Before you carve those pumpkins for Halloween, put them to use for a good workout! NIFS Fitness Management staff in our corporate fitness centers had great success in offering pumpkin workouts to employees this month. If you think about it, pumpkins are like a medicine ball and come in a variety of shapes and sizes to accommodate all intensity levels! So grab that pumpkin off the porch and show your kids how to use a pumpkin for a workout!
Squat and Curl – Hold a pumpkin in both hands with arms extended down in front of your body. Step feet wide with toes pointing out at an angle. Keeping your chest up, lower into a squat and hold the position. Now curl the pumpkin up toward your chest performing a bicep curl, lower the pumpkin slowly back down and perform 12-15 repetitions.
Full Sit Up – Lay on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Holding the pumpkin on your chest, do a full sit up reach overhead with the pumpkin as you perform the movement. Slowly lower to the floor bring the pumpkin back down to your chest in one smooth movement. Repeat for 15 repetitions.
Toe Taps – Lay on the floor bringing your legs up toward the ceiling (bend your knees if a modification is needed). Holding the pumpkin in both hands, contract your abs and crunch upward pushing the pumpkin toward your toes. Rather than relaxing and lowering back to the floor, continue to quickly contract and release taping your toes with the pumpkin for 30 repetitions.
Overhead press – With feet shoulder width apart, hold the pumpkin in both hands in front of your chest. Press the pumpkin up over your head extending your arms, and then slowly lower to the starting position. Repeat for 12-15 repetitions.
Push Up Plank – For an advanced option, place both hands on the pumpkin, if that is too much you can place one hand on the ground and the other on the pumpkin. Extend your legs out behind you into a plank position. Slowly bend your arms to lower your body toward the ground, push through your hands and shoulders to return to the starting position to complete a pushup. Strive for 10 repetitions.
Russian twist – Sit on the ground with the pumpkin in your lap. Place your feet on the ground shoulder width apart, for a more advance move lift your feet up keeping your knees bent. Holding your pumpkin lean back slightly, dropping your right shoulder and taking the pumpkin toward your right. Slowly move back toward the middle and continue toward the left. Continue side to side for 30 seconds.
Now get creative and share with us what your favorite pumpkin exercise is!!
