Our fitness routines often take a back seat when life gets busy, but working out no longer has to mean an hour-long commitment every day. One of my favorite wellness trends is the idea of exercise snacking, short bursts of exercise throughout the day that have been proven to boost your aerobic fitness. I'm in.
As a busy working mom, I rarely have the time to squeeze in 30 to 60 minutes of traditional workout. With exercise snacks, I can do it while waiting for dinner to cook, while walking my dog, when I first wake up, or right before bed. No need to put on gym clothes (although are there any other clothes these days?) or travel to a class. While not recommended to completely replace your fitness routine, exercise snacking is a good way to get in some activity when you're just too busy to commit to more. Here are ideas for exercise snacking anywhere you happen to be.
High Knees
While making a meal or on your way to grab the mail, try 20 seconds of these alternating knee kicks (bringing your knee as high as you can) at a sprinting or running pace. They're known to engage your core, strengthen all the muscles in your legs, get your heart rate up, and improve coordination and flexibility.
Take the Stairs
And don't just take them, run them! Or skip a step on your way up. Or travel sideways. Mix it up to get the most out of your snacky workout. Studies have shown that stair climbing burns more calories per minute than slower-paced jogging.
Wall Sit
The only fitness gear you need here is a wall! Find one and press your back against it with feet shoulder-width apart. Engage your core and slowly slide down so that your thighs are parallel to the ground. Adjust your feet so that your knees are directly above your ankles. Hold for 20 seconds or more!
Plank
Drop and give me 20 seconds! This is another no-gear-needed exercise that works your core as well as your shoulders, arms, and glutes. Get in push-up position with toes into the floor, and squeeze your glutes. Your head should be in line with your back, and your neck and spine neutral. Keep your arms straight or come down to your forearms and hold!
Jog The Dog
Walking your dog is a great way to get outside and move about, but take it up a notch by squeezing in a 20-second sprint in between sniffs and pee breaks. Your dog will get a mini-workout too!
Vinyasa Flow
This one is great for before bed. Choose a yoga pose that you love; for example, a vinyasa flow that starts with downward dog, then a plank, then a cobra pose, and back to downward dog. Namaste!
Other exercise snack ideas to do throughout the day include a set of 10 jumping jacks, lunges, push-ups, or burpees. Happy snacking!
What's your favorite spring workout? Tweet us at @BritandCo and let us know, and don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more ideas!
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