femalenetwork.com

My mother always told me that the most basic form of exercise I can do at home is household chores. There’s a lot of wisdom to this as many housekeeping tasks can be physically demanding.

Sweeping about with a walis tambo or the typical native broom and dust pan is a back-bending, arm-stretching activity, while wiping and dusting walls, windows and furniture are useful is extending the body, especially when trying to reach hard to clean corners and areas of the dining area. Cooking is quite challenging in itself. It can be a mental exercise that starts off with budgeting the week, doing the marketing and groceries and finally, the actual food preparation. Spending a lot of time chopping, dicing and mincing or stirring in front of the oven and stove can be fatiguing to the legs. However, the steam from the pots often also serve as a facial and a sauna that helps open and unclog skin pores.

Gardening is literally a dirty, manual task with therapeutic benefits. Ironing, on the other hand, can be considered a simple form of weight-lifting, depending on how heavy the iron you're using is. Bathing the family’s frisky pet dog is an enjoyable errand, which most often than not, leads you to take a bath yourself afterwards.

You'll realize that exercise through the usual home chores is doubly productive. As you get the house work completed, so does some of your much-needed exercise. But if you’re still looking for a work-out that’s easy to do at home, and which would isolate muscles, then the next few ideas would come in handy:

1. Stretching in the morning always gets you started well for the day. From a standing position, stretch your arms up into the air, down to the ground and to each side. Feel the muscles on each side gently being pulled. Breathe in and out in a relaxed rhythm. With a yoga mat or a bath towel laid on the floor, accomplish a full or half split--whichever you are comfortable with – and hug your legs one side at a time while trying to touch your forehead onto your knee, hold for as long as you can, and release.
2. Sit on the floor in a butterfly position with both soles of your feet against each other and bend forward to touch your forehead to your feet. Spread your legs apart and bend forward, trying to touch your forehead to the ground.
3. Crunches help isolate and tone the abdominal muscles. Lay down on your back with your knees partly bent and both soles of your feet resting on the ground. Cup your head with your two hands on the base of your head and lift your head and torso towards the sky just high enough to feel your stomach muscles tense. Relax and lay down. Do this for three sets of ten repetitions.
4. Since you’re already on the floor, do a few push-ups to work on your arm and upper back muscles. Lay down on the mat facing the floor with both palms flat on the floor but positioned on the side of the chest area. Cross your feet on top of each other and push against the floor with your palms and 2 knees to steady your body. Slowly bring your body down and repeat for three sets of ten repetitions. Soon, when you are used to balancing your weight in this up and down movement, you may opt to steady your weight on both palms and on your toes.
5. Toned biceps and triceps are often visible signs of developed upper body strength. They also usually give one more freedom and confidence in wearing sleeveless tops. Go and raid your kitchen cupboard for a big can of tomato sauce (or any semi-heavy canned good). Hold it firmly in one hand with your arm outstretched and facing upward. Lift and curl your bicep for 3 sets of 10 reps. Do the same with the other arm.
6. Use the flight of steps at home to flex your muscles in the calves and thighs. The number of flights up and down will depend on how many steps you have at home.
   
7. Need to do some cardio, but can’t leave your home? Jump roping is a fun activity that can easily raise one’s heart rate as well as one’s hand-eye-foot coordination. And you only need but a small space at home. Just stay clear of breakables.

Whether you're washing the laundry or lifting some dumbbells, getting some good exercise doesn't have to mean leaving the house and going off to the gym.