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
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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).
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One of the things that we did when I worked at Vera Bradley was we get up from our sewing machines and we've slowly been down to the ground as far as we could and if you could touch the ground walk out to your hands and your feet will flat to the ground and then come back real slow rolling your back like one vertebrae at a time. Another exercise we would do is we would take her hands out tourist sites are down to our sides it would slowly raise them up evenly put our wrists straight up so their fingertips were in the air and go round in circles forward and then backwards 15 reps twice that would help put some circulation back into her arms especially when you're sitting at a desk or computer all day
Comment. Dance movements,,alone or with others is a great inexpensive exercise
Another simple way to exercise throughout your day is whenever you can put your hands in the air. The more you can keep your arms up, the more toned and less flabby your arms will be.
This is awesome advice!! As a physical therapist and health coach I teach things like this all the time! Love Frankincense and Pure Protein Complete!!
Thanks Young Living!!
I love to do a "figure four" stretch. It feels awesome on my hips and glutes. You can stand and cross your right ankle on top of your left knee/upper thigh and then slightly bend down (and then switch of course!). I love and need this stretch often!!
I love this advice! I sit all day as a counselor, and when I get home, I'm mentally exhausted but physically untouched... meaning sleep is always illusive. I will begin to put some of these things into practice! Thanks for the opportunity to win :)
While sitting at my desk I will squeeze & release my booty muscle (gluteus). This is a great exercise while stopped at a red light as well. Contract & Release my booty until the light turns green!
During a stop light I will bring my forearms (wrist and elbows straight up and down) together in front of me. This helps reduce back fat.
I love this post!!! Thank you for motivating me to get my body moving. I have three children and find it hard to get to a class or a exercise routine at home. I can do a couple of sets of push ups while my veggies are on the stove or when I'm sitting in traffic :)
I love to start my day doing straight leg stretches in my bed. This gets my circulation going and gently stretches out my back. I have Fibromyalgia, so I have to start slowly, to warm my body up and get going. After I get up, Peppermint Vitality water is a great beginning to my hydration for the day! As I begin doing side stretches and continue warming up my hips and back, the water cools off my insides and wakes me up! Before I know it, I am ready for the shower, wide awake and warmed up, ready to face the day! If anything aches after the shower, Panaway, Relieve It or Cool Azul Cream are at the ready to help take the pain away and get me on my way!!