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Four bodyweight exercises you should be doing this fall

With beach days behind us and heaps of holiday guzzling and gorging ahead, now is the time to put your best fitness foot forward.

Courtesy of Ashley Greenblatt

Do you need to reset your fitness routine? The seasonal shift from summer to fall is the perfect opportunity to revise and reboot healthy habits. With beach days behind us and heaps of holiday guzzling and gorging ahead, now is the time to put your best fitness foot forward.

For many, the biggest barrier between pursuing a healthy lifestyle and actually achieving one is having enough time. This becomes especially difficult when your calendar begins to fill with holiday happenings and family festivities. So let's cut out the cringeworthy commute to the gym and time wasted waiting in line at weight machines.

The following conditioning circuit is based on the best bodyweight movements for trimming fat and increasing muscle definition. All you need is 30 minutes and a little bit of free space.

How it works: After each exercise, rest for 60 seconds. Once you complete one round of all four exercises, rest for two minutes. Repeat this circuit three times.

Walking Squat

  1. Stand tall with feet positioned hip-width apart.

  2. Hinge back at the hips lowering your body until your knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle.

  3. Keep your weight in your heels as you walk two steps forward followed by two steps back. Continue this stepping sequence for 60 seconds.

Jumping Lunge

  1. Begin with your feet hip-width apart, shoulders back and core muscles engaged.

  2. Take a step back with your right foot and balance your body weight in your left heel.

  3. In one explosive movement, swing your right leg forward and up toward your chest as you jump off the left foot. Repeat 10 times then switch sides.

Climber Push Up

  1. Start in a standard plank position, aligning your hands below your shoulders for a tricep-dominant push up. Keep your spine straight, neck relaxed, and gaze slightly forward.

  2. Lower your body until it hovers several inches from the floor then push through your palms to return to the starting stance. Avoid drooping at the hips.

  3. Now pull your right knee in toward your right elbow and squeeze, then do the same with your left leg. That's one rep. Repeat for a total of 10 reps.

Burpee

  1. Stand tall with feet shoulder width-apart.

  2. Hinge back at the hips, drop your hands down between your feet and jump your legs back into a plank position. Hold for two counts to ensure proper form.

  3. Jump your legs forward so your feet land on either side of your hands and explode upward off the balls of your feet. That's one rep. Repeat for a total of 10 reps.

When the world is your gym, it's easy to find time for fitness.

Ashley B. Greenblatt is a certified personal trainer and wellness coach. To learn more, visit ashleyblakefitness.com.