7 At-Home Exercise Routines for Busy Parents
Parents have various obstacles in their everyday life, ranging from their jobs to their children to just finding time for themselves. Finding time to exercise is often one of the most challenging concerns for a parent.
Having a family can be hard work. It's not just keeping up with your children's daily needs but also balancing that with your own personal life and career.
As a parent, it is important to stay healthy to keep up with all of these responsibilities. In order to do so, you will need some fast exercises that you can easily fit into your daily grind. Here are some quick routines you can do at home.
1. The Plank
Begin by planting your hands directly under your shoulders, extend your legs, and tuck in your toes with your core engaged. Your head must be in line with your back. You want to hold this position for as long as possible—even if it's only about 30 seconds. Rest and repeat until you have completed at least 3 sets. Remember—don't let your bum go down. Push it up high to support yourself and keep those heels off the floor. This is the most basic plank, and it’s best for beginners.
2. Wall Sit + Knee Tuck
This is great for encouraging good posture, which can help prevent chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, heart disease, and arthritis. Begin by standing with your back against a wall, heels about 10 cm away from the wall. Then, drop down into a wall sit, keeping your back pressed against the wall. Now, tuck in your knees, so they are almost touching the wall behind you. Hold for 2 seconds before returning them to the starting position. Repeat this for 10 reps, 3 times.
3. Squats
Stand with feet hip-width apart, then squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor or as low as you can. Keep that tummy tucked in and make sure you don't lean forward. Hold it there for 5 seconds before returning to a standing position. If possible, keep those heels on the floor. If you can't, try doing them on a Pilates block. Try to do 10 squats for 3 sets. Count how many it takes for your thighs to burn.
4. Leg Extensions
Lie on your back on a hard surface, with legs extended out. Bring one leg up at a time and hold the backs of the knees with both hands. Try not to grip too tightly. Then, extend that leg upwards as high as you comfortably can. Hold this position for 2 seconds before returning the foot to starting position. Repeat this 8 times on each side and do 3 sets. Remember to keep those tummies tucked in.
5. The Trunk Twist
This is important in keeping good posture and preventing back pain. We often think our bodies are moving in straight lines when we are, in fact, curving or twisting away from that line. Lie on your back with your hands behind your head. Now, focus on keeping that tummy tucked and lift and twist your legs to one side—hold for a few seconds. Then, return to the starting position before repeating on the other side. Try and do 10 each of these 3 times.
6. The Hamstring Curl
This is another effective lower body exercise that you can easily do at home without any equipment. Begin by lying flat on your stomach so that your legs are extended out behind you, with feet together. Then, simply curl the toes under, which will engage your hamstrings. You could also try this one with heels together and close to your bottom. Hold for 2 seconds before returning the feet flat on the floor again. Do 8 of these 3 times.
7. Side Plank
This is a great exercise to tone your sides and “suck in that tummy.” Begin by lying on your side with feet together, then prop yourself up into a side plank position by resting on one forearm. Make sure you support all of your weight—don't let the bottom half of your body sag towards the floor. Now, simply balance for 30 seconds before repeating on the other side. Try and complete 3 sets of this.
In all of your daily hustle and bustle as a parent, it's easy to forget about the importance of exercise. But for the sake of your health and well-being, be sure to include some of these fast exercise routines.
You may feel like you don't have enough time or that several other things are going on when trying to balance parenting with work and household tasks. However, making an effort will benefit both you and your family in the long run.