Buzz
Sitting at your desk for long periods can leave your muscles feeling tight. The solution? Get up and move! Try bodyweight workout “flows” that introduce your body to new movements, challenging and stretching your muscles while building strength.
You may be familiar with yoga flows, where you seamlessly transition between poses. A bodyweight workout flow follows a similar concept, but incorporates classic bodyweight exercises like squats, push-ups, planks, and their variations to keep your body in motion.
The video above, created by Primal Flow Training, is a simple and quick flow that takes under 15 minutes to complete. These exercises focus on upper body strength and core stability. Grab your timer (or use your phone) and get started:
Set 1: Begin standing, then perform a hand walk-out followed by a squat, then return to standing. Do this for 20 seconds, then rest for 40 seconds.
Set 2: Add a prone bend (similar to a diagonal push-up hold) to the end of the hand walk-out. Do for 40 seconds, then rest for 1:20.
Set 3: Incorporate a small press into the prone bend, creating a jagged push-up. Perform for 1 minute, then rest for 2 minutes.
Set 4: After the press, extend one arm toward the ceiling and twist. This move stretches your upper back and builds shoulder stability on the arm that remains on the floor. Do for 1 minute and 40 seconds, followed by a 3-minute rest.
Set 5: Finish with a side kick. You can watch the video at the 2:26 mark to see how it’s done. Complete this for 1 minute and 40 seconds.
When you bring everything together, the whole routine should flow effortlessly. Here's an advanced example to show you how it's done:
The key is to just keep moving. On days when I don’t follow a structured workout, I’ll sometimes pretend I’m breakdancing or envision myself as one of Beyoncé’s backup dancers. In reality, I’m just flopping around like a whale, but I’m having fun and moving my body through funky motions for 15 minutes.
