I know that I’m not alone in feeling like life is crazy. Between work and family, there’s barely any time left. Or is there? I’ve been trying hard to incorporate easy morning workout ideas into my routine each morning, and I’ve found that it helps to fit it in first thing. Before obligations take over, The Baby needs something, or I have to rush to school to duct tape Smalls’ glasses together (true story).
Easy Morning Workout Ideas
So far I’ve lost 42 pounds, and it hasn’t been easy. It’s a choice every single day. I choose to eat good food that fuels my body, and I make it a point to get some movement in every day, even if that means that I sit down to get work done a little later.
Stretch
As I get older, I find that I deal with more joint pain more and more, and stretching helps so much. And when done correctly, you can actually strengthen your joints and ligaments. I love to do child’s pose and happy baby pose first thing in the morning before hopping out of bed.
Both poses help to open your hips and wake up your digestive system.
Take a Morning Walk
I used to get up early and run, but I’m going to be totally honest here-I kind of hate running lately.
Instead, I love a good walk to get my heart rate up and stretch my legs. The Baby loves walking with me, too. We look at all the flowers that are blooming, talk about the neighbor’s dog (he loves her), and get some fresh air.
Walking is great for helping to maintain a healthy weight, reducing the chance of contracting adult-onset diabetes, strengthening your muscles, increasing your flexibility (especially if you do some post-walk stretches!).
Make sure that you wear quality shoes to support your feet and ankles to avoid injury.
Rebounding
Rebounding is one of my favorite activities, especially first thing in the morning.
The simple act of bouncing on a trampoline makes your heart stronger and helps to strengthen your muscles and ligaments.
And rebounding is really, really good for your lymph nodes and circulation.
Rebounding can be a tremendous workout, so make sure that you start slow and work your way up in minutes.
Body Weight Exercises Morning Workout
Sometimes you just can’t leave the house or pull out a trampoline. I get it. That doesn’t mean you can’t get a good morning workout in!
Sometimes simple is better. When I’m rushed in the morning, I try to do just two compound exercises in my kitchen while I’m making lunches or preparing breakfast.
Squats
There are many different styles of squats: sumo squats, plies, single leg squats, plyometric squats…
And that’s not an extensive list. Squats are awesome because they work your body’s largest muscles, and you don’t need any special equipment to do them.
Whatever type of squat you choose, make sure that you keep your knees and ankles aligned over your toes and push your booty back so that you maintain proper alignment.
If you’re just starting out, doing a basic squat 10 times may be enough. As you get stronger, add more reps or squat variations to challenge yourself and work your muscles from different angles.
Push Ups
The next thing I do is push ups. Now, I’m not a huge fan of push ups, but they’re a great way to get your morning workout in fast.
You can do traditional push ups, wide grip push ups, standing push ups, incline push ups, Spiderman push ups…
You get the idea. Pick one to start (I recommend wall or standing push ups until you build up strength), and do 10. If that’s easy, shoot for another 10.
Add variations to challenge yourself as you get stronger.
If you have more time, add in some rebounding or go for a quick walk-even 10 minutes is enough to help improve your circulation and digestion!
