Paramedic and fitness expert Colin Apps shares his workout tips to get you in shape for guilt-free festive feasting

Critical care paramedic for Midlands Air Ambulance, Colin Apps has created a cardiovascular workout which you can do at home (or in the gym, pandemic rules permitting!) and depending on your fitness level you can choose a low, medium or high intensity routine by deciding how many repetitions to do.

He says: “Being a critical care paramedic involves plenty of manual handling, lifting and carrying, so it’s important to maintain a strong core.” 

COLIN’S WORKOUT

Complete as many rounds as possible in a time of your choice – 10, 20, 30 or 40 minutes.

One round consists of:

• Five walk out press-ups with a jump
• Ten mountain climbers (each leg alternating)
• Ten sit-ups
• Ten air squats
• Ten press-ups with a rotation
• Plank for 30 seconds 

Walk out press-ups with a jump

Stand tall, then bend at the hips until your hands reach the floor. Walk your hands out to full plank position and lower chest towards the floor. Push up back to plank position. Walk your hands back towards feet, then jump up into the air. Land softly with a slight bend in the knees. 

Mountain climbers

Great for cardiovascular conditioning. Start in a plank position, with shoulders over wrists and hips in line with shoulders. Pull the knee into the chest briefly placing the toes on the ground. Alternate legs. 

Sit-ups

A fundamental exercise to build core strength. Start with your upper back and shoulders on the ground. Pull your torso up to a seated position. Lower your torso back to the start position. 

Air squat

Great for lower back strength. Start with your feet shoulder-width apart. Reach your hips back and down as you descend into squat position. Stand tall at the top of the movement for full hip and knee extension. 

Press-up with a rotation

Start in full plank position. Lower the chest towards the floor, then push up to the start position. Rotate at the hips holding upper body weight on one arm and extend the other arm up into the air. Lower the arm back to floor. Repeat but rotate using the opposite arm. 

Plank for 30 seconds

Keep elbows and toes on the floor, engage the core and try to keep shoulders back and hips in line.