The concept of boredom is lost on me,
then again, so is the concept of free time. I would love to be one
of those pampered sorts who spends hours at a time sculpting the
perfect, peachy pilates rump, but let's face it, if I had that kind
of time I would probably spend it doing anything but pilates. Alas,
I have a weakness for coffee cakes and orange soda, and as far as
metabolisms go, I'm built pretty cheap, so I have no other choice
than to create an exercise routine that works for me.
If there's any truth to Loretta Young's
assessment that “A charming woman is a busy woman” then I may be
one of the most charming women I know! And I know lots of charming
women. I also bore easily, if something can't keep my attention I
discard it for something more engaging. Because of this I like to
multitask – sitting on a balance ball while sitting at my desk, for
instance, keeps my abs working as well as my brain. You know what
I'm talking about if you've ever let your mind wander while sitting
on a balance ball and lost your balance as a result.
Exercise on the Go
There's plenty of other ways to turn
your home into a home gym, busy mom's everywhere have been using
canned goods for resistance training for everything from tricep curls
to bicep training. Try balancing plates, the fear of dropping them
will cause you to bring previously ignored muscles to engage –
simply lift the plate up towards the ceiling then out towards the
wall, keep the motion smooth, and repeat 50 times on both sides.
You'll feel it, I promise. This is just the tip of the iceberg when
it comes to ways you can incorporate exercise into the routines you
take for granted every day.
Workout Anywhere, Anytime
- Create Curvy Calves – In just two minutes a day you can shape your calves into sexy curves, you can even do it while brushing your teeth – talk about beauty from head to toe! Step up onto a phone book, opposite its spine, with the balls of your feet balanced on the phone book and your heels dangling over the edge. Slowly lower your heels to the floor, hold for two seconds and slowly return to your starting position, hold for two seconds, and repeat the process.
- Sculpt Sexy Shoulders - If your grocery store is anything like mine, then you know how they love to jam pack those reusable shopping bags to the brim. While making your way to your car, which you parked on the far side of the parking lot for extra calorie burning, do a few repetitions of bicep curls, hammer curls and upright rows – repeat on both sides in case of curls. Imagine all the jealous glares you get when someone asks your secret to beautiful biceps and you answer with total sincerity, “shopping.”
- Hip Drop At the Bus Stop – It's pretty natural to settle your weight on one foot or the other when waiting for the bus, train, or a taxi to arrive. Might as well make this waiting more productive by practicing some hip adductions and hip abductions, this is just fancy talk for balancing on your left foot and crossing your right foot in front of your left to work the inner thighs (adduction), or balancing on your left foot while raising your right leg laterally to the side to work your outer thigh (abduction). Or, if your familiar with some belly dancing moves, practice your hip lifts, hip drops, hip circles, you name it. Just remember you're in public so be slow and subtle with your moves – the slower you go, the deeper the burn!
Not everyone can afford to have a
treadmill in their home, let alone the room to contain one, which is
another reason why it's so important to find creative ways to stay in
shape. The fancy trappings of exercise gear,
high-tech water bottles and a membership to the hottest gym in town
is just daunting to someone who may already feel pressed for time.
Let's not forget that kicking off your shoes and having a dance party
with your kids can be as effective as a Zumba class if you're
creative with it.
