7 Simple Home Exercises That Will Help You Burn Major Calories Throughout the Day
This easy home workout plan will help you get fit on your own terms—no gym required!
By Jane Bianchi
It's no secret that squeezing in exercise around your work, family and social commitments is sometimes tricky to pull off. But it doesn't have to be that way. "Little exercises done here and there still add up to burn calories and make you stronger," says Jenna Wolfe, certified personal trainer and author of Thinner in 30: Small Changes That Add Up to Big Weight Loss in Just 30 Days. And you don't have to buy equipment, change your schedule or even sweat. Just do this easy home workout throughout the day. Each one takes a minute or two; by nightfall, you'll have worked your whole body. So start your transformation—today.
While putting away laundry: Do step workouts.
HOW TO: Make 5 trips up and down a set of stairs for each load of laundry you put away. At the bottom of each trip, lift the laundry basket up to shoulder height five times.
TARGETS: Cardiovascular system and arm muscles
While your coffee brews: Do a wall sit.
HOW TO: Rest your back, neck and head against a wall, with feet about a foot and a half away, then bend your knees, slide your body toward the ground until your thighs are parallel to it, and hold for 15 seconds. (Work up to 1 minute.)
TARGETS: Thigh and glute muscles
While emptying the dishwasher: Do squats.
HOW TO: Each time you reach for a plate, rather than bending over, squat down as if you're sitting in an imaginary chair, grab the plate, then straighten legs. Make sure your knees don't go past your toes when you squat. (Reach for just one item in the dishwasher at a time.)
TARGETS: Lower body
BUMP-IT-UP BONUS: While sitting, press up on your tiptoes to work your calf muscles, too.
While at the sink to wash your hands: Do standing push-ups.
HOW TO: Stand about 2 feet from a counter and, with your arms at shoulder height, place your palms against it. Keeping your body in a straight line, do 20 standing push-ups.
TARGETS: Chest and arm muscles
While sitting at a desk: Do desk pushes.
HOW TO: Sit in a chair pulled very close to a desk. With your palms facing up, place them under the desk and push up as hard as you can—as if you were trying to lift the desk off the ground—for 30 seconds. Rest for 10 seconds, then repeat twice.
WORKS: Upper body
While lying in bed: Do half-bridges.
HOW TO: Lie on your back (no pillow), knees bent and feet flat on the bed. Tighten your stomach muscles, squeeze your buttocks and lift your hips, aiming to create a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Hold for 15 seconds. (Work up to 30 seconds.) Rest for 10 seconds, then repeat 3 times.
WORKS: Glutes, hips, abs and back
While playing with your kids: Do a plank.
HOW TO: Lie facedown on the floor, then push up your body so just your toes and forearms are on the ground. (If that's too tough, keep your knees on the ground as well.) If your kids are small, let them crawl on top of you or underneath you.
WORKS: Core
MAKE IT FUN: If your kids are older, turn planks into a competition: Who can hold one the longest?
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