Easter Candy Workout

Healthy SELF, SELF Magazine

Bari Lieberman,SELF magazine

Perhaps the Easter Bunny is onto something... all that hopping can burn 10 calories a minute. Melissa Paris, fitness expert, top trainer at Reebok Sports Club New York and Lululemon ambassador, shares three calorie-torching exercises that help melt sugar overload:

Easter Hunt Hop: Jump squats are a great post-sugar splurge exercise "because you will get your heart rate up while working over 200 muscles in your body," Melissa says.

See more: Your Top 10 Superfoods

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointed forward. Start by bending at the knee while pushing your hips back, as if to sit into a chair. When your hamstring are at about 90 degrees, push through your heels and jump up, fully extending the legs. Make sure to look up the whole time in order to keep your posture perfect. Land softly and immediately start the next squat. Repeat 20 times for 3 sets.

Easter Basket Pickups: Walk out push-ups "incorporate upper and lower body into one move," Marissa says... meaning you'll tone muscles all over, preventing any stubborn sugar from lingering!

Start standing. Bend at the knees until you can place your hands on floor. Walk out with your hands until your body is at the top of a plank position (keeping arms straight). Perform a push-up and walk back, hand-by-hand, to the standing starting position. Repeat 10 times for 3 sets.

Related: Yoga Moves for Flat Abs

Waiting For Brunch Toner: Wall sit with abs engages your abs and lower body simultaneously.

Start with back against wall and slide down into a squatting chair position, so knees are at a 90-degree angle. Hold this position for 30 seconds while also contracting (tightening) your abdominals simultaneously. Make sure your abs are fully engaged by bringing your back flat against the wall and drawing your belly button to your spine. Do 3 sets of 30 seconds holds and and advanced to 1 minute.

Related: 20 Superfoods for Weight Loss

And of course, there's always the Easter Hop, also known as jump roping! Make sure you're maximizing your calorie-burn with these tips from Jessica Matthews, exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise:

- Lightly grip the handles near the end closest to the rope.
- Keep your shoulders relaxed and your elbows close to your body.
- Turn the rope from the wrist and aim to keep a smooth arc in the rope as it passes over your head.
- Never hunch over. Keep your back straight and your head up.
- Jump low to keep the impact on your knees and ankles to a minimum.


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