I speak often of ‘Lazy Workouts’, and while I am no physical fitness expert, my own shared experiences I hope will help you too.
What constitutes as a lazy workout? Good question. For me, it is a workout where I don’t have to leave my home, bracing the elements out of doors, hot or cold; nor is it an exercise where I feel my lungs are going to implode along with my heart after a session. It also consists of multitasking - working out while doing something that needs to be done. Let us call those Homercises. If you’ve been there, you may be interested in reading further!
Here are 7 lazy workouts I have found myself doing while living a life trying to avoid working out in a gym:
Planks
Ok, so these exercises are incredibly effective, and seemingly ‘easy’. They are endurance based and use nearly every muscle in your body! You lie down on the floor on your forearms, keeping yourself balanced with your toes. And stay as long as possible (well I do, but I heard 2 minutes work great as well!) I call it lazy because you don’t need to physically move, but your muscles, everywhere, will feel it. Even in places I didn’t think muscles existed! It can be difficult to begin, with regular collapsing to the knees, but if you can achieve to do this for only 2 minutes a day, it could boost your energy and your will to exercise. If you feel discouraged, do it for 10 seconds, relax for 5, hold for 10, relax for 5, so on and so forth. AMAZING!
Jumping on the spot:
This is one of my homercise practices. Pretty basic to jump on the spot, but what I propose is when to do it. You’re watching your series, with your ever existing guilt “Why can’t I just go to the gym instead?”, well, why not get off the couch and just jump on the spot while watching your show? After the initial embarrassment washes off, you can turn those jumps into jumping jacks to work on your upper body. This is really good for cardiovascular health. If you have the space, you could even buy a jump rope, but be sure to remove all breakables! You could also consider purchasing a mini trampoline, store it under the couch, and when your series start you can pull it out and start jumping! Why not include your date or family members too?
Squats:
No movement required, except of course your knees. Looking online at “how to” for squats seems like an undefeatable feat. Back straight, tummy tucked in, and bend down with your knees. Not so easy if you are top heavy or suffer from knee joint issues. It is however very good to work your thigh and butt muscles and build up your core. I squat while cooking. Standing there pushing the meal around the pan and squat, down I go. Hold onto the countertop for balance if needed. If you are completely unable to do this, then don’t be discouraged. Try to build up your resistance in the thighs by holding a half sitting pose for 20 seconds. As the days and meals go on, you may find yourself being able to lower this pose until you reach full squat - next mission: get back up again!
Stretching:
I should probably have mentioned this first, but always stretch before you exercise. This will, hopefully, avoid any cramping. Stretching in itself though is good for the body. When you wake up in the morning, doing a full stretch with some good fulfilling breathing can be an awesome kick-start to the day. Spread your legs slightly apart and slowly left your arms into the air, keep them up then bring them slowly back down to your sides on an exhale. Repeat. Each time you do this, concentrate on a different part of your body. Your legs, straight and tense, your back, your stomach, your shoulders, your neck, and your fingers. Deep inhales, long exhales. You may even feel the want to run to work afterward! You can play around with this too. Stretch but bend your torso to the left, and then to the right. You need to remember though to do this in a relaxed environment.
Yoga:
Some may disagree with me on stating that yoga is a lazy exercise, but the basics are not so difficult to achieve and with such good outcomes! Yoga is hugely based on stretching, breathing, and movement. Look for a ‘beginners to yoga’ channel on YouTube and see if it is for you. Yes, I did sweat, but I didn’t feel like I was doing so much. I guess yoga suits me. I was following the moves, breathing, and boom, the 20 minutes were over. This really helped me lose the weight I gained during an underactive thyroid ‘episode’. Being able to practice yoga at home also was great. I didn’t have to get special yoga clothes (although I did buy a pretty yoga mat) and do weird contortions with my body in a room full of strangers. As long as your cell phone has an internet connection you can do it in your bedroom, the living room, or even your garage.
Wash-Basin Push-Ups:
So you find yourself twice a day in front of the bathroom sink brushing your teeth. Quite a monotonous affair after a lifetime, so let us make the most of it. For that 30 seconds the mouthwash is swiveling about your teeth hold on to the rim of the sink, take two steps back, and do some push-ups! Make sure your floor isn’t wet though. Depending on space, your height, and ability, you can take less or more steps back. You can also do this on the bookshelf while looking for a book to read, or on the kitchen countertop, or on your dresser while you choose what perfume to wear. Before you get into your car, or at your work desk even!
This guy - you don’t need to be like this guy!
Butt Clenches:
This is great for your butt cheeks, discreet, and can be done anywhere. Sit down, stand up, bus, home or office and clench those butt cheeks! You can make it fun and challenge yourself to do it odd places without people noticing: standing in line at the store or the bank, sitting on public transport, or even in a job interview! Give it a go, if it does nothing else it will at least put a smile on your face.
I would like to remind you that I am not a trained physical health expert. Always stretch before you do any kind of exercise, and remember to drink plenty of water. Have fun too! Make a game out of it, challenge your friends or colleagues or family members. Good Luck!
