Getting to the gym before work can be a struggle — especially when the alternative is your comfy bed. The good news: All is not lost if you hit the snooze button. Just 10 minutes of exercise is all you need to reap some serious cardiovascular and strength training benefits — and you can do it right at home. Out of excuses? We thought so.
In this 10-minute booty-blasting workout from Prevention’s Fit in 10: Total-Body Transformation, now available at DailyBurn.com, celebrity personal trainer and fitness author Larysa DiDio breaks down six simple chair exercises that help tighten and firm your butt, core and arms. And there’s more where that came from. The Fit in 10 series features seven more 10-minute workouts that are designed to help you lose weight and tone and sculpt your body, head to toe.
Skeptical you can’t work up a sweat in such a short amount of time? This butt-sculpting workout is proof that you can. Through a series of squats, leg raises and kicks, you’ll feel the burn from top to bottom. And if you need an extra push, just dial up the speed for a cardio blast. Get ready to drop it low, and be sure to check out the complete program here!
TRY IT: Fit in 10: Total-Body Transformation
Fit in 10: 6 Chair Exercises to Sculpt Your Booty
1. Lunge and Leg Lift
Whether you’re chasing a half-marathon finish line or looking to tone up your backside, lunges are the perfect lower-body exercise to improve strength, mobility and balance. The barre-inspired leg lift will also help tighten those tough-to-hit spots.
How to: Stand behind a chair with your feet together and both hands on the back of the chair (a). Take a big step back with your right foot and lower yourself straight down until your right knee hovers over the floor without touching it. Your left knee should form a 90-degree angle to the floor (b). With the left foot firmly planted, straighten your left leg and lift your right leg straight behind you, activating the right glute. Be sure to keep your chest lifted and to press your hands into the chair in front of you (c). Return to the starting position and lunge back with your left foot this time (d).
2. Sumo Squat with Heel Raises
Talk about a lower-body burn! Sumo squats improve your squat depth and help condition your glutes and hamstrings. In this variation of the sumo squat, Didio adds heel raises to engage your inner thighs and calves. But they also help work your lower ab muscles since you need to keep your chest lifted.
How to: Stand behind the chair facing the wall in front of you with your feet a little wider than hip-distance, heels in, toes turned out and both hands on the back of the chair (a). Sit back into your butt and drop into a deep squat (b). Lift your right heel up, and then your left heel as you maintain your squat position with knees bent (c). Straighten both legs as you keep your heels off the floor (d). Squat back down and bring your heels back to the floor (e).
RELATED: How Low Should You Squat? (And How to Improve It)
3. Squat into Front Kick
Front kicks can reveal that one side of your body might be stronger or more flexible than the other side. If you could balance better on your right leg than on your left leg or vice versa, that’s a sign that you need to improve your coordination, mobility and strength. Do the front kicks at a faster rate and you’ll get your heart rate up and start to seriously sweat. For a more advanced move, incorporate a jab, cross and uppercut after the kick.
How to: Stand behind the chair with your feet hip-distance apart. Toes should be facing forward and hands on the back of the chair (a). Lower into a squat with your weight in your heels (b). Come back up and, engaging your core, kick to the right side with your right leg (c). Return to the starting position and sit back into a squat. Kick to the side with your left leg this time (d).
4. Tricep Dip and Kick
Your arms will get a serious workout with this two-in-one bodyweight exercise. By keeping your shoulders and elbows back and your hips closer to the chair, you’ll force your triceps and glutes to work harder. Timing your breathing will help you get a better handle of this challenging move. Exhale as you dip and inhale as you kick.
How to: Slide your butt in front of the chair with both feet together flat on the floor in front of you and hands on the seat behind you. Your fingers should be facing the wall in front of you (a). Engage your triceps and dip your hips down, hovering over the floor without touching it. Be sure to keep your chest lifted, shoulders and elbows back and your hips as close to the chair as possible (b). Engaging your core, kick your right foot in front of you, then return to the starting position (c). Dip down again and kick with your left foot this time (d).
RELATED: 8 Ways to Amp Up Your Bodyweight Workout
5. Split Squat with Shoulder Press
Working with a little weight can help amp up this classic bodyweight exercise. If you have knee issues, putting your leg on the chair can help support your lower back and ease the pressure. And by keeping your knee directly over your ankle, your glutes will be doing most of the work.
How to: Stand in front of a chair. Pick up one weight with your right hand and place your right leg down on the chair seat behind you (a). Put your left hand on your hip and the other on your shoulder (b). Lunge down with your left foot front and press back up, while simultaneously pressing the weight in your hand up overhead (c).
6. Crunch and Butt Lift
You’ve heard countless times by now how important it is to strengthen your pelvic floor, especially for women. This crunch and butt lift will help boost your core strength as well as your pelvic floor (the muscles that control the bladder, uterus and bowel in women). The butt lift also engages your glutes, inner thighs and calves.
How to: Lie on the floor facing the front of the chair. Place your feet up on the chair and your hands at your sides behind your head. Make sure your knees form a right angle to the floor (a). Lift your butt off the floor and then bring it down (b). Do a crunch, lifting your shoulders off the floor (c). Lift your butt off the floor again and bring it down, and repeat (d).
Want more 10-minute workouts? Sign up for Prevention’s Fit in 10: Total Body Transformation Program here.
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