Hop to it! Michelle Bridges’ Easter exercise plan

Michelle Bridges says there’s nothing sweeter than earning guilt-free chocolate treats this Easter. From fun games to classic exercises, here’s her plan.

Get energised, get busy, get moving this Easter … and get your family to follow. I promise it’ll make those choccie treats taste even better.

Routine is key in fitness, so try to stick to your usual workout routine or close to it.

If you can’t do this, work your plans around it.

For example, if you’ve got an Easter lunch at 1pm, try to exercise at 7am, even if it’s just for 20 minutes.

Keeping up with your exercise can minimise any cravings you may have for a sweet treat. So, by popping in a few of these workout ideas, you will get through all the celebrations feeling your absolute best.

FAMILY FUN

Easter egg obstacle course: This will get everyone moving in the backyard or in any indoor space large enough for people to compete. Use any items you find in the house, from laundry baskets, ropes, balloons, hula hoops and tinned foods – just get creative! Hide eggs along the course and if you want to make it really fun, include ladders to climb, furniture to jump over, things to crawl under, and offer prizes for the winning team!

Family exercise to earn dessert:In between lunch and dessert is a great time to organise an outdoor activity such as a trip to the park, where the kids can take their bikes, or a trip to the beach for a refreshing swim. Make it a must to earn dessert!

Easter fitness game:Try to incorporate this awesome Easter fitness game into your long weekend:

Every time someone mentions the word Easter, everyone must do 10 jump squats.

Every time someone mentions the word chocolate, everyone must run on the spot for 20 seconds.

Every time someone mentions the word bunny, everyone must dance like nobody is watching for 20 seconds!

This can be especially funny if family members are caught off guard when one of the words is mentioned.

BURN IT FAST

For those of us that do overindulge, it’s nice to know we can get back on track with some quick fixes.

These exercises will burn fat fast and get you over your choc-a-block Easter feasting.

Michelle Bridges demonstrates a bodyweight squat.

Squats: This is the mother of all exercises! There are so many variations either with body weight or actual weights such as barbells or dumbbells. Start with your feet shoulder width apart, then squat down and up as if you’re sitting in a chair. Squat with a pause at the bottom, or pulse your squats for a few reps at the bottom of the squat.

Burpees: Yep, the beloved burpee! There’s nothing like burpees to increase your cardiovascular fitness and burn those calories. Start by getting on the ground as if you were doing a push up. As you push up, follow it with a jump squat. Not only are burpees great for burning fat, but they are so versatile. You can add in an extra push up or even an extra jump to really get things going. If your kids have a lot of energy, this is the perfect exercise for them. After a few of these, they’ll be so exhausted that they’ll need to relax!

Push ups can be done on the knees, or on toes.

Push ups:These are fantastic for burning calories by working your core. Start in a table top position with your hands wide, then lower your body until your chest comes close to the floor. You can do these on your knees, or on your toes. Make it harder by getting the kids to sit on your back, piggyback style, and do your push-ups with them as extra weight.

Lunges:So good for burning calories, lower body strength and even balance! Imagine you’re standing on two railway tracks, one foot on each track. Take one foot back on the track, about hip distance apart with your feet. Take it down into your lunge, low enough that you’re pretty much hitting two right angles with both legs.

Jumping sesh: If all else fails, just get jumping! There’s no better time than Easter to hop around like a bunny. Kids love to jump around so why not put a few jumping exercises together and have some fun. Start with a bit of skipping, then 10 star jumps, move onto 10 bunny hops and end with a round of invisible hopscotch. Turn it into a little game and see who in the family can finish the whole set first.

See Michelle demonstrate some exercises on video at smartdaily.com.au

The next round of Michelle Bridges’ 12WBT program kicks off on May 2. Visit 12wbt.com to join