Staying in Shape… at Home

Between work and family responsibilities, sometimes it feels impossible to fit in a good workout. The good news is that you can work out anywhere, and most of us have great fitness tools right in our own home.

In fact, a little ingenuity and some everyday household items will allow you to vary your routine so you'll work all parts of your body and stay motivated.

Dirty Dish Dash

If you are like most of us, dishes probably can be found in the far corners of your house. Time yourself to see how quickly you can get all of the dishes without running. But wait — there's a catch: Retrieve only one dish at a time. If there are two glasses in the bathroom, that's two trips. You can also do this exercise with other items you need to clean up, such as dirty clothes on the floor.

Litter Bug Lunges

No one enjoys taking out the trash, but if better legs are the result, you might not want to pass this chore off to your spouse anymore. After you drop the trash at the curb, lunge back to the house instead of walking. Take one step forward and bend your front leg until your thigh is parallel to the ground — keep your weight on your heel and make sure your knee doesn't go past your toes. To work double-time, walk on your tip toes to work your calf muscles as you bring the trash to the curb … and you'll get an even better work out.

Dinner Time Dips

As the spaghetti is boiling or the casserole is baking, set the timer and sneak off to the den to put your arms and chest to the test with some quick dinner time dips.

1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground.
2. Place your hands behind you, fingers pointing toward your toes.
3. Lift your backside off the ground, letting your body weight shift to your arms.
4. Slowly lift your body up and down.

Grocery Bag Bicep Curls

Have heavy bags of groceries? Great! Bring them from your car to your house two-at-a-time, one in each hand. Try to keep the bags at about the same weight … then do bicep curls as you walk to the kitchen from the curb. With heavier bags, stop the curl at waist level so you don't strain yourself. With lighter bags, feel free to use your full range-of-motion and curl all the way up to shoulder-level.

Laundry Room Squats

Instead of dumping all your clothes in the washer at once, take a few extra minutes to treat yourself to a great leg workout. Place the basket of dirty cloths on the floor. With your hands out in front of you, slowly squat down, making sure your knees never extend past your toes. As you reach a full squat, grab one piece of laundry and slowly stand up, putting it into the washing machine. Each load of laundry will have your legs stronger in no time!

No time to do any of these exercises? A day or two off from exercises isn't something you should feel too guilty about, but try to fit in some sort of physical activity. Take solace in the fact that plenty of the chores you do on a regular basis are great ways to incorporate some cardiovascular exercise and burn some calories.

*based on a 150-pound person