GLOW UP CHALLENGE // Day 5: Tabata Workout + Full Body Stretch

What a fun and awesome workout this was! I loved it! Tabata Workout + Full Body Stretch is part of Heather Robertson‘s week long Glow Up Challenge. Her Glow Up Challenge includes 7 days of workouts plus a nutrition guide and other suggestions for a holistic approach to getting on your “glow.” I am not doing the program but I do plan to eventually do all of the workouts. However, this workout fit into my current rotation as a recovery day workout so it is the first workout in the program I tried. For more information on her Glow Up Program (and other programs–all FREE), visit her website.

As the title indicates, the first part of this workout is done tabata style: 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of recovery; repeat this 20/10 interval 8 times for a 4 minute tabata circuit. There are 5 tabata circuits in this workout. This is the first 20 minutes of the workout. The final 16 minutes of the workout is a relaxing full body stretch. For the tabata portion of the workout there is a timer in the lower right hand corner of the screen counting down your recoveries and intervals. During the recoveries Heather previews the next exercise. The full body stretch is done voice over.

This was a wonderful feel good cardio + flexibility workout. The tabatas really warmed my body up. I was sweating and working hard. Many of the exercises in the tabatas will also give you some body weight strength work, so bonus! When you finish the tabatas your body is very warm and ready for a long and relaxing stretch. This is a perfect recovery day workout. This is not a low impact workout. Lots of jumping.

Tabata Workout + Full Body Stretch is 40:24 minutes; 55 second intro, 2:45 minute warm up, 20 minutes of tabata and 16 minute stretch. Equipment: fitness mat.

Tabata 1:

1. Squat & knee drive (squat and as you raise out of squat, do a hopping knee raise, tapping knee with opposite hand, alternate knees with a squat between each hopping knee raise)
2. Lie down climbers (start in straight arm plank, lower body to mat, keeping body straight from shoulders to heels, keep hands under shoulders and raise hands and legs off mat, lower back to mat, push back up to plank, keeping body straight from shoulders to heels, and do one cross body mountain climber each leg)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 three more times

Tabata 2:

1. Lunge hops (hopping reverse lunges–hop one leg back into reverse lunge, hop when you bring legs together, alternate legs)
2. Crab V sit (in crab, raise one leg and tap foot with opposite hand, repeat on other side of body then lower bottom to mat and extend legs straight so they are a few inches off the mat while also lowering upper body so it is a few inches off the mat)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 three more times

Tabata 3:

1. Cross over jacks (one jumping jack then hinge forward with legs straight and wide, touch toe with opposite hand, alternate sides with one jumping jack between each toe reach)
2. Push back push ups (do one push up then push glutes back to heels keeping knees elevated off floor)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 three more times

Tabata 4:

1. In & out hops (squat jacks alternating sumo squat with narrow squat)
2. Bicycle crunch
3. Repeat #1 & 2 three more times

Tabata 5:

1. Burpee jacks (one jumping jack + one plank jack)
2. Walking plank jacks (forearm plank to straight arm plank + one plank jack)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 three more times

20 second rest

Full Body Stretch:

1. Start standing at end of mat, reach arms overhead, arching spine then flow forward into forward fold, reach arms down to the mat, flow in and out of forward fold
2. Remain in forward fold, torso and arms swing gently side to side
3. Roll back up to standing and clasp hands behind back, lift clasped hands while arching spine and looking upward, opening the chest and shoulders; hinge forward into forward fold with hands still clasped, raising hands to ceiling
4. Standing quad stretch
5. Downward facing dog, pedal feet
6. Pigeon pose
7. Down dog into upward facing dog
8. Cat/cow
9. Still on all 4s, shift spine and hips and shoulders around
10. Thread the needle
11. Kneeling crescent pose
12. Still in kneeling lunge, place one hand on mat and reach other arm to ceiling (same arm as front leg), rotating spine to look up at hand; swap hands, looking up toward other hand when it extends to ceiling
13. Still in kneeling lunge, lower one forearm to mat (opposite from front leg) (modified lizard pose)
14. Repeat #11-13 on other side of body
15. Seated butterfly pose; rotate head/neck side to side
16. Sit cross-leg on mat and do side stretches, reaching one arm overhead to other side while same side forearm is on the mat to deepen the stretch
17. Still sitting cross leg, clasp hands and stretch them in front of you, rounding back to stretch spine
18. Still sitting cross leg, reach arms overhead, hands still clasped and do side stretches
19. Stand with ankles crossed, torso hinged forward into forward fold
20. Side lunge stretch
21. Wide straight leg forward fold, reach arms/torso toward one leg, holding ankle
22. Sit on mat with legs extended straight in front of you, shake out legs
23. Seated spinal twist
24. Seated figure 4 stretch
25. Repeat #23 & 24 on other side of body
26. Lay on back, hugging knees into chest
27. Supine spinal twist
28. Pull knees into chest again, forehead to knees
29. Lay on back, extending legs straight on mat and arms on mat overhead, stretching body long
30. Corpse pose while Heather talks you through breathing exercises

For more info on Heather Robertson’s workouts and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.