When the next hectic day pops up on your calendar, take a breath. Although you may not have time to go to the gym or fit in a yoga class, you can sneak in a quick workout at home.
Most healthy adults should get 30 minutes of exercise each day, according to Edward R. Laskowski, M.D. from the Mayo Clinic. Thankfully, it doesn’t need to be 30 consecutive minutes. Moving your muscles in 10-minute increments can be just as beneficial. Let’s get going!
Four Quick At-Home Workouts
Think beyond the treadmill or group fitness classes. Everything you need to stay active is probably laying around your home. Give a few of these mini workouts a shot this week.
- Staircase Climbers: Lace up your sneakers and set the timer on your phone for ten minutes. Now, go up and down the steps in your home or on a deck. Start out slow to warm up, then work up to a quick, safe pace. Finish the last minute with a slow lap to cool down. Play an inspiring podcast or upbeat music to make the time pass quickly.
- Pantry Pump-up: Grab a few soup cans or bottles of juice from the cupboard. Hold one in each hand and extend your arms out to the sides like a ‘T’. Now, make arm circles. Do 10 forward, then reverse the circles for another 10. You can mix it up by making the circles the same diameter or working in a spiral pattern from wide to tighter circles. Take a break by jogging in place with your arms at your sides for one minute, then repeat the arm circles. Do this sequence for 10 minutes.
- Yogi Session: Sneak in a mini yoga flow at home. Start by standing tall, then slowly bending forward to touch your toes. Linger for 10 seconds. Plant your hands on the ground and step back into an upside down ‘V’ to do downward facing dog. Hold this pose for 30 seconds to work your core, arms, and legs. Then walk your feet forward to your hands, so you’re bending forward and touching your toes again. Slowly rise back up to standing. Repeat this flow 10 times.
- Step Increaser: Do you use a fitness tracker to measure your daily movement? Sneak in extra steps by breaking down common tasks into smaller chunks. Instead of carrying a full laundry basket upstairs, carry one armload of clean clothes at a time. This might mean three trips up the stairs rather than one. Do the same for putting away clean dishes, taking garbage bags to the curb or bringing bags of groceries into the house. Move more, sit less!
Don’t forget that many of your everyday tasks also count as exercise. Walking the dog, mowing the lawn, shoveling snow, working in the garden, vacuuming, scrubbing bathrooms, organizing the garage, and manually washing the car all burn calories!
If you’re looking for more ways to stay active at Copperleaf Community, plan to swap your evening television time with a walk on our beautifully landscaped trails or participate in playtime with your kids at one of our many parks.