Get Into the Back To School Circuit Routine

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It's time for back to school and back to you. Whether you are a working or stay at home mom, this time of year most likely finds you back into a routine. But, despite the making lunches, school meetings and after school activities, you still need to find time for yourself. This circuit routine done two to three times a week is a quick and efficient workout you can do to hit all the major body parts in 30 minutes. All you need is a resistance ball, band and weights. Here are the exercises from my Fitness Answer Workout Plan:

• CARDIO WARM-UP 10 MINUTES (such as walking)
• STRETCH ENTIRE BODY BEFORE AND AFTER ROUTINE

ABDOMINALS - 3 SETS OF 15-20 reps (rest 1 minute between sets)

Crunches Seated On Ball -3 SETS OF 15-20 reps
Sit on ball and walk your feet forward until the ball is resting under your mid or lower back. Place arms behind your head. Contract your abdominals as you exhale and lift your torso off the ball. Lower yourself back down,

Reverse Crunch with Ball
Lie on back on floor and bend knees at 90 degrees resting legs on ball. Place hands at your sides. Get a good grip on the ball with your legs and lift your lower body off the floor. Slowly lower ball back down.

OBLIQUES - 3 SETS OF 15-20 reps each side(rest 1 minute between sets)
Lie on back with one knee bent and foot flat on floor. Other leg should be straight out, heel resting on ball. Place arm bent knee side behind head. Roll ball in until foot is flat while bringing opposite elbow to your knee. Do 15-20 reps, then repeat on other side.

STRENGTH EXERCISES – Do one set of 12-15 reps of each exercise and then rest for two minutes. Repeat the cycle of exercises 2-3 times.

BACK
Band Seated Row
Loop band around sturdy object. Have a seat on ball and hold band at waist level in an underhand grip. Row band back, pointing elbows behind and keeping elbows in tight.

BACK
Band Lat Pulldown
Hold band overhead with arms straight up. You can adjust hands closer to increase tension. Contract the back and pull the band out while bringing the elbows towards the rib cage. Decrease tension slowly, while raising arms back up and repeat.

BICEP
Band Bicep Curls
Stand on the band and hold handles with palms facing out. Keeping abs in and knees slightly bent, bend arms and bring palms toward shoulders in a bicep curl. Position feet wider for more tension. Return to start and repeat.

SHOULDERS
Dumbbell Front Raise
Stand with dumbbells in overhand grip, weights resting on quads. Raise arms up to shoulder level, keeping a slight bend in elbow and wrists straight. Lower arms and repeat.

LEGS
Ball Squats
Place ball on a wall directly behind mid-lower back. Lean against the ball (slightly) and bend knees, lowering the body until knees are at a 90 degree angle. Push back to starting position.

CHEST
Ball Chest Press
Hold Ball in hands, elbows bent and close to your sides. Squeeze ball, creating compression and press forward, bringing arms straight out, then back to the starting position.

TRICEPS
Band Side Tricep Extension
Hold the band in both hands at shoulder level with right arm bent so that it's in front of the chest, left arm straight out. Keeping the left arm straight to hold tension on the hand, contract the triceps to straighten the right arm. Return to start and repeat before switching sides.

BACK
Band Seated Row
Loop band around sturdy object. Have a seat on ball and hold band at waist level in an underhand grip. Row band back, pointing elbows behind and keeping elbows in tight.

Joanne Sgro is a Television Fitness Expert, Certified Personal Trainer and Sport Nutritionist. She is Certified in Pilates, Pre-natal/Post-Partum, Yoga and Senior Fitness. She specializes in Weight Loss, Post-Rehab and Post Cancer Training. Joanne's fitness plans and recipes are available globally on her website www.fitnessanswer.com. She resides in the Phoenix, AZ, where she runs her personal training business, Fitness Answer, LLC.

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.