At-Home Exercise Routine for Busy Moms.

3 Quick Exercises You Can Do at Home

A busy mom’s schedule can be overwhelming and can also be why so many women are struggling with their weight. There are still a million things to do, and before you know it, it’s 2- p.m. and time for the children to come back home.

Exactly where are we supposed to fit in exercise? Just the thought of changing into workout clothes, driving to the gym, finding a machine that doesn’t look like a medieval torture device and hoping it’s available.

The truth is, the stress of a busy mom’s schedule combined with those few extra pounds, can lead to serious health risks. On the days that going to the gym is more stressful than beneficial, you can actually get a good workout at home. Here are three resistance exercises and a complete routine that will work out multiple body parts with practically no equipment and require very little space.

Squats

A recent study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research revealed that squats are one of the best exercises to strengthen the abdominal muscles.

Here’s how to perform a proper squat:

Place your feet hip-width apart.
Bring your arms forward, hinge at the waist and sit back as if reaching for a chair that someone is pulling away. Be sure that your knees do not move forward but stay behind your toes while you go as deep as possible until the top of your legs is parallel to the floor.
Return to the standing position by pushing on your heels and lifting your chest.

Push-ups

Push-ups are another multipurpose exercise that strengthens your arms, chest, back, abs and glutes all at once. Try and go for a regular push-up. Here’s how:

Start on your hands and knees.
Place your hands wider than your shoulders and your knees should be behind your hips.
Next, bend your elbows and lower your chest and hips simultaneously until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle.
Finally, push on your hands to lift your chest and hips back into the starting position.

Tricep Dips

As the name implies, this exercise focuses on the triceps, an area of concern for many women. To perform tricep dips:

First, sit on the floor and place your hands on the floor behind your hips and directly below your shoulders.
Bend your knees, place your feet under the knees and lift your hips off the floor; this is your starting position.
Bend your elbows and lower your upper body, just before the hips touch the floor.
Extend your arms and push on your heels to return to the starting position.