Unquarantine Your Muscles
Backpacker|July - August 2021
Your body may have changed during a year of staying home. And even if your physical fitness has remained constant, your neurological connections may have weakened from a lack of stimuli. It’s time to shake off the sluggishness with this workout designed to get your body moving. Include it in your exercise routine every other week.
By Kaelyn Silva
Unquarantine Your Muscles

1) Forward and Reverse Skip

Skip forward 20 yards (about 25 paces), then skip backward to your starting point. Repeat three times.

2) 20 Wide-Base Crossover Toe-Touches

Stand with your feet just wider than your shoulders. Lift your arms so that they are parallel to the ground. Bend and twist at the waist, touching your right foot with your left hand. Return to start. Repeat by touching your left foot with your right hand.

3) 20 Jumping Jacks

4) 20 Standing Torso Rotations (per side)

Stand with your feet just wider than your shoulders and lift your arms, bending your elbows at right angles with your hands in line with your ears. Bring your left knee toward your right shoulder while bringing your right elbow toward your left knee. Return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side. Be careful not to bend forward at the spine.

At the end of this warm-up, you should be on the verge of sweating, breathing faster than when you began, and feeling more alert. Add more reps if you don’t feel sufficiently loosened up.

Workout (3 sets)

This story is from the July - August 2021 edition of Backpacker.

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This story is from the July - August 2021 edition of Backpacker.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.