The Rainy Day Workout

In honor of New England weather, here is the perfect indoor, at-home workout to get you through the next few months.

Ah, New England weather. This past Saturday, it was 75 degrees and sunny. Sunbathers lined the Esplanade, smoke billowed from barbecues on roof decks and children played games in backyards as if it was still summer. The next day, of course, it was 55 degrees and rainy. We take advantage of a good weather day because we know that our climate can be cruel and unpredictable.

So in honor of days like today, when you just don’t want to leave the house, Peter Lavelle and Jill Tomich, local fitness experts and owners of Ultimate Bootcamp, put together this easy-to-do routine that will get your heart rate up, burn calories, and tone your body with no equipment, no gym membership, and no excuses.

Step-Ups: Choose a stair, step, or chair that gives you a bit of a challenge when you step on it. Start slow, one leg at a time, until you start to feel your heart rate increase. Then add arm movement and a quicker pace to make it more challenging. Start with five minutes of stepping, then work your way up to more time.

Mountain Climbers: This exercise works your legs, glutes, shoulders, and chest. Start in a plank position. Bring one leg in, knee to your chest as if you are going to race or run. Then switch legs. The quicker you go, the harder the workout. Try for two continuous minutes to begin and then add more time.

High Knees with Arm Circles: Stand in place with arms fully extended out to the side. Make small forward circles with your arms, then lift one knee up, lower and switch knees. After 10 knee lifts on each side, reverse the direction of the circles.

Push-Ups: Begin with your hands a little wider than your shoulders, and either on your knees or on your toes, lift yourself up, keeping your body in a straight, plank-like position. Then lower yourself down. Try to get as close to the ground as possible for maximum impact, keeping your abs engaged. Start with two sets of 10, then gradually increase to three sets of 20.

Tricep Dip: Use a chair and place your hands on the seat palms down, fingers facing forward. Slowly lower your hips towards the ground and then lift back up again. Try to keep the elbows pointing straight back behind you, rather than letting them point out to the side. Start out with a set of 10, and work towards a goal of three sets of 15 to 20.

Check out this video of Lavelle demonstrating the exercises in only 50-square-feet: