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.
I have an almost two year old so chasing her around, lifting her up over my head and doing stairs while I hold her are all things she enjoys and helps me get in mini workouts throughout my day!
I love a drop or two of peppermint in my mouth before work out. Roll around for 30 seconds. Then take three deep breaths by sucking in air through your mouth and exhaling through your nose. Each breathe gets deeper.
I take the stairs at work any time I can and will park farthest from the door in parking lots.
I love Pure Barre! 55 minutes and I know that every muscle group is covered and there is always a burn!
Our kitchen has high cabnets so I have a two step ladder that I do step ups on while I put my dishes away.
When talking on the telephone I walk around my living room or back and forth throughout the house.
I have 5# weights next to my chair. During the evening while watching television, during the commercials, I stand up and do arm exercises.
I work on the second floor of an elementary school and always use the stairs coming and going. I add Clique, grapefruit and lime to my water throughout the day. I also apply a few drops of peppermint to a dust cloth to wipe down my reading after lunch. It seems to park up my students in the afternoon.
Great tips to get some extra calories burned!
I love anything that will let me stay in bed longer, so the Sleeping Beauty leg exercise is the one for me (all of the other non-morning people will understand) then a few drops of lemongrass or eucalyptus essential oil in the shower. Yoga class using essential oils has been my favorite exercise routines lately,
Torch calories – not grime was a surprisingly good work out. Not to mention it motivates me to vacuum more. I’m thinkin it would work even better with a carpet shampooer
I like to start my day with a walk around the neighborhood. Helps stretch out my muscles while burning some calories.
I love these suggestions! Easy ways to get in some exercise when we think that we’re “too busy” to do it any other way. And I love the easy way that we can integrate our YL products as well. My favorite is Elemi and Ylang Ylang during yoga. It totally sets me in the right frame of mind!
chasing after my 3 kids at the park at home….anywhere! especially im holding my 8 month old or my 2 yr old while playing with my 5 yr old
Turn music on while I clean… Then dance and clean 😃
I stretch each leg 20 seconds for 3 times when I am in the shower. I also bend my leg and pull with my foot toward my back. I hold for 20 seconds and do 3 times with each leg. This helps to get my muscles loosened up in the morning. After my shower I have my Ningxia Red with my oils. Now I am ready to begin my day!
I stay fit and active by being mindful throughout the day. I always take the stairs, spend a few minutes doing meal prep in advance so that healthy choices aren’t compromised during chaos, and set the alarm on my phone for “oily reset” breaks every hour at work (sometimes just taking 5 deep breaths with Stress Away, or maybe a quick walk or a few yoga poses in the break room with Release). I also just recently ordered a standing desk!
Hi this is Delite!
I seem to find myself in my recliner more then I should! I do booty crunches when reclining by tightening my Gluteus Maximus (butt) muscles while sitting or reclining & holding for ten (10) seconds as tight as I can then release & repeat!! It seems to strengthen tummy, upper & lower thighs & even calf muscles if you tighten as hard as you can!!! Try it! It really works!!!
I live a mile from where I work, so I wak to work, home for lunch, back to work and as long as day light lasts, home at the end of the days. So I am walking 3 to 4 miles per day.
I do the (calf) raise the bar twice a day…. I also try to keep my feet moving while doing dishes and folding laundry, I walk in place. My husband bought a weighted vest and he wears that at home as much as possible…
I start the day with a run or at the gym. During the day I take every opportunity to take the stairs, walk during lunch and stretch at my desk
As a guidance counselor, I can get caught up in staying in my office and stressed out. So I love to diffuse my stress away, get up and stretch and take a walk around our beautiful outdoor courtyard at least once a day to help my mind and body refuel.
I love these tips! While I wait for my coffee to brew in the mornings, I loosen up feet and ankles with rotations. It is great to take those small moments to do something good for ourselves.
A consistent workout routine is what works for me. Even though I sometimes dread a workout, I’m always glad I do it. It is planned into my day.
My Fitbit helps me! Helps me get my steps in and gets me outside in the fresh air to recharge. :)
I am a stay at home mom. My little girls are 1 and 3, they are very high energy kids. I love to dance and jump around with them. I made a music playlist just for us, we get to have fun and burn some calories while doing it. I love the look on my kids faces when I turn the music on!
I like the “Burn Calories, Not Dinner” tip!
My favorite exercise is walking my dog. We go to the one of the local parks and walk.
I love getting these tips and reminders to incorporate into to my day. John Maxwell is one of my favorites, so wise. Thank you Young Living for the many positive changes in my life.
Really great ideas. Thanks for the tips.
A great way to break the fast in the morning. I soak a fig overnight in purified water and drink the water in the morning. It is chock full of electrolytes, calcium and trace minerals. While doing chores around the house, I run up and down the stairs taking 2 to 3 at a time. I also use the stairs to do calve stretches.
I always take the stairs and walk at lunch! Little snacks theoughout the day help me not to Bing eat at lunch or when I get home. I also use the Slique Essence oil in my water!
My favorite exercise is a mixture of fast walking and normal speed walking, I like when I get to go 2 times per day. I usually get started with my yes #ningxiaeveryday and nitro. I use many products but Agilease is great when pushing your muscles along with some Deep Relief, oh and a Peppermint spray to stay cool, and of course ice water with any Vitality oils, today was Grapefruit!.:
15 minutes of yoga each morning, help me feel the burn all day. I just use a free yoga app.
It’s amazing how simple things we do daily can be modified slightly to take advantage of something we are already doing to exert just a little more effort! Great ideas. I’m going to incorporate into my day.
I do arm and leg stretches twice a day at work, and also take a flight of stairs (22 to be exact) at least twice a day . I like the tips you have given for when I’m doing household stuff like doing push ups at the kitchen counter, doing calf stretches while brushing teeth
We crank the music in the kitchen and dance. My boys (2 and 5 years old) love it :)
I love going up and down the stairs several times in a row each time I need to go up or down! Instead of going up once I jog up, then down, then back up. The extra 20 or so steps each time adds up!
I have had a lot of health issues and just getting back into exercising. So ever time I eat I go on my eliptical for 5-8 minutes (about 3 songs on pandora) do a short stretch cool down and then get back to my day. I have found when it is short it’s easier on my body and I am happy to do it because it is so easy to do.
I enjoy working on my Wii fit if it’s ishy outdoors, but if weather is nice I enjoy bringing my dogs to the park and walking the walking trail. Bring my young living bag with as me and my pets walk around and try to introduce young living. If no one is around I will stop and do squats and arm swings to work my upper body.😉
I like to dance to fun music while cleaning the house. It makes cleaning more fun.
For females only…
Post a sticky note with a large ‘K’ on your bathroom mirror, over the kitchen sink, on your car dash (do at each red light), and/or on the corner of your computer screen to remind you to do Kegels throughout the day. A few reps each time may help to prevent bladder prolapse and ‘leakage’ issues later in life.
I sit way too much at work, so I make a point to take the long route to wherever I am going on campus. I park under a shade tree which requires a longer walk to get to my office. I get exercise and my car is cooler when it’s time to go home.
Stretch throughout the day by reaching my arms over head; stretching triceps; bend over and reach for the floor to stretch hamstrings and back. Roll shoulders up, back, then down to have better posture both while standing or sitting. Do bursts of high knees or jumping jacks to wake up and get more circulation. Deep breathing with positive affirmations and Believe oil blend to stay on track with daily goals.
I am a 4th grade teacher and I do push-ups, crunches or jumping lunges with my students about every hour throughout the day. This keeps us all alert. I diffuser lemon in the classroom and use Thieves hand purifier before snack and lunch. The students love it!
I love the suggestion of doing a fee exercises while playing with my baby! I did push-ups over him today and he loved it!
Simple – walk park further away walk in the evening find trails along the river. Sunset walks are gorgeous and your moving.Hydrating and not skipping meals are most important. Simple and doable by everyone no matter your size shape age …people need to make time to take care of their vessel.
Chasing after a 2 and 4 yr old most the day doesn’t leave a lot of time to work out so I do it while we play. I will lay on my back with my knees bent. The kids take turns laying on my lower legs as I do sort of a crunch, pulling my legs to my chest or I do lower leg raises where I lift my lower legs, with child in tote, til my legs are nearly straight.
My husband, our 2 year old twins and I have a family music time. Daddy turns on the music and plays the drums. The twins and I play other percussion instruments and dance. My dance moves almost always turn into me doing squats, running in place and other exercises. It’s so cute to see the twins imitating mommy’s dance moves, lol. We have an awesome time together for about 20 mins and the whole family needs a rest afterwards.
I love taking my jogging stroller up and down hills in my neighborhood. It’s good for me since I have a 3 month old and we found out we are expecting again!
I like doing pushups as well as doing up on my toes and leg kicks while I am cooking.
Awesome tips! I just got a fitbit and I love it. It reminds me to move every hour and to get at least 10k steps in every day.