Things that are scary: Clowns, zombies, climate change…Things that are not scary: Fun movements that celebrate the season and our beautiful bodies! These moves are just to give you ideas. Please consult your doctor before beginning this or any other fitness routine. If you are at all unsure, consult an exercise professional. You can find my contact information at the end of this piece. Never hesitate to use it!
Terrifying Toe Taps
Stand up tall. Gently tap the ball of one foot on top of the pumpkin. Switch feet. Challenge: Speed it up or add a bounce to switch feet mid air.
Spooky Squat Press
Stand with feet wider than shoulder width. Push hips back, bend knees, and lower your body holding the pumpkin in front of you. Keep your weight in your heels, breathe out from your low belly, and slowly push yourself up to the starting position while lifting the pumpkin above your head.
Mummy Lunge
Hold the pumpkin with both hands. Breathe out to stabilize your core, step right foot back. Keep the back heel raised directly over your toes. Lower your back knee toward the ground as the front knee bends. As you lower into the lunge, breathe out and slowly twist your torso with your arms extended mummy style left over the front leg. Return to center. Exhale to bring your feet back together, and then repeat with your left leg.
Pumpkin Spiced Twists
Holding your pumpkin in both hands, sit on the ground with your knees bent. Lean slightly back without rounding your back. Pull your navel to your spine, and twist slowly to the left, bringing the pumpkin to your left side. Inhale through the center, and breathe out deeply, rotate to the right.
One Legged Zombie Lifts
Hold your pumpkin in both hands. Tip forward in your hips reaching chest forward, shifting your weight onto one leg while your other leg engages and extends behind you. Lift your extended leg and reach your upper body forward until your body forms a “T” shape, arms reaching down. Keep a slight bend in your standing leg to keep it active. Breathe out and use your core to slowly lift your torso and return to starting position.
Dead Rows
Hold the pumpkin and hinge at your hips with your back flat and knees soft. Extend arms to reach the pumpkin toward the ground. Breathe out from your center and pull the pumpkin in toward your navel with elbows bent up toward sky and pulled firmly against ribs. Lower weight slowly.
Plank Taps
Start in a plank position, with your pumpkin about a foot in front of your head. Stabilize your core by breathing out and wrapping your spine. Keeping your hips level, lift one hand, reach out, and gently touch your pumpkin. Slowly replace your hand, breathe, and switch sides.
For most folks, you can estimate the correct amount of repetitions by counting how many you can do before your form suffers. And the best thing about using your gourd for your workout? When you’re done – you can eat it!
Erika Taylor is a community wellness instigator at Taylored Fitness, the original online wellness mentoring system. Taylored Fitness believes that everyone can discover small changes in order to make themselves and their communities more vibrant, and that it is only possible to do our best work in the world if we make a daily commitment to our health. Visit facebook.com/erika.taylor.303 or email erika@tayloredfitness.com.
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