The 12 days leading up to December 25th are jam packed with cookies, carols and candy cane-clad Christmas trees. But you can still get your sweat on and stay in the spirit of the season with this fun workout challenge from Daily Burn 365 trainer Dara Theodore.
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To the tune of the holiday classic 12 Days of Christmas, allow us to present Daily Burn’s 12 Days of Fitness! That means instead of one partridge in a pear tree, eight maids a milking and 10 lords a leaping, you’ll get one nutcracker burpee, eight Rockette bridges, 10 leaping lunges — and more!
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Tack the following moves onto your standard workout every day until Christmas — or for a true challenge, build up to completing the entire 12 days’ worth of moves on Christmas Day. Don’t forget to follow it up with a warm-up and cool down — and then sit back and treat yourself to a glass of something good (try this healthy eggnog recipe!). You earned it.
The 12 Days of Fitness Challenge
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Nutcracker Burpees: Start standing, feet hip-width apart, arms straight overhead. Bend your knees to squat down and place your hands between your feet, then step back into plank position. Next, step your feet back up to your hands, then jump up, raising arms overhead.
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Triceps Presses: Lie on your left side, hips and knees stacked, knees slightly bent. Wrap your left arm around your torso, bracing yourself with your right hand planted on the ground in front of your chest. Push against the floor, engaging your triceps to lift and lower your torso. Repeat on opposite side.
Snow Angels: Lie facedown on the floor, arms and legs fully extended, neck long, eyes to the ground. Engage your back and glute muscles as you lift your arms, legs and forehead off the ground. Sweep your arms and legs out to the side, and back, as if you are making a snow angel. Return to starting position.
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Tree Balances: Balance on your left leg, right foot resting on your left calf, hands in prayer position in front of your chest (this is called tree pose). Step out with your right leg into a plié squat position, return to tree pose. Repeat on opposite side.
Boxer Presses: Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hinge at the hip to bend forward almost to a 90-degree angle, back straight, chest up. Clenching your fists, press your arms straight out in front of you. Engage your arm muscles to draw your fists in towards your body, then extend your arms straight out to your sides. Repeat.
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Lateral Lunge Wraps: Stand straight with feet hip-width apart, arms straight out in a T. Step out to the right with your right foot into a lateral lunge, wrapping your left arm behind your back and your right arm around your stomach. Return to standing, bringing arms back to T position.
Shining Stars: Stand with feet together, arms at sides. Jump up, sending your feet apart, and arms in the air, forming a star shape with your body. Land with [FILL IN LANDING POSITION. SAME AS STARTING POSITION?] Repeat.
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Rockette Bridges: Lie on the floor, arms by your sides, feet hip-width apart. Keeping your arms on the floor, engage your glutes to lift your hips off the ground. At the top of your bridge, lift your right leg up into the air. Lower to the ground and repeat on opposite side.
Press and Rolls: Complete a push-up on your knees, then roll back into child’s pose. Repeat.
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Leaping Lunges: From a standing position, bend your left knee and lift it towards your chest, before stepping out into forward lunge. Return to standing by pushing off your left leg, and lifting your left knee towards your chest again, before lowering your foot to the ground.
Drummer Squats: Perform jump squats (or regular squats) while drumming your hands in the air in front of your torso.
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Toy Soldiers: Stand tall, arms lifted overhead. Keeping your left leg straight, lift it up as high as you can, reaching across your body to touch your toes with your right hand. Repeat on opposite side.
Want more no-equipment exercises like these? Head to DailyBurn.com/365 to get new live workouts, daily.
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