Santa Claus is coming to town… and so is the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. The holidays can be a hectic time of year between family gatherings and school events, making time to exercise and stay moving difficult. Having an exercise partner, especially your tiny human, can make exercise not feel like such a bah humbug! Exercising with the tiny human in your life is a fun way to spend time together and burn off some extra energy. Below are our favorite holiday-themed mommy & me exercises to help get you and your little one ready for the holidays!
Top 12 Holiday-Themed Exercises
1. Elf High Five
Start by facing your partner and have your partner take a step to the side so that only one of your feet are in line. Get into Elf formation (a deep squat) making sure to maintain and neutral spine and fold at your hips. From a low squat position, both of you explode up into a jump extending your arm out to high-five each other. Perform 10x then switch sides to high-five your other hand.
2. Yeti Walks
Starting by crouching down into yeti formation (a squat) and raising your arms up overhead. Take a BIG step-up and out at an angle, then bring your other leg to meet your foot. Repeat by stepping out with your other foot, making your slow Yeti walk across the room about 10 steps on each side. Turn around and make your way back across the room. Yeti calls are encouraged during this exercise.
3. Christmas Tree Pose
Start by standing nice and tall like a Christmas tree. Bend one knee and place your foot on the inside of your other thigh. Reach your arms overhead trying to lengthen your spine. Think about engaging your lower belly and hold this position for 30 seconds. Switch feet and repeat on the other side.
4. Snow Jacks
Start by standing upright with your legs together, and arms at your sides. Bend your knees slightly, and jump into the air. As you jump, spread your legs to be about shoulder-width apart. Stretch your arms out and over your head. Jump back to starting position Repeat 30 times.
5. Reindeer Steps
Standing and facing your partner giving yourselves enough pace in between, step one foot forward into a BIG reindeer lunge. Make sure to keep your trunk up tall, your hips forward, and your knee in line with your toe. Complete 15 reps on each leg.
6. Polar Bar Crawl
Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees directly under your hips. Firm your lower belly and engage your shoulder blades down and back. Lift your knees to a 90-degree angle and hover an inch off the ground while getting into your polar bear position. Move one hand and the opposite foot forward an equal distance while staying low to the ground. Switch sides, moving the opposite hand and foot. Repeat the movement while alternating sides. Bear growls are highly encouraged.
7. Ice Skater Jumps
Start by standing tall with feet shoulder-width apart. Soften your knees and hinge your hip so that you are in a slight squat. Push off of your left foot jumping to your right side. As you land, bring your left leg behind you to the middle. From there jump off of your right foot repeating side to side 20 times. Feel free to strike your best ice skater pose with each jump!
8. Mistletoe Squat
Start by setting your feet nice and wide apart (wider than shoulder width). Point your toes so that they are facing outward. Hinge at your hip and sink into a squat. As you raise out of your squat, press down into your toes lifting your heels. Do 15 times.
9. Candy cane twist
Start by sitting back to back with your little one. Bend your knees bringing them up so that it creates a V shape with your thighs. Twist your torso to the right, and then reverse the motion, twisting it to the left. For added fun, you can use a weighted ball or present to pass back and forth with your little one.
10. Christmas Star Jumps
Starting up tall, with your feet together, hinge your hips with your back flat and bend your knees to get into a quarter squat position. Place your palms at your sides on your thighs. Jump up, raising your arms and legs out to your sides making your star in mid-air. Land softly with your feet together and immediately lower yourself back into the starting position. Do 15 jumps.
11. Snow Mountain Climbers
Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees directly under your hips. Firm your lower belly and engage your shoulder blades down and back. Then lift your knees, so they’re at a 90-degree angle and hovering an inch off the ground. Jump one leg forward toward your hands, pause, jump it back, then bring the other leg forward. Make sure to keep your belly engage and back flat. Do 20 jumps per leg.
12. Snowflake Crunch
Start by standing tall with feet shoulder-width apart and arms above your head. Firm your lower belly, then kick out one foot straight in front of you while you bring the opposite arm down reaching towards your toe. Switch arm as legs and perform 20 per side.
Conclusion
It is important that all of the above exercises are pain-free! If you find that you are consistently having pain prior to trying these exercises, consider seeking professional help from a physical therapist or doctor to figure out the cause of your pain. Physical therapy is a great resource for managing multiple conditions throughout the body and can help improve overall posture and body awareness. For more information on how Action Potential can help you, request an appointment today.
Photo by Kamaji Ogino: https://www.pexels.com/photo/young-asian-woman-piggybacking-smiling-daughter-while-exercising-at-home-5094677/