If you’re anything like us you’re all too familiar with the 6 o’clock trade-off. Do I go to the gym or get a healthy, home-cooked meal on the table? With these easy moves, you can bake your cake and eat it too! Get kitchen-fit and stove-strong by squeezing in some quick bodyweight exercises while dinner is cooking. Multitasking like this means you’ll have a hot meal, and body, in no time.
#1 – Analyzing Arm Circles
While thinking about all the ingredients you need to gather for dinner, hold your arms out to the so they are parallel to the floor and do small circles from the shoulder. Do 10 rotations backward then 10 forward. Keep going until you have a game plan.
#2 – Stirring Calf Raises
Stirring a pot or tossing a salad? Do calf raises. Squeeze your glutes, pull your kneecaps up and lift up on your toes as high as you can go before slowly lowering back down. Do 10 then hold at the top for 10 seconds. Repeat until you feel the burn.
#3 – Patient Pushups
Waiting for that water to boil or the microwave to do it’s thing? Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the counter and walk your feet back until you’re at a 45 degree angle with the countertop. Lower your chest to your hands and slowly push back up. If this is too intense, do push-ups against the fridge until you build up to being more horizontal. Too easy? Use the table, just make sure to keep an eye on your food!
#4 – Sautéing Squats
While veggies are getting tender, put your feet hip-width distance apart and send your booty back, creating a 90 degree angle with your legs. Engage the glutes as you return to standing. (If you open your legs wider it makes it easier.) Aim for 20.
#5 – Traveling Lunges
Need to grab an ingredient from one side of the room and a platter from elsewhere? Lunge your way around! While maintaining a long spine, step forward with your right foot. Be mindful that your knee stays perfectly above your ankle. Bring your left foot to meet it and repeat until you reach your destination…and back.
#6 – Bottled Bicep Curl
Grab two water bottles or cans of beans and alternate bringing them up to shoulder height and back down. Remember to slowly lower your hands to really isolate the bicep instead of using momentum. Don’t have any dry goods? Potatoes/corn ears/squash all work (just make sure they are equal weight!). Try to do 20 reps.
#7 – Timed Tricep Dip
Dish in the oven? Grab a chair, place your hands on the edge and walk your feet out so you form a 45 degree angle with the floor. Bend your elbows to lower down and straighten, keeping your elbows pointing directly behind. See how many you can do in 30 seconds and slowly build up to more.
#8 – Table Setting Abs
Grab the stack of plates, stand up straight with your arms in a 90 degree angle at your sides, engage your core and twist from left to right, 10 times on each side. Keep your shoulders pulling down your back, lift the stack overhead before placing the first plate down. Move to the next setting, lift the stack and set plate on the table. Repeat until all the plates are out. Table and abs done.
#9 – Leaning Side Stretch
See if you can plant your feet between the cutlery drawer and the table. Grab a fork with one hand, reach your arms overhead, pass it to the other and then place on the table. Have to really bend to reach? Even better. Turnaround for the knives so your back and side-body are evenly stretched.
#10 – Calf Stretch
While you’re filling the glasses with water, put one foot in front of the other and gently lean forward, stretching out the back calf. Alternate legs until the table is ready to go.
Everything in the oven and you have a few more minutes to spare? Check out the 7 Minute Workout, 10 Minute Abs or FitStar 15 for a total body workout in less time than it takes to say, “what’s for dinner?”
How do you get it all in each day? Do you have a secret to keeping fit in the kitchen? Share in the comments below!
Keep Moving,
– Team FitStar
The post Keeping Fit In The Kitchen appeared first on FitStar - Inspiring people to live healthier lives.