This has been my go-to workout for the last few weeks. Lately, I haven’t been up for any intense exercise. Even though my baby is almost 18 months old, I still feel like I’m trying to find a balance between taking care of the kids, the house and myself. I haven’t been up to training for anything in particular so my workout goals have been to simply find a regular routine that I can actually stick to.
How to Use This Workout
I’ve been using this workout for my resistance training 2 to 3 days a week. It’s just enough to challenge me and get all my joints and muscles moving so I feel good every day but it’s not so much that I’m drained and can’t keep up with the kids.
No matter where you are in your training, you can fit this circuit in as a warm-up, use it as your main strength workout, or use it on a light recovery day.
This circuit trains the stabilizer muscles in your core, hips and shoulders.
It also trains some of the basic movement patterns which helps you move better throughout the day.
One complete set takes me about 15-20 minutes so it’s easy to scale to fit into my schedule. I can do just one set on a busy day, or more if I feel up for it. I like to follow it up with my favorite post-workout stretch for my cool-down.
Grab your favorite resistance band and give this a try!
- Perform 8 to 12 reps of each exercise
- Do 1-3 sets with or without rest
- Don’t go to muscle failure – you should feel like you can do one or two more reps.
- Practice coordinating your breathing with the movements.
- Move slowly with control – try to count to 4 for each movement.
- Don’t be afraid to watch yourself in a mirror to check your form!
I’ve included descriptions for each exercise plus videos. Be sure to let me know in the comments how it goes for you!
Tall Kneeling Hover
- Start kneeling upright with your knees aligned directly beneath your hips and your hands on your hips.
- Inhale as you hinge at your hips and sit back onto your heels.
- Exhale and draw up through your pelvic floor as you press down through your knees to return to the upright kneeling position.
Glute Bridge with Band
- Start seated on your mat. Place either a mini band or tie a full size band around your thighs just above your knees.
- Lay down on your back with your knees bent, feet and knees hip-width apart. Your outer hips should be activating to resist the band from pulling your knees together.
- Inhale and place your hands on your hips.
- Exhale, draw up through your pelvic floor, press down through your heels and press your hips up to create a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
- Use your hands to monitor how your hips move and work to raise them evenly.
- Inhale to lower your hips back down.
Bird Dogs
- Start on your hands and knees, hands directly under your shoulders, and knees directly under your hips, spine in a neutral position.
- Exhale and raise your right arm and left leg up, reaching your hand toward the wall in front of you and your heel toward the wall behind you.
- Don’t let your torso rock or wiggle.
- Inhale and touch your elbow and knee together then exhale to reach again.
- Perform all reps using your right arm/left leg then switch sides.
Cat Cows
- Start on your hands and knees, hands directly under your shoulders, and knees directly under your hips, spine in a neutral position.
- Inhale and drop your belly down as you lift your head up, deepening the natural arch of your lower back while bringing your chest forward between your arms.
- Exhale and reverse the movement, tuck your chin and round your back, pulling your belly button to your spine and pressing the floor away with your hands and knees.
- Repeat for desired number of reps.
Band RDL (Romanian Dead Lift)
- Place your resistance band on the ground then stand on top of it with your feet hip width apart, feet parallel and toes pointing forward.
- Hinge at your hips and sit your butt back so you can squat down and grab the ends of the band in each hand.
- Get ready: Inhale and lift through your arches, knees are lined up directly over your feet, your chest points forward, shoulders gently pulled together, chin slightly tucked.
- Exhale and draw up through the pelvic floor/pull your belly button to your spine and press through your heels and mid-foot to stand up, squeezing your glutes at the top.
- Inhale and return to start. Sit your butt back just until you feel a catch in your hamstrings.
- Note: Your shins should stay mostly vertical throughout this exercise. If your knees are shifting forward, you aren’t sitting your butt back enough.
Band Pull Aparts
- Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, knees with a slight bend, spine in a neutral position.
- Hold the band with your hands about shoulder-width apart or slightly wider, arms straight out in front of you at eye-level.
- Exhale and draw your belly button to your spine to prevent arching your low back and, keeping your arms straight, pull the band as wide as you can until your arms point straight out to either side.
- Inhale and slowly return to start.