- Staying active is essential for maintaining good health, but finding the time to exercise regularly can be challenging. Fortunately, you don’t need to go to the gym to get moving. Incorporating simple exercises into your daily routine can improve your overall health and fitness without sacrificing precious time. In this article, we’ll share six easy activities you can do in the kitchen while cooking, waiting on toast, or doing dishes.
Exercises:
- Squats: Squats are excellent lower body exercises that can be done anywhere, including the kitchen. To do a squat, start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your arms should hang down your sides. Next, bend your knees and lower your body, keeping your back straight until your upper thighs parallel the ground. Squats can help strengthen your glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings.
- Lunges: Lunges are also a great lower body exercise that can be done in the kitchen. Start by stepping forward with one foot. Bend your knee until your upper thigh is parallel to the ground. Your other leg should be extended behind you. Hold this position briefly before standing back up and switching legs. Lunges can help strengthen your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings.
- Calf raises: Calf raises are an easy exercise that can be done while waiting for the toast to cook. To perform a calf raise, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and slowly lift your heels off the ground. Hold this position for 5 – 10 seconds before lowering your heels. Repeat for several repetitions. Calf raises can help strengthen your calf muscles.
- Wall sits: Wall sits are a simple exercise that can be done while waiting for your coffee to brew. To perform a wall sit, stand with your back against a wall and slowly slide down until your thighs and gluts are parallel to the ground. Hold this position for 20 -30 seconds before standing back up. Repeat for several repetitions. Wall sits can help strengthen your quadriceps.
- Shoulder presses: Shoulder presses are a great upper-body exercise that can be done while cooking. Hold a can or other heavy object in each hand to perform a shoulder press and raise your arms to shoulder height. Slowly push the things up until your arms are fully extended. Hold this position for 5 seconds before lowering the objects back down. Repeat for several repetitions. Shoulder presses can help strengthen your shoulder and arm muscles.
- Planks: Planks are an excellent core exercise that can be done anywhere, including the kitchen. To perform a plank, get into a push-up position with your arms extended and your body in a straight line. Make yourself hold this position for as long as you can. Planks can help strengthen your core muscles.
Making exercise part of your routine – every day – is an easy way to improve overall health and fitness. You can increase your physical activity without sacrificing time by doing simple movements in the kitchen while cooking, waiting on toast, or doing dishes. The six exercises listed above can help strengthen your lower body, upper body, and core muscles, so try them the next time you’re in the kitchen.
