This Festive Dance Cardio Session Encourages a Little Family-Friendly Competition

A fun, family-friendly workout set to holiday music? Yes, please. “This is my dream come true, this class,” says fitness instructor Rachel McClusky before diving straight into the full 10-minute session. This full-body workout is quick, high-energy, and the perfect way to spend some quality time with family members throughout the holiday season. You’ll start with a dynamic warmup, opening up the body with lateral lunges and body rolls. From here, expect to get your heart rate up with the first of two dance cardio sequences. The initial holiday-themed combo includes hops, kicks, grapevines, and quarter turns, and it’s so much fun to do.

Taking a break from the fast-paced choreography, the next section is all about the arms. McClusky leads you through an intense standing arms series that will quickly activate your arms and shoulder muscles (no weights necessary). To amp up the motivation, McClusky suggests turning the especially challenging arm circles into a friendly competition with your family, seeing who can keep their arms up the longest. “Nothing more humbling than an arm combo,” class member Poofy Moffitino says, summing it up perfectly.

The workout finishes off strong with one final cardio push consisting of jumping jacks, step out squats, and knee-to-elbow twists. Ultimately, no matter the age or skill level, this session is a major holiday boost for all members of the family. Get your heart rate up and keep your spirits high all winter along, and don’t miss new episodes of Class Fitsugar, now every other Sunday on the POPSUGAR Fitness YouTube channel.

Rachel McClusky

Poofy Moffitino

Paris Nicole