Trainer Lauren is back at it again with a creative interpretive Christmas themed workout that you don’t want to miss.

Do you love the poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas”? Don’t you wish you could combine it with some of your favorite/most effective exercises? If so, this is the workout video for you! You’ll get a good chuckle all while getting in this fantastic calorie scorching workout.

Try the following exercises. Set the clock for 30 minutes. Complete as many rounds as possible.

1. Star on top of the tree (Jump squat): 12
2. Wave to all the relatives (T stabilizer): 12
3. :Griping Aunt Myrtle (Hover squat): :30 seconds
4. Nephew Timmy (Plank or side plank): :30 seconds
5. Go upstairs to bed (High knees): 12 per leg
6. Santa climbing down the chimney (Mountain climbers): 12 per side
7. Santa vs. the Grinch (Rotating chest press to alternating chest press): 12 per arm
8. Looking for presents under the tree (Push ups): 12
9. Throw up your arms in joy (Shoulder press): 12

Building a healthy lifestyle isn’t just about broad sweeping changes to your life, but bite-sized steps you can take to save a few extra calories here, burn a few extra calories there, and generally move more during your day.

With the holiday season upon us, regardless of which holiday you celebrate, you will inevitably be faced with sweets, treats, and days when you simply feel like gluing yourself to the couch. So, why not get started building that healthy lifestyle now?

Watch the video to learn 8 health and fitness tips that you can easily implement in your home or at work. Pick a few to try.  8 suggestions for 8 consecutive days…and hopefully many more after that!

Thanksgiving officially marks the beginning of the holiday celebratory/feasting season. But remember, the next two months are a marathon, not a sprint. So moderation and a healthy dose of routine exercise are the best ways to do damage control before the new years weight loss resolutions start rolling in.

Why not kick things off with this tasty sounding workout, modeled after your favorite Thanksgiving day treats. Grab a relative, friend, significant other, etc and, in the spirit of the holiday, share this sweat-inducing treat.

5 rounds. 6 exercises. 45 seconds on/15 seconds off.

1. Pass the Stuffing
2. Gravy Boat Pose
3. Brussel Sprout Up
4. Green Bean Casser-ROW
5. Plank Knee to elBOWL of Cranberry Sauce
6. The Pardoned Turkey

Do you often watch UFC fights and think, “that could be me!”?  No? That is ok – most of us don’t!

Cardio kickboxing is a fantastic workout to bring out your inner-ferocity and up your fitness levels.

Here is a 5 round, 25 minute high-octane workout to get you punching, kicking and feeling powerful. It’s a fast workout that will bring on the calorie burn and leave you feeling great!

Ready? 3….2….1…. KO!

1 minute per exercise.

Squat + Kick
Bob + Weave
Front Kick/Back Kick
Jack + Jab
Burpee + Upper Cut

Storm Fitness is a personal training company based out of Reston, VA.  Storm Fitness focuses on the client as a whole and includes a wide range of health and wellness services in their offerings to their clients.  Storm Fitness services the entire Northern, VA area including McLean, Vieanna, Oakton, Reston, Great Falls and Herndon to name just few.  They also service the Counties of Arlington and Alexandria and just recently expanded their services to include the Washington DC area.  Storm Fitness is about delivering results to their clients and you can hear about their results by watching the video testimonials.  For more information please Contact Jessica Storm.

Listen Up DC and Northern VA Area – this one is for you!

Learn how to make use of the time you spend in your car or sitting in traffic by activating your muscles not your anger!

In what comes as an unsurprising unscientific, but totally accurate statement: most of us spend too much time in the car. But instead of shaking your fists and fingers in anger, why not move your body more purposefully with these in-car stretches. Hold each pose for 10-20 seconds, depending on the length of braking or the red light cycle.

