7 easy exercises you can do before breakfast
By Louise Belle BHSc (Nut Med)
In today’s society we are so busy between work, family, sporting and social commitments that it can be difficult to find the time to exercise. In addition to this, it can be expensive to join a gym or fitness centre, further adding to the many excuses we use to let exercise slip to the bottom of our priority list. Here’s the good news- you don’t need to dedicate a whole hour of your time, or spend lots of money on a gym membership, or even leave the house to get fit! Here are seven exercises that you can squeeze in before breakfast – just get out of bed 20 minutes earlier!
1. Chair squats
If you have a chair in your house, you can do chair squats! Stand directly in front of the chair with your feet hip-width apart and your toes pointing forward. Engage your abdominal muscles, push your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat, stopping just before you reach the seat of the chair. Push through your heels, extend your legs and return to standing position. Repeat 10-12 times.
2. Bridge
Lie down on your back, on a mat or carpet with your knees bent and your feet on the ground, hip-width apart. Squeeze your glutes (butt muscles) and lift your hips towards the ceiling, holding for a moment and lowering back down to the ground. Repeat these 15 times.
3. Bicep curls
For this exercise you will need dumbbells, tinned food, a drink bottle or any other type of weights you can get your hands on. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and grip the weight, resting your elbows against your hips. Face your palms upright, bend your elbow and curl the weight towards your shoulder, pause, and lower back to starting position. Start with 15 repetitions on each arm.
4. Star jumps
Begin with your feet hip-width apart and bend your knees into a squatted position. Push up through your feet and jump into the air, extending your arms and legs to the side, before returning to starting position. Repeat for 1-2 minutes and have a rest.
5. Step ups
If you have stairs, a sturdy stool or a chair, you can do step ups at home. Stand in front of the step with your feet hip-width apart. Starting with your right leg, step up onto the stair, extending your knee and then lowering back down into start position. Complete 20 repetitions on your right leg, then repeat with your left leg.
6. Plank
Lay on your stomach on a mat or carpet. Place your forearms on the ground, shoulder-width apart. Ground your toes to the floor, squeeze your glutes and push your body up into a plank position, holding the position for 30 seconds, before returning to the floor. Ensure your back is flat and not arched. As you get better, you can increase to 60 second planks.
7. Skipping
Do yourself a favour and buy a cheap skipping rope. Skipping is a fantastic cardiovascular exercise that will get your blood flowing. Stand on a flat surface, such as concrete or wooden flooring. Try to skip continuously for one minute, slowly working your way up to longer skipping sessions.
There you have it, 7 easy exercises that you can do in the morning to get you pumped for the day! Dedicate 20 minutes every morning to your fitness and your body will love you for it. As your fitness increases, you can increase the difficulty of the exercises to challenge yourself. A combination of protein powder and glutamine serve as the perfect post-workout formula, to feed your muscles and assist with muscle repair.
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