BeHappyMum | Top 6 Home Exercises for the Kitchen!

How much time does anyone spend in the kitchen every day? Even if it’s not spent cooking, just rounding up the kids, or it’s the most sociable room in the house, we have come up with an amazingly EASY set of home exercises, getting maximum benefit from your KITCHEN time!

Easy exercises in your own home?! Go on, lets try it now!

Stirring your risotto whilst… sculpturing your lower legs!

1. Moving your body up and down won’t impact the quality of your stirring but will contribute to stretching and toning your legs!

Keep your legs in parallel to your shoulders, slowly lift onto your toes with your legs stretched and move your heels down towards the floor – without touching the floor. Then again, up and down.

15-20 lifts can be done within 1 minute! That’s enough for round 1! Have you finished stirring your food yet? Wait for 1 minute to give your calves some rest and then repeat the lifts again! See , we told you they would be easy! Perfect for mothers at home or on-the-go!

Waiting for your baby’s bottle to cool down? Tone up your arms and bust!

The whole superset of the next 2 exercises for your upper body can be squeezed into those 2-3 minutes of waiting for the bottle to cool.

2. Use the tall kitchen surface, wall or even a door to lean on for your kitchen push ups. Step back (the further your feet from the surface the more intense your exercise) feet together, spread your arms wide so your arms are bent at the right angle and lean forward with your chest open, straight back and legs. Breath out and push away to strengthen your arms and lean forward again for your next push.

3. After 15 repetitions, narrow your hands to the width of your shoulders, feet still together. Again, lean forward with your elbows close to your body and push back to strengthen your arms. Keep your elbows close to your body throughout 15 repetitions. Feeling hot? This is your muscles burning not your food!

Waiting for the steak? Medium or well done? Try those squats for your buttocks…

One round of this exercise takes around a minute and a half. So depending on your preferences you can manage to workout your buttocks to lift that behind.

4. Hold the kitchen panel to help yourself exercise with maximum effect. Feet are shoulder width apart. Lower yourself into a squat, pushing your bottom away from you as if you are sitting back onto an imaginary chair. When your thighs are parallel to the floor, breathe out and slowly lift up to the starting position, using your buttock muscles to lift you.

15 squats will benefit your buttocks muscles and you can still keep an eye on your steak!

Pasta boiling? That means you have some time for your Waist Line to improve…

5. Here we go… Stand straight, stretch a tea-towel between your hands, lift your straight arms above your head, feet shoulder width apart. Breathe in and slowly lean to the left, stretching your upper body and keeping your head right in the middle of your outstretched arms. Your hips can rest against the kitchen panel. Stop when you feel the maximum stretch.

Breathe out slowly and bring your body and arms back to the starting position.

Bend to your right 15 times. Then switch the sides to bend to your left 15 times.

If your boiling is not done yet, come back to the first side and complete one for round of exercise to shape up your your waist! This exercise has many tricks and tips. Make sure you exercise correctly for maximum effect – our FitMama app has a Right & Wrong section for this Waspy Waist Superset!

What about chopping the veg? Who knew your thighs could benefit too?!

It takes some of your precious Mum time to peel the mushrooms and potatoes and sometimes…well it’s just plain boring! So take us up on our easy offer to tone up your thighs at the same time!

6. Take a yoga brick or a thick book and place it between your thighs, close to the perineum (between your bottom and lady bits!) Stand straight with your feet together and really squeeze the book with your thighs. Roll your thighs inwards and don’t let them shift forward.

Hold the book and imagine you’re trying to lift it to your perineum. You can feel how your lower abdomen lifts up and moves into your body. It’s a very subtle movement, can you feel that? Breathe normally and hold the book for 30 seconds or more but keep moving your inner thighs. This amazingly simple effortless exercise strengthens your pelvic area and tones your thighs!

WELL DONE!

Your meal is cooked and your time in the kitchen has been used more wisely! Who wouldn’t want to try this in just a few minutes at a time – kids or no kids!

We, BeHappyMum know how busy being a mother can be that’s why our apps like FitMama, PlayMama and WellMama, as well as our social media are there to help Mums save time and enjoy Motherhood!

Why not set yourself a Challenge – do this in the kitchen at least 3 times a week and see where it gets you! See OUR Real Mum challenge here!