Columnist and fitness guru Lisa Cuerden creates an exercise routine that you can do at home

Are those new year resolutions a dim and distant memory already?

Getting fitter and losing weight were at the top of many a list but life has a habit of getting in the way.

If you can’t afford a gym workout, or are struggling to find the time to fit one in, help is at hand.

Friday Life columnist Lisa Cuerden, who has been working in the fitness industry for 11 years and has her own Oxford- based business Life Changing Fitness, has had great success in helping clients to achieve their fitness and weight loss goals. Now Lisa, who offers personal training at Oxford Brookes Centre For Sport or home visits, sports massage, a wide variety of fitness classes and an online fat loss program, is on hand to help.

“I want to start you on your goals to becoming healthier and fitter in 2015 by giving you a few exercises that can be done in your own home,” says Lisa.

“It’s not necessary to attend a gym to reach your exercise goals if money or time are an issue. Here’s a short but effective workout.

The following eight exercises will give you a full body workout increasing strength, burning fat, toning the muscles and increasing fitness levels.

“You can do this routine following the recommended repetitions or as a high intensity interval training circuit, 40 seconds of the exercise with 20 seconds recovery in between each exercise which means the entire workout will take just eight minutes.

“As you become fitter why not run through the circuit twice.

“To get optimal fitness and fat loss results it’s important to address your diet as well, 30 per cent exercise – 70 per cent diet.

For any fitness and health enquiries contact Lisa at lisa@lisacuerden.com or visit her website lisacuerden.com

SQUATS

Technique: Begin with feet hip width apart, arms extended straight out in front, sit down as if sitting onto a chair, bottom goes back and down aiming to get thighs parallel to the floor, keep heels down.
10-15 repetitions

PLANK

Technique: Hands underneath shoulders, tighten the bottom and abdominals making sure whole body is in a straight line, no dipping in the back or bottom in the air, when stable draw knee to elbow, alternating legs.
8-12 repetitions
If drawing the knee to the elbow is too challenging just work on holding the plank for 2 x 30 seconds

JUMP SQUATS

Technique: Squat down bottom towards the floor as if you're sitting onto a low chair, jump in the air as high as you can then land in the starting position, bending the knees landing softly.
10-15 repetitions 

REVERSE LUNGE

Oxford Mail:

Technique: Standing on one leg with one leg in the air at a 90 degree angle, step back into a lunge lowering the knee towards the floor then return to balance.
8-10 reps each side
To make it more challenging hold onto weights/water bottles.

PRESS-UPS

Technique: Hands shoulder width-apart in line with the chest, keep the feet flexed at hip distance, and tighten bottom and abdominals. Bend the elbows until the chest reaches the ground, and then push back up, make sure to keep the elbows tucked close to the body.
8-12 repetitions
Option is to drop to the knees to make it a little easier.

SIDE LUNGE

Oxford Mail:

Technique: Begin with feet together, take a wide step to the side bending into the knee and placing the bottom backwards, keep the static leg straight and both feet facing forward, alternate legs.
12-20 repetitions

POWER LUNGE

Technique: Start in a lunge position,  jump straight up, propelling the arms above the head, whilst in the air switch legs and land in a lunge with the opposite leg forward. Repeat and continue switching legs. 
10-16 Repetitions

TRICEP DIPS

Oxford Mail:

Technique: Use a chair, place hands directly behind you with fingers facing towards you, place the feet on the floor with a 90 degree angle in the knee, bend at the elbow aiming for 90 degrees then straighten, make sure the chair you use is stable.
10-15 repetitions
Make it more challenging by extending the legs out in front.

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