Workouts for National Exercise Day

By Matthew Harling

There are a ton of holidays and national awareness days on our calendars throughout the year. However, one day in April stands out for us: National Fitness Day. It’s a day to encourage, support, and join others in working out, be active, and move. It is my pleasure to get in the spirit and help you have a fantastic and productive National Fitness Day on April 18. 

This is a day for all, no matter where you are or your fitness level. So, I have created a program that can be modified so people of all ages and skill levels can use it.

Walking Weighted Lunges

The walking lunge is a great way to warm up and build strength. If you have dumbbells, feel free to use them. Get deep, lean forward to focus on the quads, or back to focus on the glutes and hamstrings. These walking weighted lunges can be five sets and eight reps per leg.

Incline Walking

Some of us cannot perform a lunge due to injury or chronic pain. However, we can all benefit from cardio. Do not underestimate how useful walking can be. I’d recommend about one mile of incline walking.

Thrusters (with Dumbbells)

Incorporating the legs and shoulders into a dynamic and taxing exercise is a great exercise. Be sure to have a rhythm. The squat turns into a shoulder press. The squat begins as your arms descend. I’d recommend five sets – 15 reps each of thrusters with dumbbells. 

Shoulder Press

Maybe Squatting with it is not doable, but that is okay because we can grab a pair of light weights and shoulder press those. Be sure not to flare your arms out. Lead with your fists on the way up. Lead with your elbows on the way down. Your arms should be 45 degrees at rest. I’d recommend five sets of shoulder presses — 15 reps each.

Clean & Press

This is an excellent full-body exercise. Pay attention to ensure full power with your triple extension and a safe squat to press. You can do five sets – 15 reps each – of these clean & presses.

Hammer Curl & Press

The clean and press may be a little much. Grab the dumbbells in a neutral position. Curl them as if you were hammering a nail and turn that into a shoulder press. You can do these hammer curls & presses for five sets with 15 reps per set.

Push Ups

Turn this into an intense finisher to kill the chest. Get deep, keep your hips from sinking, and achieve full extension. You can do five sets of push-ups with about 15 to 20 reps per set.

Floor Press

Let us face it: pushups are challenging, so lie down, grab a pair of dumbbells, and perform a chest press. The floor will support your shoulders, so there is no need to fear failure. I’d recommend five sets of floor presses – with about 12 to 15 reps.

Summary:

• Walking Lunge/ Weighted Lunges: Sets 5 Reps 8 per Leg
• Thrusters: Sets 5 Reps 15
• Clean & Press: Sets 5 Reps 15
• Push Ups: Sets 5 Reps 15 to 20
• Walking/ Incline Walking: Sets 1 Mile
• Shoulder Press: Sets 5 Reps 15
• Hammer Curl & Press: Sets 5 Reps 15
• Floor Press: Sets 5 Reps 12 to 15

With these options, your national fitness day should be fun and productive. Good luck, and happy National Fitness Day!  

Matt Harling, CPT CSC CES, is a Master Trainer at Crunch Fitness.

Crunch’s group fitness classes and personal trainers promote a culture of fun with no judgments. It is an environment built for all types of individuals with various goals. Find a Crunch gym near you to try our free trial membership, or join Crunch now.