How about some legs, arms and chest today? Add some weight to our exercises….you don’t have any weights? We have a solution! Let’s start with legs. Time for some fun!
Dog Food/Cat Food Squats– Grab a bag of dog/cat food. Hold it close to you. Keeping your back as straight as possible, chest up, bend the knees to about 90 degrees and stand back up. You are working quads, hamstrings, and glutes, as well as abdominals! *Beware of dog! π (3 sets, 15 times each)
Kid Press– If you have a young child, lie on your back while you are holding them on your chest. Press them up until your arms are straight and still over chest. They will LOVE this! If you don’t have access to a child, push-ups will do fine! Great for triceps and chest. *You may want to do it over a couch or a soft area just in case! (3 sets, 15 times each)
Stair Calf Raise– Stand on the edge of a step so that your heels are hanging off (on the balls of your feet). Let your heels drop below the step and raise up as high as you can onto your toes. Great calf work! (3 sets, 15 times each)
Now do some stretches with the little one if you have one! π
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Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackGood stuff Mark. But, dang…my kids are too big for the “kid press” – their long legs would dangle everywhere (but it’s really the weight that will get me…) – so I’ll do the push ups!! Stair calf raises – I haven’t done these in forever – I’m in on these for sure…
These are great. I decided to skip the gym today and do my lifting in-house. I might incorporate some. Well, no dog at the moment and no kids, but I know there has to be a stair around here somewhere! π
Stair Calf Raise does it every time. As a mom, it is so easy to forget that we sometimes don’t need to go to the gym. There are so many things we can do right at home. This is a good one.
Nice, Mark! Well, I don’t give my dogs, dog food, so I will use water bottles. And I don’t have kids, so I can use my pug (she weighs 22lbs). Do like the stair calf raises! Thanks!
@Lance,You are a strong guy, lift those kids up! π
@Lori,Some good calf work!
@A Day to Share with Tammy,So true….thanks for your feedback!
@There you go the pug will do! π
If I did cat food squats I would expend more energy warding off my cats than I would performing squats! These are fun ways to incorporate exercise without going anywhere.
It’s nice when we can do exercise right in our own homes! No excuses anymore! thanks for the exercises.
Great post, Mark, as usual with helpful hints.
I’m not interested in joining a gym right now & so I’m using my staircase as my stairstepper for cardio. It’s free! I bought myself some weights to use at home for now, too. I’d like to make working out a habit before I spend money on a gym membership.
You are a great cheerleader & inspiration for us all. You MATTER!
Fun! My kiddos love it when I do leg presses with them too. Not going to even attempt to do with cat/dog food. I would have drooling animals in my face the whole time!
Good stuff. Thanks, Mark!
So on target, Mark!! I just got back from carrying a 50 pound bag out to my hungry horse!!
@Stacy,Ha those cats! π
@Blake, so true…thanks!
@Katschi, Thank you for your kind words and feedback!
@cathy, Kids do enjoy it!
@Dr.J, You are always on it! π
LMAO I bet you $50 I’d get my teef knocked out if I tried it HAHAHA
My youngest is pushing 30lbs and my oldest is pushing 60lbs. If I feel strong I use my oldest, then I realize I am a weenie and grab my youngest! Great suggestions!
Haha, no kids, no dogs or cats (and the little bag of chinchilla food doesn’t offer much weight nor does the chinchilla).
This is where I blush and admit I could probably open up a gym in my basement I’ve got so much equipment. However, I do still do calf raises on the steps!
Guess I can use that heavy bag of cat litter & the steps. Two more to add to the arsenal of what can be done at home! Thanks, Have a great week!
@Marcy, tough kid? π
@KD, there you go!
@Anya, No need to improvise for you! π
@Great idea..you too!
Beware of dog is right! My dog would rock me if I tried. Besides, I think 50 pounds might be a bit much for me. π
I really need to be better about streching!! Thanks for the reminder. π
“kid press”…would probably work with a bag of dog food too (depending on the size)! I would do anything in leu of push ups!
@FBG, Big dog? π
@Munchkins, Of course…thank you!
@Diana, There you go! π
I’ve been thinking of staying after work one night and do a few laps up and down the stairs. I’ll have to try out the stair press exercise also.
I like that kid press
I tried pressing my sister but she’s over 300lbs.
Nearly killed me!
Hehe its wonderful how so many things can be incorporated into exercise:)
Mu husband does kid presses every day… it’s fun for the kids and a great workout for him!
Wonderful exercises as always Mark. I like that they don’t require weights.
I also did something similar w/child. I would lie on my back with knees drawn into my chest and lay my kid ontop of my knees and then extend legs and then bring them back in.
Okay, it’s been a long time since I’ve done this, so not sure if I’m explaining it correctly lol.
@DC Watts, Great idea!
@I do too!
@That would be tough!
@I agree!
@Vered, That is fantastic!
@LisaM, I like it…thanks for the feedback!
Great ideas! I will use them on the days I can’t make it to the gym!
Bags of cat food. Now that? I have. Good tip. π
Hi Mark,
Just dropping by to share a Fitness Moment with you. I FINALLY joined a gym. I came to the conclusion that when I get home at night I just want to relax, not worry about exercise. This way, I will be all exercised before I get home.
I have never belonged to a gym, and to be honest I’m a bit nervous. However, part of my membership is a 1 hour session with a Personal Trainer to learn the ropes. I have that on Monday. Will keep you posted here, and likely on my site, on my fitness journey.
@Megan, Good idea!
@Maggies Mind, Your cat will enjoy watching you… π
@Urban Panther, Fantastic! I look forward to your journey updates!
hmmm…using the plastic jug of kitty litter would probably be a better idea – my kitties would gang up and take me down if I used their precious food!
When did my baby become too big to press? Now, I’m DEpressed!
Love the kid presses. Having a grandchild soon.
Great tips Mark!
Thanks for proving yet again that fitness is free and available to everyone who seriously wants to live a healthier life. NO EXCUSES!
As I don’t have kids or pets, I suppose I’ll have to squat and press my husband. He is the my kid equivalent, trust me!
Here’s another kid one I used to do….you can do this when the kid is pretty big too (up to 100 pounds or so), but toddlers really love it. Lay on your back with legs up and bent at 90 degree angle. Have kid lay on your legs facing you and holding your hands. Then just to leg lifts until your kid is practically upside down, do as many as you can….great for legs, abs and core….and also great for producing squeals of delight.
@Missicat,good idea!
@Mama Zen, You can do it! π
@Dr. Hubbard,Congrats!
@christinekambo,Ha! Funny!
@Juicebox.mom, I like it..thanks!
Love the tips to use things around the house-instead of worrying about specialized equipment!
I need MOTIVATION to get in gear
Oh, Mark, I accidentally deleted my blog tonight! I feel heartsick!!! I started it back up but I lost all my posts!! IF I’m on your blogroll, could you please fix the link??
You just got rid of my biggest excuse for not working out more regularly! I don’t know whether to be angry or appreciative. π Either way, the dog food squats are awesome!
I am so showing Kid Press to my husband! This is brilliant! π
Got here through Maricris’ (Zen Ventures) blog.
The kid press sounds like a lot fun. I will try that with my 81/2 month old son. Nice post! π
I’m so glad to see this. I used to bench press my nephews. At first, I thought, “OMG, I’m using my nephew as exercise equipment.” But then I thought, “Hey, he’s laughing and my uncles did it to me.” haha
I love the idea of everyday fitness, but I think I need to learn to work it in more. I’m so used to my regular weight workouts at the gym that I tend to ignore other stuff I could do OUTSIDE the gym on a day-to-day basis. π