10 Easy Pieces to Get You Ready For Your 2 Piece
In an effort to not terrorize small children this summer when I don my bathing suit, I am trying to sneak exercise into my day, kinda like a coke addict sneaks in bathroom breaks. With a baby on my hip I usually can't spare more than a minute or two. I don't do all 10 every day, but I try to fit in a few when I think about it. Your ass, aka glueus maximus, is the biggest muscle in your body and working it will help boost your metabolism so I have several exercises that focus on your derriere. Here are my top 10 on-the-go exercises:
- First thing in the morning, before you even get out of bed, you can do pelvis lifts in bed. They warm up your spine and it feels good to get a nice stretch to start your day. Slide your heels up towards your butt, so your knees bend, tighten your bum and raise it up off the bed. Hold for 10 and slowly come back down, repeat a few times. Don't do these while your husband is around or you'll make him late for work.
- Heel raises are great to do while brushing your teeth. Try a few sets with your feet straight ahead, then with your toes pointing out.
- Leg lifts and knee-ups in the shower. I like knee-ups while I shampoo, leg lifts while the conditioner soaks in. Knee-ups are kinda self explanatory, just lift your knees up one at a time, otherwise you are jumping in the shower and that is just plain crazy. You should look like you are marching in place, while shampooing. You can touch opposite elbow-knee if you are feeling frisky. Now is a good time to hope to God nobody is filming you. For the leg lifts: put all your weight on one foot and lift the other leg back behind you, toes pointing out to the side, raising it a foot or two. Your butt is probably pretty mad at you right about now and is busy plotting your death.
- Tricep dips off the counter. Nobody wants grandma wings and this will help stave them off. While your coffee is brewing or your toast is toasting, put your back to the counter and put your hands on the edge like you are about to hop up and sit on it. Psych! Instead, bend your knees and sink down. Go for 10 and go slooooow. Try for 2 sets of 10 if you are brave. If you are doing them right ,the last few will KILL. But you are awake now, so it is all good.
- Next time you are driving somewhere, take note of exactly how far away the farthest parking spot is. It is usually freekin FAR. Bonus points if you have someone in the car with you; the look on their face is priceless when they see that you plan on walking 3 football fields across the Target parking lot when there was that cherry spot right next to the handicapped zone.
- If you have stairs in your house, a firm ass is in your future. Do some 'hill' sprints (I can't think of a pithy name for these: histairints?, staill sprints?) on your stairs. Basically run up and down your stairs for a few minutes. Again, this serves as great entertainment for anyone else in your house at the time. Also try going up and down sideways, which will work the muscles differently.
- While chatting on the phone, raise one leg, point your toes, and imagine you are spelling out each letter of your name with your foot, using your whole leg like a pencil. Curse at your mother if she gave you a long-ass name. If you tighten your abs at the same time, this will help strengthen your core as well. This is also a great trick to get kids to exercise without knowing they are doing it. Yes I can be childish at times, but I am owning it okay?
- Doesn't it seem like every day is laundry day? Well use the endless drudgery to your advantage. Dump the laundry on the floor (make sure it is a clean floor or this is all for naught). Do a squat to pick up a piece of laundry, fold it, and then do a nice forward bend or squat to put it down in a pile on the floor. Watch out for that hubby again, he will try to interrupt your forward bends.
- Try watching TV on the floor. It will make you feel like a kid again to flop down there and roll around. The number of floor exercises you can do while staring at the idiot box is endless, sort of like those annoying OxyClean commercials with the screaming guy. One of the most convenient is crunches. You just put the remote right on your stomach and get to it. Changing channels with your obliques = extra bonus points.
- Maybe you're saying to yourself, that's all well and good, assuming I brush my teeth, shower, or wash my clothes on a regular basis. What if I sit in front of a computer 24/7. What have you got for me now Little Miss Oh-So-Helpful? Butt squeezes! Or Butt-Crackers as I like to call them. At a desk, in a car, on a plane. Okay this is turning into a Dr. Seuss book but you get my point. If you are sitting on your ass, you can do this exercise. Simply squeeze your cheeks together, hold for 10, relax, repeat. Or remember when you were lying on the floor watching TV? Just roll over onto your stomach and do some Butt-Crackers. Watch out for that husband of yours though. If he catches you doing these, you might get ambushed.
