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
Sleeping Beauty Leg Exercise
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.
(Calf) Raise the Bar
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.
At-Work Workout
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!
Traffic Jam Session
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!
In the Hot Seat
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.
Playtime Meets Gym Time
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.
Torch Calories—and Grime
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!
Burn Calories, Not Dinner
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.
Walk Around the Block
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.
Sunset Salutations
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!
Bonus Tip
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!
GIVEAWAY
******UPDATE******
Congratulations to Anne D., our lucky giveaway winner! We truly appreciate everyone that shared their quick exercise tips to stay in shape!
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).
Giveaway rules:
- To enter, simply comment on this post.
- Contest ends at 11:59 p.m., MT, on Thursday September 15th
- One winner will be chosen at random and announced on the blog on Friday September 16th.
- Click here for official rules.
would love to win
I like to add a few drops of lemon or lime vitality to my water to sip during morning yoga, and diffuse a blend of frankincense and lavender to set the mood.
I have a fairly “stuck at my desk most of the day” job, but I make sure to take at least 2 breaks each day where I walk around the building (outside if the weather is nice). I try to enlist co-workers and make sure to re-fill my water bottle on each lap.
I take the stairs at work whenever possible!
I embrace reasons to run up and down the stairs! Sometimes just putting stuff away is exercise!
I love to get up in the morning & apply frankincense & abundance essential oils on my neck & head. Then breathing deeply while cupping my hands in front of my face, before doing 20 min. of yoga & 20 minutes of meditation. This starts my day out right every time!
I like to put a drop of vitality peppermint oil in my water water- it helps to drink more water and it has an uplifting and energizing effect!
I love putting the babies (2.5 & 11 mo.) in the double stroller and walking around the neighborhood. While walking we practice new words and singing hymns. We get exercise, quality time and fresh air!
I purposely park far away to get a bit more walking in, and take the stairs whenever possible!
I walk. I try to remember to flex my muscles throughout the day from time to time because my doctor told me that’s how he gets some of his exercise in.
As a busy stay at home mom, I like to exercise by taking a walk or riding bike, with my kids!
I get up around 5 and do a morning workout while it is still quiet in the house. I can focus physically and mentally. I feel the burn all day.
I get up during commercials and either do some quick cleaning or do some walking in place or floor exercise. Gets the heart beating.
I am a high school ITV teacher so I have to sit in front of the TV all day to teach my classes. So to include as much movement as possible in my day I do desk yoga, walk to the farthest away bathrooms, plank, do push ups, warrior 3 or wall sits in between classes, I also park as far away as possible from a door that is also far away from my classroom to get in extra steps! I have a diffuser in my classroom and walk twice a day to, again, the farthest water fountain to fill it- another great opportunuty to get off my butt and on my feet!
I like to do leg lifts with my 10month old on my feet and do exercises with him – hard for me to make time for exercise so I try to do things with him! Exercise and spend time playing with him – double win!
I don’t really have any tips as my exercise has mostly been chasing after little ones all the time. But I have recently retired from childcare and am learning how to be intentionally active.
Stress away rubbed on the neck while sitting and simple neck rolls and stretches side to side help the stress melt away. Holding your abs in to support your spine are great exercises. I love me some Lavender and Stress Away combined in a roller bottle, oh it smells so good!
I love to splash some of my favourite oils on both the kids and I, and head out for a brisk walk with abit of nursery rhyme singing and dancing as well!! Great exercise while having so much fun 🐵🌟
A standing desk at work helps strengthen my core muscles throughout the day.
I like to take the dog on some long walks. I turn on my Nike Run app and off we go. Ningxia Red before hand is always helpful. And, since my knees are getting older, after our few mile walk, I use the Cool Azul Pain Cream…,this stuff is SO good. I have shared it with my dr, orthopedic surgeon and Physical Therapist, when asked if I want meds. No thank you!
I put a drop of grapefruit in my water. Along with walking my dog every night, whenever I talk on the phone, brush my teeth, wash dishes, or make lunch or dinner; I walk or step in place so I get my body moving at every opportunity I can.
Walking is my favorite thing and I constantly check my fitbit to see how many steps I have and figure out ways to get more steps in. I like to park out and away from the stores and take the stairs and move as much as possible.
I stand at my desk all day (standup desk). Your post made me think about flexing and bending more! Instead of just standing still. Neck and upper back stretching about every half hour makes everything better!!
