8 Half-Hour HIIT Workouts For Every Night of Hanukkah — Are You Up For the Challenge?
:upscale()/2019/12/11/802/n/1922729/8bf37e555df13252109598.58398105_.jpg)
Sure, there might be tons of holiday workouts set to Christmas music galore, but I'm here to assure you that though Hanukkah songs are limited — and I'll leave my qualms about that at the door for now — you can absolutely pair sweat sessions with the eight-night Festival of Lights. It won't involve squats while you're eating latkes or anything related to dreidel; however, consider what comes ahead as an eight-day HIIT challenge for Hanukkah.
Read on for one 30-minute HIIT workout to try every night you light the menorah this year starting on Sunday, Dec. 22. (Note: you can wait to start until sundown on Dec. 22, instead of that day, since Hanukkah doesn't officially start until then.) Whether you fit these in before or after gathering around the menorah, it's an easy way to get cardio and strength-building intervals under your belt fast and in the comfort of your own home. Only some of the following require a pair of dumbbells, and one is a treadmill HIIT routine you can also do outside with a watch or timer. L'chaim!
Night 1, Dec. 22: 30-Minute HIIT With Weights
You'll need two dumbbells for this half-hour HIIT session led by Equinox trainer Anja Garcia. The workout has a warmup and cooldown with the meat of it being a slew of different intervals including exercises like burpee to long jump and squat jacks, weighted lunge jumps, ankle taps while running in place, and weighted sumo squat punches. Sounds fun, right?
Not into this workout? Swap it out for a 30-minute weighted Tabata-style workout from Class FitSugar.
Night 2, Dec. 23: 30-Minute No-Equipment HIIT Workout
This one from NASM-certified personal trainer Gideon Akande requires zero equipment. You'll be doing upper-body, lower-body, core, and cardio moves for intervals of 45 seconds with 15 seconds of rest. Get to it!
Not into this workout? Swap it out for this Class FitSugar 30-minute cardio and HIIT workout.
Night 3, Dec. 24: 30-Minute HIIT Boxing Workout
NASM-certified personal trainer Sydney Cummings brings us a boxing HIIT workout, and the light dumbbells she uses are optional. Get ready for boxer shuffles, jabs, squat crosses, kicks, and more!
Not into this workout? Swap it out for another 30-minute HIIT workout from Sydney.
Night 4, Dec. 25: 30-Minute Hip-Hop Tabata
I love this hip-hop Tabata workout from AFAA-certified trainer Keaira LaShae of superherofitnessTV because it brings the fun and really targets your lower body (my hamstrings, glutes, and quads were burning up). You don't have to worry if you can't dance — I did this in the comfort of my own bedroom and had a blast!
Not into this workout? Swap it out for this 25-minute hip-hop Tabata workout from Keaira. Add a five-minute HIIT circuit at the end to make this 30 minutes.
:upscale()/2019/12/11/721/n/1922729/c751799073161b87_running.jpg)
Night 5, Dec. 26: 30-Minute Running HIIT Workout
To change it up, you'll be doing a running HIIT workout today. It includes super-simple rounds of three one-minute intervals. One of POPSUGAR's Fitness writers does this routine from her CrossFit trainer whenever she can't make it to CrossFit class. Get the workout here.
Not into this workout? Swap it out for another easy-to-follow 30-minute treadmill HIIT session.
Night 6, Dec. 27: 30-Minute Bodyweight Tabata Session
This half-hour session is another Tabata workout — meaning 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest — and it's led by Equinox instructor Raneir Pollard. Cardio Tabata rounds will consist of moves like jumping jacks and air jacks, and there are other rounds where you'll focus on strength exercises such as push-ups, planks, and squats.
Not into this workout? Swap it out for another 30-minute full-body HIIT from Raneir with Tabata intervals.
Night 7, Dec. 28: 30-Minute Full-Body Bodyweight HIIT Workout
Trainer Heather Robertson will lead you in a full-body HIIT workout that spans 30 minutes. It's entirely bodyweight with three rounds of 10 different moves each that get your heart rate up and build strength (jump squats, walking planks, spot sprints, etc.).
Not into this workout? Swap it out for another 30-minute full-body HIIT session from Heather.
Night 8, Dec. 29: 30-Minute Cardio Dance and HIIT Drills
To celebrate the last night of menorah lighting, follow along to this fun dance cardio workout video from Dance FitSugar and Breann Mitchell that also features HIIT drills — so you're moving your body to the beat and getting stronger!
Not into this workout? Swap it out for a Dance FitSugar 30-minute hip-hop HIIT workout.