9 Fun St. Patrick's Day Workouts You Can Do Anywhere

'Tis time to celebrate St. Patrick's Day! Time to indulge in your Irish favorites - corned beef and cabbage, shepherd's pie, potato soup, braised greens, and green beer. But remember to take care of your health. Show your Irish pride and get fit simultaneously with these nine fun, simple, low-impact St. Patrick’s Day workouts you can do in any space and skill level. From cardio to strength training, these quick workouts will have your body feeling energized and toned in no time.

1.   Irish Jig Dance Workout

An excellent cardio warm-up and finish, the Irish jig dance is a fun and special way to increase your heart rate, warm up your body, and get ready for your workout. Just find some Irish music you like and start stepping to the rhythm of the beat. You can add some arm movements and form little twirls if you'd like. This exercise will get you into the festive spirit while getting you warmed up for the rest of your workout!

Want to learn the Irish Jig Dance? Here’s a step-by-step guide from Irish Dancing Magazine.

2.   St. Paddy’s Day Plank Challenge

Test your core strength with a set of different planks. This workout is a great way to work your core muscles and test your strength. To get into the festive mood for St. Patrick's Day, why not try out a plank challenge? You can do different variations of planks like elbow planks, side planks, or hand planks for time-based goals or just hold each plank as long as possible. Choose a supportive exercise mat so you can be comfortable doing the planks. Adding Star Jumps or other bodyweight exercises between sets of planks will make it more challenging and increase your heart rate!

3.   Four-Leaf Clover Lunges

Build up the legs and booty muscles with this fun exercise. Here’s how to do the Four-Leaf Clover lunges:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Optional: hold a dumbbell in each hand.
• Step your right foot diagonally back while also lowering into a lunge position.
• Your left foot should remain flat on the floor, while your right thigh should parallel yours.
• Return to the starting position, then repeat on the other side, alternating between the right and left legs 10 times.

Give yourself a new challenge by increasing the weights or holding longer at the bottom of the squat for a greater burn.

4.   Pot of Gold Pushups

This intense upper body move targets your chest, shoulder, and triceps.

• Begin in a high plank position and lower down until your chest touches the floor.
• Push back up to the starting position before lowering back down for one rep.
• Ensure you keep your core tight and spine aligned throughout this move.
• Then, repeat for 10 reps or up to 30 for an intense upper-body burn.

Use an exercise mat that helps support your back for a more comfortable pushup.

5.   Luck of the Irish Squats

Round it all out with an explosive lower-body movement for maximum gains! Squats are a great exercise to finish your workout; they target the lower body and help you sculpt gorgeous legs. For this Luck of the Irish squat variation, here’s what you need to do:

• Start by standing with your feet just past shoulder-width apart and your toes slightly turned out.
• Bend your knees and lower into a squat before quickly jumping up and reaching for the sky. Use resistance bands if you want to level up the challenge.
• Land softly and repeat for 10 reps or 30 for an intense lower body fat burn.

6.   Shamrock Circuit

Had too much Shepherd’s pie? Up your St. Patrick’s workout routine and detox your body by doing a Shamrock Circuit. Create a circuit of exercises with four stations, each station representing a leaf of a shamrock. For example, Station 1 could be pushups, Station 2 could be squats, Station 3 could be mountain climbers or use a stepper, and Station 4 could be burpees. Do each exercise for 30 seconds, and rest for 30 seconds before moving on to the next station.

7.   Lucky Leprechaun Run

Run outside and see how many green items you can spot. Each time you spot something green, do 10 jumping jacks, 10 squats, or 10 lunges. Use the treadmill if you don't have time to go outside for a run. The Spirit CT900ENT Treadmill has an entertainment display for TV, web browsing, and music streaming, so you don't get bored even when you're running at home.

8.   Green Machine

Depending on your fitness levels, choose four different exercises: jumping jacks, high knees, jump squats, and plank jacks. Do each exercise for 30 seconds, and rest for 15 seconds before moving on to the next activity. Repeat the circuit 2-3 times, or if you’re up for it, for a total of four rounds. Alternatively, you can use four exercise machines or spend a few minutes in the Spirit ST800FT Functional Trainer. It provides the ultimate exercise variety in one device.

9.   St. Patrick's Day HIIT

Create a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout with exercises such as burpees, jump squats, mountain climbers, and high knees. Do each exercise for 20 seconds, and rest for 10 seconds before moving on to the next exercise. Repeat the circuit for a total of four rounds.

Staying fit with St. Patrick’s Day Workouts

St. Patrick's Day is a great time to celebrate. There’s booze and delicious food during the festivities. But that doesn't mean you have to skip your workout. Invite your whole family to join you so it’s more fun. Remember to warm up before exercising, cool down, and stretch afterward for faster muscle recovery. And stay hydrated throughout your entire workout. May your day be touched by some Irish luck. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 

Tell us how you'll celebrate in the comments!