March of the Giants in Douai (Fête de Gayant)

Body-weight workout 

If you are a beginner and you want to take care of yourself you can start with me. I will show you a few exercises that you can do at home without equipment. You can get a full-body workout doing body-weight exercises (the moves that use only your own weight). While doing it you will repeat each exercise a specific number of times without resting. I will help you stay in a good mood all day long. These exercises improve your balance and increase your strength and flexibility. Thanks to them you will sleep better. It will take just one hour a day and it's for free! All you need for this workout is just an exercises mat. Let's start!

Warm up

Why it's so important? The warm-up prepares your body for exercises. Thanks to it you will increase your circulation, body temperature, and heart rate. You can choose some cardiovascular exercises. 5 to 10 minutes of warm-up will be enough.

Body-weight workout 

Squats 

It's a great exercise that will tone and tighten your behind, abs and your legs. It will help you build muscle in your entire body. The squats work out your core, stabilizing muscles, which will help you to maintain balance.

Stand with your feet spread slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Hold your arms in front of your body (parallel to the floor). Try to keep your back straight. Brace your abs. Lower your body as far as you can vy pushing your hips back and bending your knees. Do 20 to 30 reps. 

Forward Lunges 

A lunge is a single-leg bodyweight exercise that works your:
- hips
- gluts
- quads
- hamstrings
- core
- hard-to-reach muscles of the inner thigh

Slowly lift one foot off the floor (try not to move the stance). Step forward. Transfer your body weight into the leading foot placed firmly on the floor until your thigh becomes parallel with the ground. Remember to maintain a flat back. Push off with your front leg to return to your starting position. For better result do 20 to 30 reps. 

Push-Ups

Work the arms and stabilize a core.

Get into a pushup position with your feet hip-width apart and your hands slightly outside your shoulders (there's a lot of variations). Your body should form a straight line. Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor down about 90 degrees of elbow flexion. Push back to the starting position. If it's too difficult you can start on your knees. Remember to take your time and do this exercise as many times as possible. 

Plank

The exercise engages all major core muscle groups that contribute to its development and strengthen. While doing it you will see that your biceps, neck and shoulder muscles are also being tested and strained. 

Crunches / Abs

Now we will see the different sort of crunches that work your abs.

Upper Body Crunches

Lie on your back with knees bent on the floor and hands loosely placed behind your head.
Exhale as you bring your rib cage toward your pelvis, inhale, and return to your starting position.

Oblique Crunches

Start from the basic position. Bring right leg over the left knee. Elevate the left shoulder and body upward until you touch your knee. The bicycle crunch can be the alternative. 

Lower Body Crunches

Lie supine. Hands at your sides. Bring your legs up 90 degrees. Pull your knees towards your chest and then straight them up (about 30 degrees above the ground). In order to push your lower back down into the mat, you can lift your head. 

You can do 30 to 60 seconds each exercise.

Basic bridge / Glute Bridge

It targets the backs of your thigh, your gluts, your core and lower back.



You can start without weight ;) Remember to inhale on your way down and exhale as you press back up. Make sure you never resting on the ground! Do 30 to 50 reps.

Outside leg raises

This move helps you strengthen the muscles around your hips.

Lie on your side. Tighten the muscles on the front of your thigh. Keep your hip and leg straight in line with the rest of your body. Lift your leg about 30cm of the ground. Slowly lower your leg.

Supermans

This exercise targets your lower back. It strengthens the muscles of your core.

Lie prone. Extend your arms overhead with palms facing each other. Raise both legs and arms few centimeters off the ground (remember to contract your abs and core muscles). Don't arch your back. Your head should be aligned with your spine. Exhale while raising up and inhale while going down.

Opposite arm and leg lift

It helps you to stabilize your core and to maintain proper form. It also trains your abs. 

Get down on all fours. Your hands should be aligned with your shoulders and your knees with your hips. The head is an extension of your spine. Extend your left arm and right leg until both are parallel to the floor. Repeat the move with the opposite arm and leg. Do 20 to 30 reps.  

Wall squat

Work your calves, glutes, quads, and hamstrings.

Stand with your back flat against the wall. Place your feet hips-width distance in front of you (your thigh and calf should form an angle of 90 degrees. Hold this position for as long as you can. You can start for 30 seconds. 

Triceps Dips 

Tone your triceps - strengthen your arms.

Position your hands shoulder-width apart on a chair or your bed ;). Lower yourself until there is a 90 degree elbow flexion than push your torso and straighten your arms keeping a little bend in your elbows 

Stretching

Now, I want you to find some exercises how to stretch. You can choose what you want - it's up to you ;). Have a nice workout!