name optional—or ya know “horse” if it’s a TBT.

About a zillion alphabet workout variations exist all over the internet, but we at Well+Good created our own, which will have you doing burpees (sorry!!), squat jumps, push-ups, crunches, and the list goes on, but you are certainly very familiar with all of the moves. We tried to make it as well rounded as possible, targeting every square inch of your body. If you’re ever crunched for time but still want to squeeze in a workout, this one’s really easy to knock out.

I tried doing “Rachel” the other day at the gym, and was winded (I’m assigned 20 squat jumps, for goodness sakes). You’ll definitely work up a sweat and get in some cardio and fire up a ton of muscles. And what makes it even more fun is to do it with friends—see who finishes their name fastest. It’s the best resurgence of the ABCs used for fitness I’ve encountered in a long time.

If you’re craving even more sweat, try this at-home HIIT workout that only takes six minutes. And here’s a full-body Pilates workout you can also do from the comfort of your living room.