The Living Room Challenge
Waiting for a client email? Waiting for your favourite show to start? Waiting for the littles to go pee so you can un-pause the family movie? Work out!
Couch squat + front kick: Stand in front of couch, facing away. Squat & tap bum on couch, then stand & kick right leg high in air; squat again to tap bum on couch, then stand & kick left leg high. Continue alternating for 20 squats. Too easy? Squat, then perform 3 kicks (left right left, for example) between each squat. Too hard? Omit kicks.
Couch fast feet: Stand facing couch. In a hopping motion, lift one leg to tap foot on couch; hop and tap other foot on couch. Stay light on your feet and swing arms as needed. Continue alternating for 20 taps. Rest, then repeat 1-2 times more. Too easy? Try 40 taps. Too hard? Try 10 taps per set.
Couch dip + front kick: Sit on the edge of the couch, hands tucked next to your hips, fingers down. Lift your butt off and squeeze your shoulder blades back to lift your chest and chin up. Bend your elbows to lower yourself until your elbows are at 90 degrees, then press back and up to straighten arms; as you rise, kick left leg high in air. Repeat dip, kicking right leg high this time. Continue alternating for 10-20 reps. Too hard? Bring your feet closer to your bum. Too easy? Extend legs to partially straight or straight.
Couch side plank pulse: Set elbow on couch and step legs out to form a side plank position, facing sideways in a straight line from shoulder to feet. Lift chest and chin, engaging abs and squeezing shoulder blades together. Extend free arm in the air & pulse backward 20 times. Switch sides. Too easy? Pulse 30 times. Too hard? Bend top leg and plant foot on floor in front to help you lift hips into plank.
Amazing! A full body workout in under 5 minutes. If you're feeling ambitious, do it all over again for a challenging 10 minute workout.
Be sure to tweet me and YMC at @bellybootcamp & @yummymummyclub when you complete your Living Room Challenge!
Stay tuned later this week for the Bedroom Workout (the OTHER kind of bedroom workout).
Want more quick at-home workouts? Try these lunch-hour workouts that still leave you time to eat, or one of these top 5 home workouts.
It's that time of year again...the time when you skip your workouts in favour of shopping, baking, scarfing hors d'ouevres and wine, all the while imagining how ridiculously fit you're going to be...starting in January, of course. When you do get to a class or out for a jog, your bones creak like old floorboards and you get so lightheaded you actually consider rolling up in the corner and just heading into the light. Because HUNGOVER.
A Workout Playlist That You'll Want To Sweat To
It's true that social obligations and emergency wine drinking disasters might interfere with your usual workout schedule, and that's okay from time to time, but you can maintain that spark, and prevent a coronary when you do get back to the gym, by injecting tiny bouts of exercise into your routine. I present to you 3 workouts, all under 5 minutes, that can be done in 3 rooms of your house, with common objects. Push yourself for 3-5 minutes and move on with your day. Squeeze 1-3 of these into your "non-workout" days and you can stop negotiating with your higher power when you actually make it to your morning spin class.
First...
Waiting for water to boil? Kids screwing around with the last of their morning oatmeal? 5 more minutes on those muffins? Let's go!
Counter pushups + mountain climbers: Face counter with hands shoulder-width apart, on balls of feet and body in a straight line (pushup position). Drop into a pushup -- try to tap your ribcage right on the counter each time -- then press back up; immediately begin running knees up toward the chest while still maintaining weight over arms on the counter. Do one pushup, then run knees to chest, alternating, 10 times. Too hard? March the legs instead of running. Too easy? Bring your hands narrower into a triceps pushup position and/or run the knees 20 times per rep. Repeat the whole sequence 10 times.
Chair dips: Sit on the edge of the chair, hands tucked next to your hips, fingers down. Lift your butt off and squeeze your shoulder blades back to lift your chest and chin up. Bend your elbows to lower yourself until your elbows are at 90 degrees, then press back and up to bring shoulders back over wrists. Too hard? Bring your feet closer to your bum. Too easy? Extend legs to partially straight or straight. Complete 10-20 reps.
Chair plank + leg lift: Face chair (push the chair against the table or wall so it doesn't slide) and place hands shoulder width on top, stepping feet back into an elevated plank position. Keep weight over upper body so shoulders are directly over wrists and you are light on your feet. Exhale & lift left leg into air, squeezing butt for one count, then lower and exhale as you raise right leg into air, squeezing butt again. Too hard? Omit leg lifts. Too easy? Drop to elbows and toes. Continue alternating for 20-30 reps.
Squat + can raise: Hold 2 cans or jars (or actual dumbbells if you got 'em) at your sides, with feet hip-width apart. Squat and freeze at the bottom of the squat while you raise arms out to sides in a "T" shape, just to shoulder height, then down, and rise out of the squat. Too hard? Squat, rise, then perform the side raise. Too easy? Hold each squat rep for 3 side raises before rising. Continue the squat, raise, stand pattern for 10-20 reps.
Amazing! A full body workout in under 5 minutes. If you're feeling ambitious, do it all over again for a challenging 10 minute workout. Be sure to tweet me and YMC at @bellybootcamp & @yummymummyclub when you complete your Kitchen Challenge!
Stay tuned next week for the Living Room Workout and Bedroom Workout (the OTHER kind of bedroom workout).
Want more quick at-home workouts? Try this 10-minute workout to tone your full body, these lunch-hour workouts that still leave you time to eat, or try adding some cardio intervals to your home routine for a fat-burning blast!
Hey, you, with the cup of coffee, iPhone, and protein bar in your hands. Step away from the laptop and get some lunch! After you read this blog, I mean.
Even if you’re committed to a healthy lifestyle, finding time to eat during the day can be challenging—whether you’re a busy stay-at-home mommy or slaving away in a cubicle. I manage my lunch by putting it off until I can get home to cook—since my work day starts around 6:00-7:00 a.m., I am usually back at home in the early-mid afternoon. On a bad day, I have lunch in my car between appointments, but I try not to let that happen very often. Most days, I might have something light on the go, then prepare something hot and well-rounded once I'm home so I can eat in peace. If you’re a member of the go-go-go corporate culture, however, you need to exercise some self-discipline (and self-love), and step away from the desk. Every Monday morning, schedule 15-60 minutes each and every weekday to break from your work and enjoy a proper lunchtime.
And, since you’re such a multi-tasker, you woman of the new millennium, why not use that lunchtime you so deserve to not just eat, but exercise? Scheduling exercise midday will re-energize you for the afternoon, motivate you to skip that late-afternoon vending machine visit, and allow you to settle into family time after work, knowing you’ve already done something today to care for yourself. Keep a pair of sneakers handy and (optionally) a pair of shorts and a t-shirt to change quickly into. And try not to stress out too much about a shower—take it from someone who works out around clients and coworkers every day (with nary a shower stall in sight), you probably don't actually smell. Unless body odour is an exceptional issue for you, remember the pit stick and tie up your hair, and you'll be A-OK.
Here's how to split that precious lunch break between fitness and fuel.
If you have a 30-minute lunch break, try this 15 minute workout before you eat:
If you have a 60-minute lunch break, try this 30 minute workout before you eat:
Next, eat! Remember to take the time to enjoy your meal—away from your desk, laundry, iPhone, or whatever haunts you. Complete your lunch with a big glass of water or two, and perhaps a piece of fresh fruit for dessert.
Got a few more minutes? Enjoy some quiet time to visit with colleagues, catch up on the latest Yummy Mummy Club blogs, or dig into a good book. Resting and relaxing is key to your physical fitness. And your sanity.
The Kitchen Challenge Workout
Printer-friendly version