Exercise

Mountain Climber

Part cardio, part core, part hip-flexor work - mountain climbers earn their spot in any time-crunched session. Thirty seconds gets your heart rate up faster than most things you can do in a living room.

BeginnerNo equipment~3 min

Demonstration

Sets

3

Reps

20-30s

Rest

45-60s

How to do it

  1. 1

    Start in a high push-up position, hands under shoulders, body in a straight line.

  2. 2

    Brace your core and keep your hips level with your shoulders.

  3. 3

    Drive your right knee toward your chest, then quickly switch legs.

  4. 4

    Keep alternating in a running motion, landing softly on the balls of your feet.

  5. 5

    Maintain the plank position throughout - the shoulders stay over the hands.

Common mistakes

  • Bouncing the hips up into the air as the pace increases
  • Letting the shoulders drift behind the hands
  • Sacrificing knee drive for speed - the knee should actually come toward the chest

Dad tips

  • Slow them down and pause each knee drive if you want more core, less cardio.

Same muscles, new angle

Banded Psoas March

Sitting all day leaves the deep hip flexors weak and cranky. This lying march against a band strengthens them directly, which pays off in a smoother stride, easier stairs, and a lower back that complains less.

BeginnerBands~3 min

Standing Knee Raise Hold

Stand tall, lift one knee above hip height, and hold it there without leaning back - harder than it sounds after years of chairs. It builds the hip strength and single-leg balance that make stairs, hikes, and playground chases feel easy.

BeginnerNo equipment~3 min