In addition to its traditional uses as decoration and foodstuff, the humble pumpkin can be used as a substitute for a medicine ball for a range of exercises. That's something to keep in mind as autumn slowly creeps toward winter and the pounds tend to creep up on a person's midsection.

Central Ohio fitness guru Jason Yun, CSCS, YFS, CISSN of Yun Fitness Bootcamps, has devised a workout routine that uses the gourd to good effect as part of a fitness regimen.

In order to perform the following exercises, all you need is a pumpkin. A Halloween costume is optional.

For optimal results, women are suggested to choose a pumpkin in the 10 pound range, and men would do well to select a gourd in the 20 pound range. These routines combine upper body, lower body, and core movements into one in order to maximize their effects on the
metabolism:

Pumpkin Overhead Presses: While holding a pumpkin in your both hands resting at chest level, remain on your heels and push the pumpkin past your head to your arms' full extension. Breathe out as you push the pumpkin up. Bring the pumpkin back down to your chest level and repeat for repetitions or time.

Pumpkin Squat-to-Front Raise: While holding a pumpkin in your hands with arms extended, squat until the front the thighs are parallel to the floor. Eyes should be up and weight should be on the heels. Next, stand up to the starting position, and while keeping your arms straight, raise the pumpkin to eye level. Repeat for time or repetitions.

Pumpkin Squat Thrusts: While holding a pumpkin in both hands and with arms extended, squat to the floor, then thrust out your legs out to form a push-up position. Perform a push-up with your hands on the pumpkin and then reverse the movement to stand back up. Repeat for time or repetitions.

One way to gauge a workout session is to perform at least one circuit of the exercises, with minimal rest between movements, for every treat consumed. To avoid a mess, it's best to keep a firm grip on the pumpkin.

Source: www.i-newswire.com

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