An At-Home Conditioning Workout to Improve Your Speed

 Spike your heart rate with lateral shuffles, high knees, and squat thrusts.

                            An AtHome Conditioning Workout to Improve Your Speed

You don’t have to be a runner to think about getting faster. In fact, this at-home conditioning workout will also help you build endurance and speed. 

Outside of running a quicker pace, “faster” takes on a new meaning. In the context of these workouts, moving faster means that you either that you could squeeze in more reps in the same amount of time; or accomplish the same number of reps in less time. Focusing on increasing your speed is also one way to improve your conditioning, or your overall ability to work harder and perform more efficiently during exercise.

Generally, conditioning exercises challenge your cardiovascular system and help to build endurance. But they can also create a solid foundation for the rest of your workouts, improving agility, strength, and mobility too. Long story short: Think of speed work and conditioning as a duo that will help up the ante on your workouts, making you stronger, helping you improve, and hopefully boosting your confidence along the way.

Today, you’ll see that not only does conditioning mean you don't have to run or do sprints, conditioning doesn’t even need to be high impact. Today you’ll see how you can maintain low-impact integrity and still get the cardio boost you’d receive from pounding the pavement.

There is an option to do high knees for the first exercise in today’s at-home conditioning workout. If you’d like to try the high-impact version, go for it. However, you can still get your heart rate up by doing a modified, low-impact version of the move, marching high, keeping your core engaged, and moving your arms with purpose. See you at the finish line!

The workout below is for Day 19 of the SELF Spring Reset Challenge. Check out the full month of workouts right here. Or go to the workout calendar here. If you haven’t signed up to receive daily emails, do that here.

WORKOUT DIRECTIONS

Do each move below for your selected period of time. At the end of all 5 moves, rest for 60 seconds. That's 1 circuit. Repeat the circuit 3–5 times total. After your last circuit, try the optional extra credit.

  • Option 1: 30 seconds of work, 30 seconds of rest
  • Option 2: 40 seconds of work, 20 seconds of rest
  • Option 3: 50 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest
EXERCISES
  • High Knees
  • Lateral Shuffle
  • Squat Thrust
  • Single-Leg V-Up (Alternating Sides)
  • Scissors Kicks
EXTRA CREDIT

Complete as many reps as possible (AMRAP) in 60 seconds. Record your reps so you can track your progress throughout the challenge!

  • Inchworm x 60 seconds
                                  Image may contain Clothing Apparel Human Person Footwear Shoe Dance Pose Leisure Activities and Sleeve

1

High Knees

  • Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
  • Keep your chest lifted and your abs tight as you quickly drive your knees toward your chest, one at a time.
  • Swing your arms, focusing on taking your hands from hip height to chin height in rhythm with your knees.
  • Move as quickly as you can for a set amount of time.
  • To make it low impact: March your knees up instead of moving your feet at a running tempo.
                              Image may contain Human Person Sport Sports Exercise Working Out Fitness Hair and Female

2

Lateral Shuffle

  • Stand with your feet hip-width apart, core engaged, and hands clasped at chest height.
  • Come into a half-squat by bending your knees a little and sending your butt back.
  • From that position, shuffle to the right as quickly as possible for 4 to 5 feet (or as space allows). Move your feet fast, going for speed rather than how big of a step you can take.
  • When you reach the end, immediately shuffle back to the left.
  • Continue to move back and forth as quickly as possible.

                                 squat thrust
3

Squat Thrust

  • Stand with feet hip-width apart, core engaged, and hands at sides.
  • Squat and place hands on the floor, making sure hands are between feet (not outside them).
  • Jump feet back to come into a high plank position and pause.
  • Jump feet forward so feet land at the outsides of hands, and stand, squeezing your core as you come up.
  • Make it easier: Skip the jump into high plank, and instead step back one foot at a time into a high plank.
  • Make it harder: From high plank, bend your elbows and lower down into a push-up. Come back up into a plank position, and jump your feet forward, continuing the squat thrust movement where you left off. Add a push-up each time you come into a high plank.

                                       single leg jackknife
4

Single-Leg V-Up (Alternating Sides)

  • Lie faceup with your legs extended and arms by your sides. Contract your abs to press your low back into the floor. This is the starting position.
  • Squeeze your thighs together, squeeze your glutes, and simultaneously lift your left leg and upper back off the ground, reaching your right hand forward to meet your left foot. Your torso and your left leg should form a V.
  • Keep your core engaged as you slowly lower to return to the starting position.
  • Repeat with the opposite leg and arm.

                                Image may contain Footwear Clothing Apparel Shoe Human Person Exercise Sport Fitness Sports and Working Out
5

Scissors Kicks

  • Lie faceup with your arms on the floor by your sides. If your lower back needs some extra support, you can place your hands underneath your butt on each side.
  • Engage your abs and lift both legs about 6 inches off the floor. Keep your lower back flat on the floor. If you can't, bring your legs a little higher.
  • Keeping your legs straight, cross your right foot over your left, uncross your feet, and then bring your left foot over your right.
  • Continue crossing your feet over one another.
                          Inchworm exercise move

6

Inchworm

  • Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and arms at your sides.
  • Bend at your waist and place your hands on the floor.
  • Walk your hands forward to come into a high plank with your hands flat, wrists stacked under your shoulders, and your core, quads, and butt engaged. Pause for a second.
  • Walk your hands back to your feet and stand to return to start. That's 1 rep.
  • Make it harder: Add a mountain climber when you hit high plank position. Engage your core and draw your right knee to your chest. Return to the high plank and immediately draw your left knee to your chest. Return to high plank position, walk your hands back to your feet, and stand. Repeat the entire sequence.

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