I like the idea of burning calories before you eat them. Doing jumping jacks while you’re cooking. But make sure you don’t burn the dinner.🙆 and have it blow up in your face 💣♨😵
I like the idea of burning calories while cooking with jumping jacks. Burn off the calories before you put them on. Butt don’t burn the dinner.🙆♨😵
I have a Fitbit & participate in workweek challenges with my coworkers. It gives me the accountability that I need and the push to get up and walk even on days I don’t feel like it.
I like to do my shoulder exercises in the shower – warm and a great way to wake up!
Peppermint Vitality gives me the boost I need before my weight lifting. Citrus Vitality help my metabolism and hydration status and Cool Azul post work out as needed!!! Stress away through out the day for whatever life throws at me, And Joy makes me HAPPY!
These three oils are in my “must have” list. I would love to try the protein powder.
Loving these ideas! From start to finish, whether your working or not, there are ways to get a quick little workout in. I love walking around our property in the evenings when it starts cooling off, it’s just wonderful! =)
I just always try to make sure I am not going long periods of time without moving or getting my heart rate up a bit and my family likes to take walks around the neighborhood in the evening when it gets cooler. I do take the stairs vs. the elevator at my clinical site and squeeze in workouts at home or the gym when there is time.
I care for my granddaughter everyday. I lie on the floor with her standing above my head. I grab her around the waist and lift her up and over my torso. I do this 10 times. She loves it and it is a great workout for my arms.
Walking my kids to and from school and chasing my pre-k kids at preschool around the playground.
I usually walk several times a week and to resistance training twice a week. Love the sore muscles the day after!!
Nothing but nothing is better than waking up to using my Young Living oils, and then threw out the day. Changed my life. Love them……
If waiting, stand in place with legs shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, back straight, chin lightly tucked, and swing the arms forward to shoulder height, then backwards, past the hips, palms down. Start with twenty, increase as needed, or as time allows. This is an ancient Qi Gong motion that stimulates the immune system and calms emotional stress.
For my personal therapeutic exercise post knee injury, stretching became pivotal in being able to create a foundation for strengthening, which consided of basic balance activities….step ups, standing on 1 leg etc. A little can do a lot if done consistently (says my personal journey and my therapy training)
I walk around the farm feeding the pigs, cows, horses etc while listening to my favorite eo podcasts.
I plank with my dogs. They love to run underneath me while I plank and stand on my back to make it extra challenging. Good thing they only weigh about 5-6 pounds!
Thanks for the suggestions. How about deep knee bends while brushing your teeth or run in place while waiting on the microwave or run in place during commercials during TV time.
I walk several times a week in my neighborhood with friends! And every other day I do HIIT workouts in my living room!
I love it when we can go for Family walks. My husband is active duty and works long hours and often leaves before we wake up and/or comes home after the kids are in bed. So time away from electronics and the stresses and distractions of the day fills up all our cups. Plus, if we burn a few calories in the process, then it’s a win-win-win!
Planking a couple times a day can really help your core. So try to make it a habit like brushing your teeth. Before getting dressed in the morning, and before bed, get down on the floor into a plank position. Try starting with 15 seconds and work your way up to a minute.
After a yoga class I feel the “burn” for several days. It’s a good feeling that makes me feel strong! I also enjoy practicing volleyball with my 5th grader. It’s fun mom/daughter time and good for both of us.
I found a 30 min exercise class 2-3 days a week with some friend and new friends….good for the mind body and soul!!
In order to Thrive at seventy-five, I’m sold on Zumba Gold
My kids and I go for a run to the local library, and run home after they play on the library playground. Such fun mom/sons time. They’re 8 and 5 years old. They tell me all sorts of things about their day as well as learning to listen to their bodies. (When to run, when to walk, when to push themselves) They’ve both told me that they really enjoy running!
I’ve come to love Yoga and do that 2-3 times per week. Also walking outside with my grandbaby in the stroller! Easy to get 3 miles in there- I use peppermint and grapefruit in my water that I drink along the way!
My favorite exercise routine is to walk first thing in the morning as soon as I wake up. No need for coffee when I rub RC and peppermint on the bottoms of my feet and jump on the treadmill!
Make sure you eat a good breakfast! I love a good fruit and veggie smoothie. It’s nutrient full to help start my day off right.