Simple and Easy Indoor Workouts

UPDATE: I just found the best move to work my buttocks. This is an area I struggle to engage the muscles in. Find a wall and standing facing away from it about 2 feet lift one foot and place it on the wall. Then do as many one legged squats as possible, then switch.

It's mid November and it's getting colder. If you're like me then you do not have a gym membership and once it starts snowing it's going to be hard to get outside and get some exercise with a baby. The past couple of years my fiance and I would go skiing, that was pretty awesome and a good workout. I tried running in the winter but for me it was painful because the cold air hurt my lungs and throat.

Every since I was a teenager I have tried to always do body toning workouts whenever I could. My sister and best friend would make fun of me because I would knock out sets of sit-ups while in bed just before going to sleep. I like to do squats too at random times, like whenever I'm warming something up in the microwave, or brushing my teeth. At work I would do push-ups and dips while holding on the countertops. I think I get this side of me from my father who loved working out and did nearly everyday until his death.

I've just always felt it was important to keep moving, building muscle, and staying strong as I get older. I don't know if everyone feels that way but it's a good idea since you start to lose muscle mass and flexibility as you get older. Basically I love life and want to live as long as possible, but not only that, be able to walk and move easier than I have seen many elderly struggle with.

Here's a few different exercises I like to do and how I like to do them:

I don't bother counting my reps (reps are the amount of times the exercise is done) I just keep going until I max out and can't do it anymore. So I pick what part of my body I'm going to work on that day, legs, arms, or core. If I did my whole body in one day I would get really sore all over and I'd rather just be sore in one area.

For my arms I like to hold a plank pose and then I bring one knee in at a time to my elbows (this one is challenging and I can't do very many but I always try to do 2 more than what I think I can).

I do as many push-ups as possible.

I do arm curls with a 5lb weight. I do all kinds of things with my weights actually, I lift them in just about any position that I can imagine to work and tone every part of my arms.

For my core I like to also get into the plank position and bring my knees one at a time up to each opposite elbow. It's pretty much a great exercise for working every part of your body. I do crunches in a couple different ways. Regular crunches (chin off the chest), until I max out. Then I will do crunches with my hands behind my head and then I alternate meeting my right elbow with my left knee and then my left elbow with my right knee (you know what I mean right?).

I also like to take one of the 5lb barebells and hold it with both hands in a seated position with my knees up. Then I bring it from one side of my waist to the other, tapping the floor on each side (check out pic above). Core exercises are really important for keeping your posture and balance strong.

For my legs squats are the easiest exercise to do anytime. Like I said, while I'm microwaving my coffee (for the 1,000th time) or brushing my teeth. Who cares if you don't feel the burn, you're still doing something and you're keeping those joints greased. I only do a few other exercises for my legs and that's jump squats and jump lunges.

Building or maintaining muscle is all well and good but I also like to do yoga to stay flexible and sane. Yoga is also really good for the core.

I wrote this post because I know people who say they don't have time to workout. I don't think it's a time thing I think it's a lack of motivation thing. I don't know if you know this but I also have 3 kids, 2 are in school half the day so that helps but I have a baby and she doesn't like naps and when she does it's usually on me and if I even try to put her down she instantly wakes up. But I find the time and the ways because it's important to me and I don't want to be too crippled when I'm old, if I get old. I go days sometimes without working out because I lack the motivation but I always think about it and how much better I feel afterwards. Anything is going to be better than nothing. You don't need a gym membership or crazy equipment unless you're trying out for a body building competition. Keep it creative and you won't get bored. Understand and feel your body and you will figure out which exercises work the best.

Good luck!