Fitness and Wellbeing: Full Body Towel Workout

Full Body Towel Workout

As I’ve mentioned before, I live in a pretty small space. A 400 square foot studio apartment in NYC to be exact and, to be honest, most NYC apartments aren’t much bigger!

Luckily though, many NYC apartments have hardwood floors, which is perfect for a workout using something everyone has: dishtowels.

You already know I love working out at home, and I love finding creative ways to use things I already for my workouts. Towels and chairs are some of the BEST pieces of equipment that literally every home has.

Towel workouts are great because they challenge your core and add some instability. And chair workouts are great for adding some intensity into your workouts. Not to mention, between the two, there are literally hundreds of exercises you can do in the comfort of your own home.

I know this workout will be one of your new favorite routines to do at home because it’s quick AND hits every major muscle group.

P.s. If you don’t have hardwood floor, you can always sub out the dish towels with some paper plates or grab some carpet sliders!

Total Body Towel Workout

Complete this workout as a circuit moving from one exercise to the next with no rest. Then repeat this circuit 3 more times.

Mountain Climbers – Start in a plank position with a towel under each foot. Keep your shoulders over your hands and use your abs to slide your RIGHT knee in towards your chest. Then, as you slide your RIGHT leg back out straight, pull your LEFT knee in towards your chest. Keep alternating legs for 50 reps total.
Hamstring Curls – Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on two towels. Lift your hips up off the ground into a bridge position. Keep your hips lifted, then slide your feet out away from you on your heels. Slide your heels back in using your hamstrings, and come back into your bridge position. Stay in the bridge position for the entire exercise, and complete 20 repetitions.
Side Squats – Stand with the towel under your RIGHT foot. Lower into a squat position keeping your abs pulled in and your back straight. Keep steady with your LEFT side and use your RIGHT outer thigh to slide your RIGHT leg out to the side. Then, use the RIGHT inner thigh to pull the leg back underneath you. Continue for 25 repetitions on the right side, then repeat on the left.
Pikes – Start in a plank position with the towel under both feet. Keep your shoulders over your hands, and use your abs to slide your feet in, lifting your hips straight up. Lower back down to your plank position as you keep your back straight and abs engaged. Repeat for 15 repetitions.
Side to Side Knee Tucks – Next, come to a plank position with the towel under both feet. Keep your shoulders over your hands, and use your abs to pull both knees in to the outside of your RIGHT shoulder. Slide the legs back out straight to the plank position and use your abs to pull both knees in to the outside of your LEFT shoulder. Continue alternating for 20 repetitions on each side.
Back Lunge – Stand with your RIGHT foot on the towel and keep your LEFT leg steady with your knee over your heel. Slide your RIGHT leg straight back behind you into a lunge position by pushing through the ball of the foot. Then come back into a standing position by pressing your weight down into the LEFT heel and use your LEFT hamstring and RIGHT thigh to pull the RIGHT leg back into standing. Complete 25 repetitions on the right side and then repeat on the left.
Sliding Push Ups – Start in a full plank position with the towel under your RIGHT hand. Lower down into a push up as you slide your RIGHT hand out to the side so that your hands are now wider than shoulder width apart. As you push back up into your plank, use your chest muscles to pull the RIGHT hand back in so that both hands are under the shoulders again. Then repeat the movement over to the left. Complete 10 repetitions on each side.