Thanksgiving Workout: 7 At-Home Moves to Torch Calories Before You Feast
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Thanksgiving is a day filled with family, fun and indulgences galore. Do yourself a favor and carve out a little extra time for some exercise before you sit down for the big meal.
I know what you’re thinking: Who has time to work out on Thanksgiving? Well, you do — because you don’t even have to leave the house for this one. So put the turkey in the oven and let the potatoes boil, because this workout is best done in your living room.
The workout takes just 30 minutes to complete—five minutes of warm-up and 25 minutes of work—and includes a combination of dynamic bodyweight movements that will help you burn as many calories as possible in half an hour. You can do the workout at your own pace, but turn it into a competition by challenging a family member or friend to see who can complete the most rounds of the seven-exercise circuit in 25 minutes. Just know this: The harder you work, the more calories you’ll burn. So set your timer and get ready to move. You’re about to earn that turkey and pie.
30-Minute Thanksgiving Workout for a Major Calorie Burn
Warm-up: Repeat the circuit of exercises below for 5 minutes, just to get the blood flowing.
- 30 seconds of jumping jacks
- Jog up and down the stairs
- 10 squats
- 5 push-ups
Workout: 25 Minute Circuit
Complete the circuit as many times as you can in 25 minutes.
- 10 burpees
- 10 lunge jumps
- 10 push-ups
- 10 squat jumps
- 10 sit-ups
- 10 skiers
- Run up and down the stairs one time (No stairs? Do 30 jumping jacks.)
Explanation of exercises
Burpee: 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, lower to the ground, bring your feet back in, and stand up.
Lunge jumps: Start standing with feet together and step forward with the left leg into a lunge, bending knee to about 90 degrees. Jump as you stand back up and switch legs before you land, so your right leg is forward. Lunge again, then jump, putting your left leg forward, and so forth. Left and right counts as one.
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.
Squat jumps: Stand with feet hip width apart and perform a squat, dropping your rear until your knees are just behind your toes. As you stand, propel yourself upwards and jump. Return to standing and squat again.
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.
Skiers: 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.
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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 week right here on Be Well Philly.
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