Perhaps, counterintuitively, the inter-Christmas period is the perfect time to start a fitness kick. There’s no shortage of time to do it, and you’ll get the jump on January gym-joiners – if you can find a routine that fits around curious family members and the occasional carb overload. The below resources do just that, so you can hit the new year running.
If the indolence is getting a bit much but you still don’t want to miss The Great Escape, the GMB crew have a host of free routines designed to address body niggles and build mobility, most of them relaxing enough to do on the floor in front of the TV. Bonus: if you do the frog hip stretch during the bit with Donald Pleasence and the plane, nobody’s going to notice you crying.
Dumbbells handily increase the amount of exercises you can attempt – but if your household doesn’t have a set gathering dust under the spare bed, some soup tins can fill the gap. Poppett combines cardio and strength with “complexes” like the Devil’s Workout – six different moves for six reps each, done at a brisk clip with minimal rest between.
OK, fine, Bre and Flo Niedhammer’s minimalist surroundings – they do a lot of workouts surrounded by tranquil, palm-fronded greenery – are going to be a bit maddening if your floor’s covered in Lego and dog hair, but their easily followed yoga routines are a perfect way to combine flexibility with strength, in whatever tiny chunk of time you have available. Also: their baby is adorable.
Uno tournament getting a bit heated? Monopoly descending into a discussion on the ills of capitalism? When it’s time for a breath of fresh air, load up a rucksack with those unwanted Jeremy Clarkson hardbacks and browse these routines from the fitness editor of Men’s Health: he specialises in solitary, brutish and short conditioning routines, done with improvised kit.
The trouble with calisthenics (that’s bodyweight-only exercise featuring a mix of acrobatics and static holds) is the learning curve: most resources jump from crunches to Olympian feats with barely a pause. To be fair, Cardiff-based Chloe Mac has plenty of the latter, but she also features plenty of beginner-friendly movements, like the feet-assisted pull-up and couch-assisted press-up. Keep it up, and you’ll be on to the human flags by Easter.
