by Mollie Millington | Apr 12, 2020 | exercise, quickie
You can use a kitchen timer to keep track of your intervals. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial.
Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime.
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. Breath on the excursion (IE, exhale when pushing yourself up on the push up, inhale as you return to the ground). Keep your abs in as if there is a string from your belly button pulling through to your spine. Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
2 min- Walking up and down stairs (or you can walk/run outside or in place if stairs are not available)
1 min- Wall sit
1 min- Walking lunges bringing back knee down almost to the ground
1 min- Prisoner squats (squats with a jump)
1 min- Push/press ups either against a wall or counter, on your knees or ‘regular’
1 min- Reverse curls (an ab exercise)- lay on back and lifting hips up in the air when feet are brought towards head.
30 sec- Side plank on right side
30 sec- Side plant on left side
1 min- Push hands against door frame on each side trying to create a letter T/push door frame open. Count to 10 then rest for 5 and repeat until minute is up.
Repeat this workout if you are feeling good, or add another quickie onto it!
by Mollie Millington | Apr 5, 2020 | Uncategorized
Bit of a different format for this week’s quickie. You can use a kitchen timer to keep track of your intervals. I suggest counting your reps out loud to help ensure you are breathing and so you don’t loose count. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial.
Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime.
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. Breath on the excursion (IE, exhale when pushing yourself up on the push up, inhale as you return to the ground). Keep your abs in as if there is a string from your belly button pulling through to your spine.
20 jumping jacks/star jumps
1-2 minutes brisk walk/jog/run – An alternative would be walking or running in place if you cannot go outside.
30 jumping jacks/star jumps
1-2 minutes brisk walk/jog/run
40 jumping jacks/star jumps
1-2 minutes brisk walk/jog/run
10 push/press ups
30 squats – Remember to stick your bum out, keep your chest high, and keep your weight in your heels.
12 push/press ups
35 squats
14 push/press ups
40 squats
30 sec plank – Tummy tight! Breathe!
10 Supermans – Lie on your tummy with arms extended above head. If you have a bad or weak back, lift opposite arm and leg. If you feel comfortable with the exercise, you can lift all 4 limbs off the ground. You don’t need to lift them very high, just enough to feel your lower back muscles working. Remember to breathe.
35 sec plank
12 Supermans
40 sec plank
14 Supermans
Feel like you can keep going? Then do it!
by Mollie Millington | Mar 29, 2020 | exercise, quickie
Today’s workout is all about the fabulous number 30. Try to complete the 30 repetitions of each exercise without a break, but listen to your body too. Record how long it takes you to do one round and then challenge a friend to up the ante!
If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial.
Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime.
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. Incorrect form will not allow the exercise to be effective. Breath on the excursion (i.e., exhale when pushing yourself up on the push up, inhale as you return to the ground). Keep your abs in as if there is a string from your belly button pulling through to your spine.
Warm up- 1 min jumping rope (You can pretend to jump rope if one isn’t handy. Get those feet off the ground!)
and 1 min speed bag (Pretend you are repeatedly hitting a speed bag with alternating hands and bouncing back and forth on feet)
30 reps- Squats with the objective of going low by getting your thighs parallel to the ground
30 reps- Jumping jacks/star jumps
30 reps- Push/press ups (can be “regular,” on knees, or against the wall)
30 reps of the following exercises on each leg, starting with the right leg then the left.- I call this the “fire hydrant set.” Get on your hands and knees. #1 Lift the right knee up and out to the side with the knee at a 90 degree angle. Return to the ground. Repeat 30 reps on the same side. #2 Elevate right knee behind you so thigh is in line with the back. Foot should be flexed. Raise foot by pushing heel up to the ceiling, repeating 30 times. #3 Still with the right leg, extend leg straight behind you and then bring knee into to chest.
30 reps- Abdominal crunches. You choose the style. Be sure to look up and behind you to avoid pulling with the neck.
30 reps- Reverse crunches. Lying on the back, lift your hips up off the ground using your abdominal muscles. Don’t rely on momentum for this one.
30 sec- Side plank. Keep your tummy tight!
30 sec- Side plank on the other side. Tummy tight!
You have now completed 300 repetitions/seconds. Well done! Do it again.
by Mollie Millington | Mar 23, 2020 | self care
You may not know that not only am I a personal trainer, I am also a health coach and have a certificate in mindfulness. This allows me to take a holistic approach when coaching clients so we can work on all aspects of happiness, not just fitness. Working at home and/or being in isolation will be new to many people, so I wanted to share my top tips on how to stay sane when isolating. We don’t know how long this is going to last. I encourage you to put good habits in place from the start and make the most of the time. If you are anything like me, I have often said “I wish I had more time to do this or do that.” Now you do. Carpe diem.
- Keep a schedule- This is probably the most important tip I can offer. For me, keeping a schedule ensures I don’t spend all morning in bed and all afternoon on the couch. If I plan to workout at a certain time, check in with family at another, go for a walk after lunch and then clean out my closet in the evening, I will feel like I have accomplished something each day. The schedule doesn’t need to be the same every day. Keep meal times and bedtime as close to your life before isolation as you can as your body is already in a routine.
