THE H.I.T.T. WORKOUT

MY E'LORM FITNESS

We focus on 7 simple functional fitness exercises.

You may be familiar with most functional fitness exercises, which are easy to do at home and usually require little to no equipment. Some examples include:

1. Squats for your legs, stomach, and lower back.
2. Lunges for your upper legs and glutes.
3. Planks for your core, back, and shoulders.
4. Push-ups for your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core.
5. Pull-ups for your biceps, triceps, forearms, wrists, shoulders, and core.
6. Shoulder presses for your core, shoulders, and back. Tip: To help prevent injury, try sand-filled weights instead of dumbbells.
7. Stackers for your whole body. Not familiar with stackers? Here’s what to do:

• Stand with your feet a little more than shoulder’s width apart and pretend to hold a basketball straight out in front of you.
• Bend at the waist to reach and tap the outside of your left heel.
• Then reach back up and across your body to the right, as if you’re stacking a box on a shelf right above your shoulder.
• As you twist across your body, your left heel may come off the ground as you pivot your hips to the right.

Whichever exercises you do, remember that form is key. If you’re working out at home, you can always search online for videos and step-by-step graphics that show how to do these exercises correctly. Make sure to go with a source you trust, and if something hurts, always stop and find help.

Tips for a successful fitness routine

To get the most from functional fitness, like with any exercise, you should make it part of your regular routine. We recommend movement every day. But also remember to:

• Warm up and cool down — “Always start with a warmup to get your heart pumping blood to your muscles. Some jogging in place and light stretching are great ways to get your body ready for action,” says Gallardo. “And after your workout, go for a walk and do more light stretching to help your body cool down.”
• Pay attention to posture — To prevent injury, keep your back straight and avoid hunching your shoulders or straining your neck.
• Mix it up — Variety is key. Mix and match exercises each day to keep your workout fresh and give different muscles time to rest.
• Know your limits — Check with your doctor before you start your new training program so you can discuss your needs. Everyone is different, so take it slow and listen to your body as you create a workout that works well for you.

Welcome to a 7-week journey towards improved fitness and better health to bring love to your mind and body. Our 7-week fitness program is a research-based and time-efficient way to boost your health, and it fits both those who hate and those who love exercise.

Monday

Endurance program: 1x4 minutes kick-start

1. 10-minute warm-up, slow jog or brisk walk to get you sweating a little, preferably on an incline or hill to get your heart rate up more quickly, and to limit the stress on your knees.
2. 4 minutes of walking or running uphill so you feel tired and winded. If you have a heart rate monitor, you should be at around 85-95% of your maximum heart rate towards the end of the 4-minute period (see the FAQ on how to find maximal heart rate).
3. 5-minute cool-down – and lo and behold, you're back home where a hot shower awaits, and the rest of your evening is free for other activities – not to mention you're on the path to improved fitness!

Note that it's important that the four minutes truly are high-intensity. If you find yourself unable to keep up the intensity for the entire four minutes, you've overshot it; next time, go a little slower so you can manage the whole distance. Conversely, you should be so tired and out of breath that you're unable to maintain a conversation.

Wednesday

Endurance program: 20 minutes Fun-Run

1. Warm up for 10 minutes at a comfortable pace.
2. Run or walk for 20 minutes at an intensity you are comfortable with, but a bit harder than the speed at the warm-up – without stopping.
3. 10 push-ups, either with bent knees,
4. 15 squats. Exercise the front of your thighs (quadriceps), buttocks and lots of stabilizer muscles. Keep your hands behind your neck and keep your legs a shoulder width apart. Keep your back upright (look up and forward, and tighten your abdominal muscles somewhat), bend your legs and “go down” as far as you can without losing your balance. Go down slowly and upwards relatively quickly.
5. 10 squat jumps – same movements as for squats described above, but move so quickly up that you jump up in the air.

Friday 

Endurance program: 2x4 minutes health boost

1. 10-minute warm-up to get you sweating lightly.
2. 1 x 4 minutes of walking or running so you're very short of breath.
3. 3 minutes of relaxed walking.
4. 1 x 4 minutes of walking or running so you're very short of breath.
5. 5 minutes of calm walking – and just like that, you're done for the week!