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Photo: Getty Images / Jon Kopaloff
Not everyone can afford a personal trainer or gym membership, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to shake up your fitness routine at home. Going fora walk around the neighborhood, doing yoga or simply dancing around your kitchencan help you lose weight, boost yourmoodandprotect your brainas you age, among many other benefits. But if you want to target your core with some exercises at home, Halle Berry’s trainer, Peter Lee Thomas,just shared a five-step routine on Instagramyou’ll love. The best part? The only equipment you need is a towel.
Berry is in peak form right now, since she trained hard with Thomas for her latest role in the Netflix movieBruised, asThomas explained toEntertainment Weeklyin November. But since you can modify this routine to include whatever exercises and rep counts you feel comfortable with, it can be adapted for just about anyone looking for a challenging workout.
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To follow in Berry’s footsteps, grab a hand towel. Berry uses it in every exercise, whether she’s keeping her arms engaged or using it as a makeshift line on the ground for exercise number 5 below. She personally usesa cooling towel from her lineof wellness products, Re-spin, but whatever towel you have on hand will work.
Berry’s routine includes sit-ups, Russian twists, squats, burpees, lunges, side knees and skaters. Thomas recommends doing 10 to 20 reps for each of these moves, but you should always take it at your own pace. Even if you try just one move for five reps, that’s a great place to start!
How to Copy Halle Berry’s at-Home Workout
- Straight-Arm Towel Sit-Up
For this modified sit-up, hold your arms straight out, at a 90-degree angle with your torso. Stretch the towel between your hands, as if you were holding a barbell, and do a sit-up as you normally would.
- Straight-Arm Slow Russian Twist
Sit on your bottom with your knees bent. Berry lifts her feet slightly up, so only her bottom touches the ground. Thomas sits with his heels on the floor as well. Holding your arms straight out with the towel between them, slowly twist your abdomen to the right until your right hand touches the floor, then twist to the left and repeat.
- Squat, Press, Jump Through, Burpee
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- Overhead Towel Bulgarian Back Lunge & Side Knee
In a standing position, raise your arms straight up over your head with the towel taut between your hands. Shift your right leg backwards and bend into a lunge. Come back into a standing position and lift your right leg forward with the knee bent at a right angle. At the same time, bring your arms down to tap the towel against your lifted knee. Put your right leg down and raise your arms again, then repeat with the left leg.
- Mega Plyo Skaters
Roll or fold your towel widthwise and lay it on the ground, so it forms a thin straight line. Starting with both feet on the left side of the towel, stand with your left leg slightly bent and your right leg behind you with your right foot hovering above the floor. For balance, lean forward with the tip of your right hand touching the ground. Jump sideways over the towel, landing on your right foot with the left behind you and not touching the ground. You’ll look sort of like a competitive speed skater—just in time for the Olympics.
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