New year cardio blast

Don’t fancy pounding the pavements on the cold, rainy roads? We don’t blame you. Try this new year cardio blast instead.

Ah, January. The time for resolutions, and simultaneously the worst possible time to put them into practice. Days are short, nights are long, sofas are comfy and the weather outside feels like you should only be braving it in a Game Of Thrones-style bearskin. But don’t worry! There’s a way to improve your cardio without having to brave the cold or the horrors of a full spin studio, and you can do it virtually anywhere.

The right combination of resistance exercise will work your cardio even better than a session on the cross-trainer – and build muscle to boot. Oh, and there’s another bonus: a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise is great for tackling any nasty visceral fat lurking around your waist – so you’ll improve your health too. Win-win.

How to do this workout: Do 6 reps of each exercise (alternating hands or feet if it’s a single-limb move), then 5 of each…then 4, then 3,2,1. Rest as little as possible, and try to beat your time next week!

Kettle bell snatch – We Heart Living

Kettlebell snatch

Instructions:

Swing the kettlebell between your legs with one hand, and then pop your hips forward to drive it into the air. When it gets to chest-level, punch your hand forward and catch it on your forearm, bringing it overhead. Flip it back downwards and swap hands for the next rep.