Kick and jog
This exercise will kick your butt—literally. Butt kicks are a highly effective cardio exercise designed to work your calves and butt. Jog in place, making sure that you kick yourself in the butt. Take a 30-second break when needed. (If you find butt kicks challenging, just try to get your foot as close to your butt as possible during the exercise).
Climb stairs
This low-impact exercise can be modified to make it as easy or as challenging as you prefer. You can try this convenient workout almost anywhere, whether you are at home or at the office. All you need is a staircase and comfortable shoes. Climbing up the stairs and then coming back down is an excellent way to work your legs and butt muscles. Ready to take your stair climbing up a notch? Try running up the stairs to add intensity to your workout.
Fitness on the ball
Using a stability ball for exercises can help you burn fat and build muscle. Brewster says the stability ball is an inexpensive way (approximately $10-$12) to strengthen your core. She suggests sitting on the stability ball to tone your abdomen while you watch television instead of sitting on the couch. “Sitting on it works your core,” Brewster says. “You can do your crunches during commercials.”
Another great exercise: Place the ball against the wall with your feet shoulder-width apart and lean your back against the ball. Lower yourself until the tops of your thighs are parallel to the floor. (If this is difficult, just lower yourself as far as you can go). Hold for a few seconds, then slowly push your body back to the upright position.
Hula hoop
Looking for a fun way to trim your waist? This low-intensity aerobic exercise will also work your hips, back, butt and legs. Place the hula hoop on your waist and move around. You can also place it on your arms or legs. The key is to keep it moving. You can turn on some music and hula hoop to the beat to make it more fun.
Dance
Use this art form to get in shape. Whether it’s hip hop, Jazzercise, belly dancing or Zumba, dancing has become a popular and fun way to lose weight. You can do it right in the comfort of your own home, so kick off your shoes, let loose and have a good time. Pick two or three of your all-time favorite songs — it could be a ’80’s throwback or a new song you just heard yesterday — and let the beat inspire your feet. When you’re done, you’ll have worked up a sweat and burned off some calories.
As with any workout program, make sure you warm up/cool down and stretch properly before and after you exercise to prevent injury.
More quick workout tips
Quick 15-minute workouts for moms
Bodyweight exercises for fast, effective fitness
Home fitness: Quick full-body exercises
Leave a Comment