Quick Exercise for Busy Moms

The importance of sport is no denying anymore. But for women with babies or small kids or even working mothers, finding time to exercise can be challenging. Instead of doing exercise, finding moment to relax is sometime difficult. In fact, every household activities can be a useful form of fitness training.

Break time exercises
Basically to get the maximum benefit in the exercise, you need a minimum of 30 minutes per day. However, the "quota" of this exercise can be done in three parts, each for 10 minutes. Begin the first exercise for 10 minutes upon awakening. Continue to the second session after lunch, and the final 10 minutes after dinner. You could involve kids and husband to do this.

You could try mini-circuit training routine to help you tighten up some common problem areas (i.e. the hips, thighs, buns, upper body and abdomen). The goal of this routine is to keep your heart rate elevated, which helps burn more calories and tones the whole body.

As published in thedietchannel, the busy mom routine consists of 4 exercises. Perform one set of 10-15 reps before moving on to the next exercise. After completing all four exercises once, repeat the circuit again two more times, totaling three circuits. This workout should approximately take no longer than 10 minutes to complete. To get started, march in place or go for a small walk with your little one around the park to ensure your body is warm before starting your circuit.

1.   Curtsy lunge with lateral lift stabilizes your standing posture
Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees relaxed, and hands on the hips. Pull abs in, spine in a neutral position with the shoulders pulled down and chest lifted. Extending right leg out to the side, supporting leg is slightly bent with foot pointing forward. Step right leg diagonally behind the body, hips and torso stay facing forward, right heel is lifted. Both knees are bent in a lunge position; weight is centered over the supporting thigh. Extend both legs and swing right leg out to the side, balancing on the left leg. The moving leg should be slightly internally rotated at the hip causing you to lead the motion with the heel.
Repeat this motion up to 15 times then proceed to the next leg. Muscle focus: targets glutes, quads, hamstrings and abs for standing stabilization

2.   Single leg lunge swings
Feet together, knees relaxed, abs pulled in with shoulders relaxed and chest lifted. Take a large step forward with the right leg. Bend both knees, keep right knee inline with ankle and left knee pointing down to the floor. Hold the lunge, contracting the abs for balance, maintaining a neutral spine and push the swing forward with your arms and chest. Push off right front foot and thigh and bring feet back together, repeat alternating legs. Muscle focus: targets glutes, quads, hamstrings, chest, arms, shoulders and abs

3. Flamingo pick ups
Stand tall with your right leg extended behind the body, arms on hips. Exhale as you contract your abs and hinge forward from the hips, maintaining pelvis square to the front. Simultaneously lift the back leg to a T-position body parallel to the floor. Hold this position for a count of 5, to make this exercise more challenging reach your left hand forward pretending to pick up something off the ground. Return back to T-position with both hands on hips. Contract the glutes and hamstrings; hinge the body back to start position. Muscle Focus: Targets glutes, hamstrings and abs. Modifications: hold a chair or the wall for support if you have poor balance.

4.   Ab planks work the whole body
Place your hands on top of a step or climbing frame, placing you on an incline. Your hands should be directly underneath the shoulders. Move feet back and extend the body into a plank position, abs are contracted to keep torso supported. Exhale; draw your right knee to chest without moving the upper body. Inhale swing the leg back maintaining the pelvis square to the floor, contracting the glutes and hamstrings. Muscle focus: Works the whole body all at the same time! Targets chest, shoulders, arms, abs, glutes and hamstrings. Tip: While performing this exercise imagine you’re pushing away from the floor contacting your lats and upper back muscles which stabilize your shoulder girdle. Your core is tight without any movement as you move the leg. Modifications: Lower supporting knee to the ground and gradually lift the knee off the floor as you get stronger. Eventually you can extend the body out in to full plank.

Source: thedietchannel