Guest Post - Quick Exercises for the Busy Mom

Today I have Jill Shousboe talking about exercising around the house!

The one thing moms generally wish they had more of is time. More time to spend with their family, get their to-do list finished, and something else that often goes by the wayside: exercise. It is difficult to find time to hit the gym as a busy mother. These five exercises are quick and easy to do at home, and are perfect for the super busy mom.

Push Ups

Push ups are an exercise that most everyone knows how to do and are very quick. For the busy mom, it would be best to do 3 sets of 25 repetitions of push ups per day. If you are unable to do 25 push ups when you are first starting to work out regularly, simply adjust your position to where you rest on your knees instead of resting on your toes. This will make the exercise a little bit easier while you are trying to initially build up your arm muscles.

Curls Around the House

Putting away the groceries that you just spent lots of time buying? Take a few extra moments and curl the heavier objects that you're unloading. Doing three sets of anywhere from 8-12 reps once a day will really make a difference in the definition of your arms.

Planks

One of the more difficult at-home exercises is the plank. There are three types of planks: the front plank, the left plank, and the right plank. To do a front plank, simply balance yourself on your forearms and the tips of your toes and arrange yourself in a flat, plank-like position. Hold this position for as long as you can and do it three times per day. This will build up your back and abs in an incredible way. For the side planks, the only difference is a twist of the body. You will only support yourself with one forearm and the side of one foot. This will tone your hips and obliques and help banish that dreaded muffin top.

Superman

This exercise is one that is easy to do and builds up the abdominal muscles. In order to perform the "Superman" exercise, one must lay flat on the floor on their stomach. The very busy mom will then use 30 seconds of her time for 3 sets doing this exercise. Simply lift your arms and legs straight out and off of the floor, mimicking Superman when he flies through the air.

Cardio Know-How

Not only is it important to tone your various muscles and muscle groups, but it is also necessary to work cardiovascular exercise in to your daily exercise routine. Without cardio, the muscles will be tighter, but only under a layer of fat. For cardio, there are many exercise options. If time permits, the busy mom can go for a walk or jog, bike ride, or she can get a membership at a gym and take advantage of all of their cardio machine options. There are also at-home cardio exercises such as taking extra trips up and down flights of stair, to general cleaning activities such as vacuuming, moping, and anything else that gets the busy mother up off her feet.

Jill Schousboe is a full-time au pair and a contributing author for dentalinsurance.net