Be Well Workout of the Week: The No-Excuses 20-Minute Workout

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20 minutes. That’s all you’ll need to get a great workout in this week. And I know you can find 20 minutes somewhere in your day — or at least your week — to dedicate to getting your sweat on. So, this week, there are really no excuses to skip your sweat session.

Start to finish, the workout will take you exactly 20 minutes. So if you’re looking for something speedy, just do it once, and if you want more of a challenge, try it a few times in a row or do it a couple times one day.

The workout is broken down into four five-minute segments. The first five minutes is more of a warm up (but don’t worry, you’ll still be working), so use it to get into the workout. Then, get ready to sweat hard for the next 15 minutes! Good luck, Be Wellers!

Be Well Workout of the Week: The No-Excuses 20-Minute Workout

Minutes 0-5
1 minute: walk out push-ups
30 seconds: jumping jacks
1 minute: squats
30 seconds: high knees
1 minute: lateral lunge
30 seconds: butt kickers
30 seconds: plank

Minutes 5-10 (Alternate between the two exercises  times, for a total of 5 minutes.)
30 seconds: push ups
30 seconds: sit-ups

Minutes 10-15 (Alternate between the 2 exercises  times, for a total of 5 minutes.)
30 seconds: ski jumpers
30 seconds: ab twists

Minutes 15-20 (Alternate between the two exercises  times, for a total of 5 minutes.)
30 seconds: burpees
30 seconds: plank

Explanation of exercises

Walk-out push-up: Start standing. Bend at the waist, placing your hands on the ground, about about a foot in front of your feet. Walk your hands out to a push-up position, do a push-up, walk your hands back in and stand up.

Jumping jacks: Just like in elementary school. Start with feet together and arms down. Jump your feet out laterally and raise your arms above your head. Return to starting position and repeat.

Squat: Stand with your feet just a bit wider than shoulder widt and your toes slightly turned outward. Keeping your weight in your heels, bending at the knees and lower until your quads are parallel to the floor. Keep your back as upright as possible. Straighten legs and come back to the starting position.

High knees: Start standing with your feet together. Alternating jumping your legs up toward your chest.

Lateral lunge: Standing with feet together, step to the side in a lunge, making sure your knee doesn’t bend past your toe. Return to standing and lunge on the other side.

Butt kickers: Start standing with your feet together. Alternate jumping and kicking your legs behind you and upward, trying to kick your glutes.

Plank: Get in push-up position, resting on your elbows; keep back, hips, and legs in a straight line. Hold.

Push-up: Start lying face down with your chest on the floor, with hands facing forward and palms down in line with your shoulders; elbows should be pointing back. Push up until arms are extended (the inside of the elbow should be facing forward) and drop back down.

Sit-up: Lie on your back with feet on the floor and knees bent. Put your hands behind your ears. Without pulling on your neck and using only your abs, lift your shoulders off the mat and come to a full sit-up position. Lie back down slowly.

Ski jumpers: Start in a skier’s stance (like a squat, but bent forward at the waist slightly). Using your arms for momentum, jump up and to the left, landing on both feet. Jump to the right. Repeat.

Ab twists: Sit on the floor with knees bent, heels pressing into the ground. Lean back slightly and use your abs to twist side to side.

Burpees: Just like an up-down in football. Put your hands on the ground, jump your feet out behind you so you’re in push-up position, hit your chest to the ground, and bring your feet back in, stand up.

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Audrey McKenna Hasse is the owner of A.M.Fit, a personal training and healthy consultation business on the Main Line. You’ll find her workouts every Monday right here on Be Well Philly.

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