IMPORTANT! To avoid winding up on the Darwin awards, please only conduct these stretches when the car is fully stopped (at a traffic light for instance)

1. The 10 and 2 Stretch-a-Roo (shoulders)
2. Traffic is a Pain in the Butt (glutes)
3. Quiet Down Turn Around (back)
4. Shrug It Off (neck and shoulders)
5. Give Me a Break! (back)

Do you find that you have TOO much free time? Enough time that you go to work, run your errands and still have plenty of free time for meal prep and a workout? Probably not, which brings me to this EGGcellent cooking/fitness combo. Why not get a quick leg workout in while making a high-quality protein-rich snack for the week? Here are 3 leg moves to challenge your balance, strength and power that are as simple to do as boiling an egg.

The legs part: Complete each exercise for one minute. Complete the circuit 2 times for a total of 10 minutes of work.
1. Active Warrior 3 (one minute per leg)
2. Single Leg Squat (one minute per leg)
3. Jack Squat

The eggs part:
1. Put desired number of eggs in a pot. Completely submerge the eggs with cool water. Cover.
2. Bring eggs to rolling boil.
3. Turn flame off. Leave eggs covered for 10 minutes. Get “crackin” on that leg workout
4. Pour out hot water leaving eggs in pot. Fill pot with ice water. Leave standing for additional 10 minutes
5. Enjoy a protein-rich snack!

You will probably be getting your fix of candy this Halloween season….but here is a different kind of treat for you! Take 25 minutes out of your day to try this high intensity workout to start BOO-urning fat!

7 exercises. 1 minute per exercise. 3 sets.

1. Petrified Plank (:30 second per side)
2. BOO-nana crunch
3. Frankenfeet
4. Goblin Squat
5. Werewolf Walkout
6. Creepy Crawler
7. Vampire V-Sit

Pumpkins are everywhere….so why not give into the trend? This pumpkin spice protein shake has all the flavor and nutrition without being a sugar-laden calorie bomb. Try this shake for breakfast or after a workout.

1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup coffee or almond milk
1 scoop protein powder (vanilla goes well)
1 cup crushed ice
Vanilla and pumpkin pie spice to taste

Want something else to add to your routine? The OTHER P word of the month- Push ups. This basic exercise uses your own body weight to develop arm and core strength. What better than an exercise that can be done anywhere and can be scaled to whatever challenge level you are looking for!? Try 20 a day- whether at breakfast, lunch at your desk, or dinner-time when making your smoothie for the next day

Lauren is back with The Story of Christopher Columbus as told through her interpretive fitness stylings.  Don’t miss the boat – get started with this workout before it sets sail.

There is interpretive dance…so why not interpretive fitness? It is a well known fact that exercise and social studies go together like peas and carrots. So, this Columbus Day, whether you are working or not, why not honor the man who discovered America with a total-body historically-themed workout.

To commemorate October 12, 1492, you will be doing 1,492 seconds of exercise (about 25 minutes). Complete 10 reps of each exercise. Repeat the circuit until the timer runs out.

King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella Send-off (Single arm plank)
Silk Road Row (Bent Single Arm Row)
Go West Walk (Lateral Shuffle)
Arrival on Land (Burpee)
Congratulate Yourself on Your Discovery (Squat Curl Press)
Take a Bow (Reverse Lunge)

I’m not a betting woman, but I’d wager you spend a good portion of your Sunday in your pajamas, on the couch, watching football (possibly). And that’s completely fine. However, if a football game is on air for 3 1/2 hours and there is only 60 minutes of play, that is a lot of commercial time. So why not get a little work in while enjoying your veg time.

Try one of these variations for the duration of the entire commercial break.

Cycle through the exercises for an entire quarter, half, or full game. Recruit your friends. Enjoy the game and game on!

Commercial break 1: Bodyweight squat/Plyometric squat
Commercial break 2: Push up (hands elevated) from feet or knees/Push up (feet elevated)
Commercial break 3: Forearm plank/Mountain climber
Commercial break 4: 12 oz. tricep kickback