Work, household chores, errands, playtime, dinner, laundry—with so many things to do and not many hours in the day, finding time to exercise is difficult. To help you fit in the physical activity your body craves, we’ve rounded up some simple, quick workout routines you can fit into your daily schedule. With these fast exercise ideas, you’ll be able to stay moving even when you don’t have time to hit the gym.
“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” –John C. Maxwell
Wake up and warm up with this in-bed exercise! Lie on your back and lift your legs about 6 inches off the bed. Keep your abs tights, back flat, feet together, arms to your sides, and knees straight as you use your feet to draw small circles in the air without touching the bed. Do 20 circles clockwise and 20 circles counterclockwise.
Brush up on your calf raises while you brush your teeth! Start flat-footed and raise to your toes until you get a tight flex. Do 3 sets of 20 reps.
If you have a desk job, it’s important to get up and move at least every 2 hours. Do some standing stretches for your arms, neck, back, and legs; squat a few times; or walk around your floor or building. The movement helps your body and helps you clear your head and stay productive!
Stuck in 5 o’clock traffic? Turn up the radio and move to the beat. You’ll burn some extra calories and make the wait a little more fun. For an extra boost, add some ab, glute, or thigh flexing. Just make sure you keep an eye on the road and remember safety first!
Start by sitting up straight. Squeeze your glute muscles and pulse 50 times. Rest for 5 seconds and repeat until you feel a good burn. Take your desk workout a step further and work your thighs too! Place your feet on the floor with your legs together. Press your knees in so you feel your inner thighs working. Pulse 50 times and repeat as desired.
Make exercise fun for the kids! If you have a baby, hold a plank position on your hands for 30 seconds while your hover over him or her. Lower into a pushup and kiss your baby on the forehead. Come up and repeat as many times as you can. Give your legs some attention by doing wall sits as you read your children a book or review their homework.
Burn calories while you clean the carpet. Push the vacuum only as far as your arm extends and return it to your body without moving your feet. Switch arms every 5 minutes. This quick push-pull motion targets your arm muscles and burns up to 100 calories in 30 minutes! The heavier your vacuum, the more strengthening this exercise is. Use the same method of mopping and sweeping—you’ll burn up to 100 calories in 30 minutes while mopping and 100 calories in 45 minutes while sweeping. Burn a few extra calories and clean the baseboards too!
Take advantage of your downtime during dinner! Do some push-ups against the counter while the vegetables cook or jumping jacks while you wait for the water to boil. Do 3 sets of 20 reps of one or both exercises.
There’s nothing wrong with sticking to the classics, and a walk around the block is fun for the whole family. Take your kids, spouse, or dog for a 10-minute walk around the neighborhood. This is a great after-dinner activity to beat a post-meal crash. Plus, you can spend time with your family and stay moving.
Unwind after a long day with a few calming or rejuvenating yoga poses. Pair your practice with your favorite essential oils such as Frankincense, Lavender, or Stress Away™. Try some of our simple, sweat-free yoga poses to get started!
Remember to hydrate all day to make your moves most effective and keep your body healthy. Add Vitality™ oils to give your water an extra splash of flavor!
What exercise tips help you feel the burn throughout the day? Share your suggestions below for a chance to win 15ml Frankincense, 15ml Stress Away, 15ml Lavender, and Pure Protein Complete Vanilla Spice (valued at $252.30).
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I drink ningxia red in the morning and walk with my heels raised when working in the kitchen/doing chores. It helps a lot with my legs. Also, "biking" motions in the deep end of the water are great!
Love the sunset salutations....diffusing my favorite oils, while doing gentle yoga poses are a great way for me to relax and fall asleep, letting the stress of the day melt away.
My FitBit helps a lot! If I'm cooking dinner or find some free time, I'll walk in place or just walk around the house to get those steps in!
Going to exercise class early in the day, drinking a litre of water, with lemon EO & ningxia red sachet, leading up to commencing class and then 750mls on the way home. Great start to the day! Using slique essence in my water through out the day has paid off by consistently doing so, down 1 & 1/2 dress sizes over 10 weeks and very motivated to keep going. Thank you Young Living Essential Oils.
I'm the secretary at out church and in charge of most events. So I am continually walking through the building to make sure rooms are in order for the next group or special event. As a rule, I try walk one lap around the sanctuary and run up the stairs if the area I'm checking on is there. It may not seem like much but every little bit helps.
Chair yoga while at my desk, stretching whenever I remember (and I try to remember at least once each hour, or whenever I check the time), and making sure to take a drink from my water bottle after each email I initiate. ;-)
I take walks around my building when I am at lunch for work to get some exercise.
Whenever my family wants a "treat" or specialty coffee, we have to walk to get it!! We will walk to the store about 2 miles away for ice cream or snacks, and on the weekends we treat ourselves to coffee. BUT we have to walk about a mile each way to get there!
My husband and I walk every day. It's about a 2 and a half mile walk and it's uphill and downhill all the way. This gives us time together enjoying nature.
I am responsible for the day I create for myself. The choice is up to you. It can be either "Good morning, God!" or "Good God - morning!" and with that initial intention set for the day I start with a great whole body stretch before leaving bed (like a cat stretches..) then I do ankle rolls and should shrugs. As walking through the bedroom door I grab the door frame and again stretch those shoulders and stand on my tip toes. Lunges to the bathroom where I brush/rinse the mouth and wash my face to wake it up. All day long I think of various ways to use the different muscles in my body. It's fun and creative cause I just don't like boring exercise!! Happy dance how ever you can think it up!! Have a fun day now....