A short and gentle circuit to sweep away the stiffness from the big dinner and irregular sleep, reactivating muscles and joints without the stress of an intense workout.
- The Goal: No records. Just mobility and activation.
- The Time: Exactly 12 minutes (2 rounds of 6 minutes).
- The Method: 45 seconds of work, 15 seconds to switch.
- The Focus: Hips, spine, and light metabolic activation.
- Who it’s for: Those who want to start the year moving, but don’t want to suffer.
Why You Need a Reset Today, Not a Massacre
Happy New Year! If you are reading this article, you probably woke up with that mixed feeling of good resolutions and “why did I eat that last slice of Pandoro?”
The most common mistake on January 1st is trying to compensate for excesses with a punitive workout: a 20 km run or a brutal HIIT session.
Your body, dehydrated and perhaps running on little sleep, will not thank you. In fact, you risk hurting yourself immediately.
What is needed today is a reset. We need to “oil” the joints locked up by the big dinner, wake up the stabilizer muscles, and get the blood circulating. It’s like starting a car in the cold: first you let it idle to warm up, then you go.
This 12-minute routine is the warm-up for 2026.
The 12’ Sequence (Timer Based)
Set the timer: 45 seconds of work, 15 seconds of recovery/transition.
There are 6 exercises. Do the full circuit, rest 60 seconds if you need to, and repeat a second time. Total: about 12-13 minutes.
- Cat-Cow: On all fours. Inhale arching your back and looking up, exhale rounding your back and looking at your navel. Serves to unlock the spine.
- Alternating Reverse Lunges: Slow step back, lower the knee, come back up. Focus on control, not speed.
- Glute Bridge: Lie down, lift your hips. Squeeze your glutes at the top for 2 seconds. Let’s wake up the rear engine (we talked about it here: Dead Butt Syndrome).
- Thoracic Rotation: On all fours, one hand behind the head. Rotate the elbow toward the opposite arm and then open up toward the ceiling. 22 seconds per side. Fundamental for thoracic mobility.
- Bodyweight Squats: Descent controlled, rise explosive but without jumping. Look for comfortable depth.
- Plank (on elbows): Hold the position. Belly button in, glutes active. If you shake, that’s good: you’re turning the system on.
Beginner Version
If you feel particularly “rusty” or are just starting out:
- Replace the Plank with a Plank on knees or by placing hands on a chair/sofa.
- Do the Squats sitting and standing up from a chair (Box Squat).
- Reduce the time: Do 30 seconds of work and 30 of rest. The important thing is moving, not intensity.
Advanced Version
If instead you woke up with energy to spare (lucky you!):
- Replace the Plank with the Bear Crawl back and forth in the living room.
- Transform Squats into Squats with a 3-second pause at the bottom (isometric) to work on hip mobility.
- Perform the circuit 3 times instead of 2 (18 minutes total).
After: 10’ Walk (Optional)
You finished the 12 minutes. You feel better, right?
If you still have a little time, put on your shoes, bundle up, and go out for 10 minutes. Not to run, just to walk.
Fresh air on your face and natural light are the best way to tell your circadian rhythm that a new day (and a new year) has begun. It is a perfect digestive walk for the mind.
Welcome to 2026. We started on the right foot.