Life is hectic and it can be difficult getting to the gym every day. More often than not, by the time you get home from a day of classes, work, or anything in between, you’re reaching for a snack, brewing a cup of hot tea, putting on your favorite pajama pants, and sliding into bed.
Not to worry – here are some quick 1-minute exercises, along with demonstration photos and a video, which you can do in your kitchen while you’re making a snack, tea, dinner, or even just while watching TV! You can either do them all separately or together for a 5-minute workout that leads to full body toning.
1. Jumping Jacks
If you are doing all five exercises, this is the first one you should do to get your heart pumping and get in some cardio. If you are just doing one, this is still a good, quick exercise to get some light cardio in for the day and get your blood flowing. This is simply 60 seconds of your standard jumping jack, pushing your legs out as far as you can and keeping your arms wide. Feel free to stop and breathe if need be, doing a minute straight of jumping jacks is not easy!
2. Lunges
This a good move to get your legs toned and build muscle. Start by putting your hands upward-facing in your center chest area. Step back and lunge as far back and down low as you can without straining yourself too far. This will get your leg muscles working, as well as tighten up the gluteus! 60 seconds of lunges and you’ve got your leg-toning in!
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3. Squats
Oh, squats. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them! This is one of the most efficient exercises you can do for your legs/gluteus area, as it targets a large general area and the exercise is quick and precise. As you bend down, keep your back as straight as possible, while swooshing your hands up to chest level each time you go down. If you want some extra weight, hold that cup of tea or glass of wine! 60 seconds of squats and your butt is good to go!
4. Kitchen Counter Push-Ups
If you’re like me, you know floor pushups are extremely difficult, especially if you don’t have as much upper body strength as you would like. Push-ups with your arms diagonal, palms pressed up against the kitchen counter, is definitely more doable, while still getting a great arm toning exercise. Stand arm’s length away from the kitchen counter and put your hands down on the edge, palms facing downwards. Slowly sink down into your arms and push back up. Repeat for 60 seconds.
5. Oblique Abs
It wouldn’t be full body toning without abs! For this exercise, place your hands on the side of your head and isolate your abs, rocking side to side. This will create a flow of movements that will target and tone/reduce your “love handles.”
Check out this full vidoe tutorial below and let us know if you’d like to see more!
Even with life being as crazy as it is, these quick workouts can help you stay in shape while keeping busy. Try out these five exercises and let us know how they went in the comments below!
Karishma is a Bollywood Dance Fitness Instructor based in Minneapolis, MN. Her biggest hobby, her passion, and her dedication are all to fitness. She is also a dancer and is passionate about spreading her culture to those who may not be familiar. She aspires to keep her love of fitness alive each day in everything she does!
