No one said starting to exercise was easy and getting started can be the hardest part. When I first started exercising on a daily basis, I had to sneak it in so my body didn’t notice. I found that exercising in small snippets throughout the day was easier to do and my body started to see the results pretty quickly. The key is to try to work some of these exercises into your everyday life so they become routine. You might feel funny doing them the first time, but trust me, your mind and your body will thank you for doing these small changes.
1. Squats. My favorite sneaky exercise is the squat. Squats work the largest muscles in the body and burn the most calories than pretty much any other exercise in just one rep. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, do 10 squats every time you go to the restroom – this should end up being around 100 at the end of the day! Do your business, wash your hands and do 10 squats with your legs should-width apart. Lower your rear end down as if you are sitting in a chair. Keep your knees from buckling inward, by pushing them out and which engages the glutes and keeps the knees in perfect position. Squats will strengthen your core and your legs in addition to burning calories.
2. Full-Body Twists. Remember when you were a kid and you would swing your arms out and twist your core from side-to-side? It not only strengthens your core but also helps relax the back muscles releasing all that tension. Stand up straight with your arms perpendicular to the ground. Keep your feet grounded and twist at the hips letting your arms fly following each other from side-to-side. Do this for 30 seconds three times a day. Such a simple move that gets your blood pumping and leaves you with a stretched, relaxed feeling.
3. Full-Body Forward Fold. Stand with feet hip distance apart and raise your hands above your head and bend at the hips exhaling as your bend forward. If you are just beginning, have a little bend to your knees and let your hands come down as far as they can. Stay folded over for 30 seconds and gently come back up to a standing position. Do three of them at a time. By the third one, you should notice that you can feel the stretch in your hamstrings and that your mind has relaxed. This stretches your whole body, works the back of the legs, and is one of the best exercises to clear the mind. Do this twice a day.
4. Wall Pushups. When just starting out pushups are a hard move to master and if you are trying to sneak exercise in, it might be hard to get down on the floor to do regular pushups. With the Wall Pushup, you just need to find a wall and stand 2-3 feet away and rest your hands on the wall. Your body should at least be at a 15-degree angle. These should feel relatively easy and pushing out 10 won’t feel like you are accomplishing much. As you get stronger, move from the wall to the table (or even the back of a car) and do three sets of 10 pushups a couple times a day. The lower the surface and the more the body is parallel to the ground, the harder the pushup will be.
By doing these four exercises, you can easily sneak exercise into your day so your body doesn’t notice. You can do these throughout the day or all at once. You shouldn’t break a sweat with these so you can do them at work or on your lunch hour. By the end of 30 days, you will notice that you are toning up and losing weight and that your mind is just a little bit clearer – and you just added a few simple exercises into your hectic life. Big impacts start with small changes.
More Fitness Tips:
- Ways to Get Fit on a Budget
- 8 Yoga Poses to Help You Detox
- 10 Simple Changes to Help You Lose Weight
- How to Make {and Keep} a Fitness Resolution
- Indoor Exercises for When the Weather is Bad
- 6 Steps to Getting Back on Track with Fitness and Exercise
- 10 Ways to Eat Healthy on a Budget without Compromising on Flavor
- Avoid Weight Gain During the Holidays by Making Healthy Food Choices
Kristi Trimmer is currently running half marathons across the U.S. and blogging about her journey. Follow her journey on DragonflyRunning.com.
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