Is life a little crazy in the summer? We often envision having ample free time, but then we have kids, grandkids, and vacation to schedule. Our days may be fun and fulfilling, but also somewhat exhausting. And forget about fitness! Who has time to make it to the gym? 🤷🏼♀️
If this is the way your summer is going, don't stress! Start incorporating small exercises throughout the day to increase your strength, balance, and calorie burn. As an added bonus, you will find your mental focus will be stimulated as well!
And the best part is we are only doing these exercises for 1 minute only! If you want to time yourself, do all of them and you'll get a great 6 minute workout in. Break them down in your day in whatever way you can. I call these Minute to Win It Exercises, and they can be done anywhere.
1. Wall Sit
My followers knew this would be my first exercise because we are doing a July Wall Sit Challenge. But the wall sit is great for anyone and can be done almost anywhere! I just wrote a blog on it here if you want more details. Bottom line - keep your back by the wall and sit with your legs at a 90 degree angle like you are sitting on an imaginary chair.
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2. Chair Crunch
For this exercise you get to sit on a real chair! With your arms on the side of the chair, pick your feet up and bring your knees to your chest, then extend them out in front of you and keep repeating. To intensify the movement, lean back slightly and pick your hands up if possible. Another fun variation is to do repetitions at an angle (sitting on one butt cheek 😁).
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3. Tip-Toe Calf Raises
This exercise can be done anywhere, even standing in line. Simply lift up and down on your tip toes. If you want to add a balance element, try performing the exercise on one foot.
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4. Prisoner Squats
I realize these seem a little boring compared to the previous exercises, but it's hard to beat a good squat for working the lower body. I often like to do fast, repeating Prisoner Squats. These are done with your feet hip width apart and your hands behind the head but not pulling on the neck. You don't need to stand all the way up in between on these squats. They are great for working the core and legs while getting your blood pumping at the same time.
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5. Wall Push-Ups
Stand facing a wall with your arms extended and hands flat on the wall. Keep your body tight by squeezing your glutes (butt) and keeping a straight alignment from your head to your toes. Then simply bend and straighten your arms, aiming to get your nose to the wall without extending your head forward. Of course, you can do the ever challenging floor push-up if you want more intensity.
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6. Dips
This one is probably my favorite. Every woman I know wants leaner arms without the ever-dreaded floppy wings 💪. We are not naturally gifted to have tight arms. So do these dips whenever you have a free minute. Simply come off of your chair except for your hands, with your fingers facing forward. Again your body looks like it is sitting on an imaginary chair. Bend and straighten your arms, being careful not to make it a shoulder shrug. You may have to work up to a minute of these!
Take a minute and win your day! You will be surprised at the results that can come from a short amount of time. Enjoy your friends and family, enjoy your summer, and enjoy your fitness!
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