Take Your Curves Workout to the Next Level with These Moves
Members know that the Curves workout is an amazing total body workout that promotes physical fitness and weight control. But, as a study done at the American Council on Exercise (ACE) shows, no matter how much you love your workout routine, it can never hurt to include a few additional moves. In the ACE study, 16 healthy, fit people ages 20 to 47 engaged in a 20-minute high-intensity interval training workout that included exercises like burpees, jumping jacks, and pushups. Incredibly, participants burned between 240 to 360 calories in that short amount of time!
If you want to add a similar boost to your burn, try doing some of these bonus moves on the mats between Curves Circuit machines:
Sprints on the spot
By sprinting in place, not only will you rev up your heart, you’ll increase your total number of steps. Sprints on the spot can add an average of 60 steps per metabolic conditioning station, increasing your total number of steps by 1,500! To do sprints on the spot, run in place, bringing your knees as high up as you can, ideally to the level of your waist.
Burpees
Bust out a few burpees at each metabolic conditioning station and you will dramatically increase your calorie burn. To do a burpee, get into the plank position, then jump and pull your knees toward your chest so you end up in a crouch. Next, jump up and raise your arms in the air, pointing your toes as they come off the ground. Be sure to land with soft knees. Then, place your hands on the floor in front of you and jump your legs back out to your starting plank. Burpees burn about 10 calories per minute, or 100 for a 10-minute session.†
Jumping Jacks
For every 10 minutes you spend doing jumping jacks, you will add about 100 calories worth of burn. For this classic workout move, start with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Then, jump while raising your arms over your head and separating your legs out to the side.
Air squats
To do an air squat, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Push your hips back and descend slowly until you are in a seated position, as if you were sitting on an imaginary chair. Then push back up forcefully. For every 10 minutes of air squats, you’ll increase your number of calories burned by about 34.
Beyond burning more calories, you may want to include some additional toning moves to your workout repertoire. (Don’t worry, these moves burn calories, too). Here are some exercises that will further sculpt your shape:
For lean, toned arms
Add a few pushups or planks to the mix. In addition to pumping up your arms, 10 minutes of push-ups or planks will burn an additional 34 calories. Both moves will tighten your core while working most of your major muscle groups.
To give your backside a boost
Air squats and mountain climbers will tone and tighten your glutes. To do mountain climbers, start on your hands and knees. Draw one knee in toward your chest, then jump to switch legs as if you are running in place on your hands and knees. Mountain climbers scorch a whopping 140 calories in 10 minutes!
For long, lean legs
Try calf raises to tone your calves, or plié hops to lengthen your calves while also strengthening your thighs. To do a calf raise, rise up onto both toes at the same time, until you feel the stretch in your calves, pushing your toes down into the floor. For plié hops, stand with your legs about two feet apart, toes turned out. Place your hands on your hips. Rise onto your toes, bend your knees, and sit back. Lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then jump off the ground, bringing your feet hip-width apart. Land softly on your toes.
Not yet a Curves member? Visit ‘Why Curves‘ to learn more about Curves women’s only gyms, and start on a journey to take your health and fitness to the next level by searching for your local Curves and signing up today!
†All calorie burn totals are based on a 150-pound person. If you weigh less, you will burn slightly fewer calories; if you weigh more, you will burn slightly more.
