Worried that your exercise routine is going to suffer with a house full of people?
Here are a few exercises that you can do throughout the day to burn extra calories and build muscle:
1. Calf Raises while brushing your teeth, or while standing at the oven waiting for that water to boil or turkey to cook. Start with your feet facing forward shoulder width apart. Lift onto your tippy toes for 3-5 seconds. Add variations by pointing your toes in and then out. Do fast pulses and then long, slow lifts or vice versa. This is a great exercise to shape your calves.
2. Wide squat while standing at any counter. Add a couple of low pulses. Point your toes out, squat as wide as possible, and sit in this position for as long as you can. This exercise will primarily work your glutes.
3. Lunges with your laundry basket to wherever you are going. Vary between long lunges and short lunges. This is such a great exercise for all of the muscles in your legs and glutes. Fit lunges into your day wherever possible! I don’t care how many you do. Just do them. Keep track and add lunges to compete with yourself.
4. Chair dip. Sit at the edge of a chair, place your hands at the edge, and dip your bottom down until your elbows make a 90-degree angle. You can put your feet further away from you or closer. This is a great exercise for your triceps.
5. Push up on the counter or bed – Do 12 of these at a time. An incline pushup is so great for so many reasons!
6. Sit ups – Hanging out on the floor? Do a couple of sit-ups as you’re getting ready to stand back up.
7. Take the stairs two at a time develops strength and stability through the hips. Add a speed component if you really want to challenge yourself.
8. Plank – I love to plank. I plan two minutes every morning. Some days I am tired and I rest my knees. Other mornings I add a couple of side planks. There are two ways to place your arms. Hands directly under the shoulders or elbows on the floor, toes or knees on the floor, neutral neck and spine, keep a straight back. Start out by holding this position for 20 seconds and building up to more. Don’t forget to breathe!
Corey has degrees in nutrition, photography, and journalism. She enjoys adventure triathlons and hiking. She is currently working on a master’s degree in public policy and management with a concentration in environment and sustainability at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs while working full time and caring for her husband, three children, three cats, a beagle, two geckos, and one goldfish