- Move a little each day- Following your local government’s advice, think about how you can keep your body fit and strong. If possible, go for a walk in the sunshine. Go up and down your stairs for 10 minutes a day (build up to 10 minutes if you need to). Wash your hands if the stairs are communal. March in place during the TV commercials. I read that one man ran a marathon on his balcony during isolation. No need to go to that extreme. Just keep your mobility up. My Quickie Workouts are mix and match or you can visit my YouTube channel for a few workout videos.
- Keep up with good hygiene- While it could be very tempting to wear the same pair of comfy pants all week and not wash your hair, it is important to wash regularly to stay healthy. In addition, actions such as shaving, styling your hair, or wearing a nice top might give you a little morale boost.
- Limit TV time- TV is a way to relax for many people in the evenings after work. It can also suck your entire day away if you let it. My suggestion would be to limit TV time to two hours maximum a day. Use the rest of the day to complete the things you don’t usually have time for (perhaps from this list?). 🙂
- Revisit a favorite hobby- Sewing is something I enjoy doing as a creative outlet but I don’t usually have the time or space. In America, I would probably have a spare table in the basement where I could leave my sewing machine out and work on a project for a week or more at a time. Here in the UK, I need to clear off the kitchen table, dig out the sewing supplies from the cupboard under the stairs, pin my quilts on the floor and then put it all away when I am done. I am hoping during this isolation period to finish a baby quilt for my friend who’s daughter is now three. You might not be in to sewing, but perhaps you played an instrument, enjoyed photography, liked to knit, or enjoying baking. Why not start it up again?
- Do your taxes- I assume tax deadlines will be extended in many places. Freelancers in the UK have from May to January to file taxes. I suggest processing them now to (hopefully) get a much needed refund.
- Complete DIY- Start redecorating the spare bedroom or replace the carpet in the bedroom. You could even just replace the photos you have around the house to many things a bit more cheery. Organizing digital photos is another good use of time.
- Take an online course- It has taken me two and half years to finish the #gifted Future Fit Training nutrition diploma. Normally, I am too busy to make the course a priority (I was doing ok in the beginning but I fell out of routine over the holidays). I am please to say I have been burning through my last module and should finish by April. There are so many online courses out there. You could learn more about something you have always been curious about or study for a new career. My 30 Days to Happy online course starts 1 April and would be an excellent way to learn tools to stay health and happy for many years to come. Register by Friday 27 March to join in!
- Learn a language- There are many (free) apps out there to help you learn a new language. Why not download one in preparation for your next holiday (which hopefully won’t be too long away).
- Download Kindle app and read the classics- Any book published more than 100 years ago has lost its copyright and is available for free. You don’t need a Kindle to download these free books. Just download the Kindle app and get reading. I pay £7.99/month for Kindle Unlimited and can even get magazines for free. My book is also available in the Kindle store for £1.99 or free with Kindle Unlimited. Or a paper copy can be posted to you too.*
Click on my Amazon store* to find some ideas for products that can help with the above. If you have any other suggestions to share with my readers about how not to go crazy with cabin fever, please leave a comment below. We are in this together!
*This post contains affiliate links. They cost the buyer nothing additional and help support the running of this site.
by Mollie Millington | Mar 22, 2020 | exercise, quickie
You can use a kitchen timer to keep track of your intervals. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial.
Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime.
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. Breath on the excursion (ie, exhale when pushing yourself up on the push up, inhale as you return to the ground). Keep your abs in as if there is a string from your belly button pulling through to your spine.
Warm up- Side squats facing the same way. 30 steps left and then 30 steps to the right. Repeat 3x. Stay low with bum sticking out.
1 min-Stationary squat with a leg lift (alternating legs). Only raise your leg as high up that is in a comfortable range of motion for you. Keep your posture tall and torso upright. You can hold on to the back of a chair for balance if you need to.
30 sec- Calf raise (preferably on low step).
1 min- Holding medium weights (or a soup can or filled water bottle) keep elbows next to your side (but don’t dig elbows in). Keep palms facing away from body. Keep wrists locked. Exhale as you bring your hands up towards your body. Inhale as you straighten your arms. Use only your muscle to flex and extend the elbow. Keep upper body still to avoid using momentum to assist you with the lift.
1 min- Keeping the weights in your hands, perform a lateral raise. Holding weights by your sides with the palms facing the body. Raise arms out to side to make your body shaped like a letter ‘T.’ Be sure to only lift arms to shoulder height. Raising your arms higher puts you at risk for damaging your shoulders.
30 sec- Calf raise (preferably on low step). Hold weights for extra resistance.
1 min- Overhead press. Squat with feet shoulder-width apart. Sit back with weight in heels. Have weights held at shoulder height with palms facing away from you. As you stand up from the squat, exhale and straighten your arms above your head.
30 sec- Run in place with high knees.
30 sec- Speed skater jump. You do not need to hold a weight.
1 min- Prisoner squats (similar to overhead press without weights). Squat down and explode out of the squat into a jump straight up in the air. For extra difficulty raise hands up in the air as you jump.
1 min- Leg lifts. Only lower legs as low as you can without your lower back coming off the ground.
1 min- Crab walk.
1 min- Bear walk. If you are more advanced, you can walk without lowering knees to ground. Good form is very important so make sure you have the basics down first. Video progressing to more challenging versions.
Repeat the workout if you can or mix and match with the others. Good luck!
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