An easy way to infuse some activity into your day or week is to take routine responsibilities and find ways to make them more active.  Here are seven you can try this week!

 

Lunging Vacuum.

Vacuuming is a great way to get a lower body workout in!  Each time you push the vacuum forward, lunge with an alternate leg.  As you push forward, bend at the knee until you come to 90 degrees, carefully lining up your knee over your ankle, slowly bring both feet back together as you bring the vacuum back to its starting location and then repeat with the opposite leg for the next stroke.

 

Dust with Gust-o

Try attaching light wrist weights while you dust.  Dusting can be a great way to get an upper body workout given it is a very arm centric activity.  Adding weights will allow those repetitive movements to have a larger impact on your overall physical exertion.  Don’t have wrist weights?  Try filling socks with beans or rice and sowing the ends together so you can easily slide your hands through.

 

Cooking with buns

Get a great glutei workout while you’re standing at the stove preparing dinner!  Lift one leg up behind you and point through the toes; lift and lower the leg a few inches up and down for 20 pulses. Repeat on the opposite side. Doing two to three reps on each leg is great for the back of the thighs, hips, hamstrings, and core muscles.

 

Laundry Lifts

While folding laundry work on that lower body!  Stand with feet hip-width apart and bend the knees until your butt is level with your knees being careful to not let your knees go past your toes; stay slightly higher if you don’t have the range of motion to go low while maintaining your form. And be sure to engage your core as you come back up to stand. These folding squats are a great way to work the hips, buttocks, backs of the thighs, and the core.

 

Paper work with a Twist

Paying bills, filling out forms or simply finishing some office work is a great time to focus on core strength!  Trying adding in some abdominal twists while you shuffle this papers!   If the table is high, you will also work your shoulders. Keep your hips forward and backside tucked under to protect your back, engage your abs and then gently twist to the right, back through centre and then to the left.  Make each movement slow and deliberate.

 

Curls to the Can

Taking the garbage out is one of the least liked household chores, but what if you made it a little interesting?  Hold the bags and keep your elbows close to your ribcage. Lift and lower by extending the arms all the way down toward your hips and then bringing them up toward your shoulders. If you only have one bag to bring out, alternate arms!

 

Get up a Leg up on those Dishes

Take advantage of the dish washing and drying by adding in some calf raises and squats!  To start, do at least 20 calf raises, where you stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and raise up onto the balls of your feet, then lower back down to the floor. After 20, take the towel and start drying while you squat—pretend you’re sitting in an imaginary chair, or put a real one behind you and touch your butt to it; then stand back up.