week 2 - workout ideas

As I am laying in bed watching Biggest Loser, I thought there is no time better than the present to share some more exercise ideas.  There are a ton of great resources online for workouts to do in your own home.  As always, please consult with a doctor before beginning any new exercise regiment, modify the exercises if necessary, listen to your body while still challenging yourself, and drink plenty of water.  Here are a couple workouts I'm checking out this week:

Here is a great HIIT (high intensity interval) workout
http://backonpointe.tumblr.com/post/34656019765/repeat-twice-through-for-a-complete-20-minute

I'm heading to Florida in less than 3 weeks so this one hit a cord...I don't expect to be bikini ready in that amount of time (come on now, I'm not expecting any miracles here), I just want to give myself a jump start on the summer.
http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2011/06/bikini-body-workout-slideshow#slide=1

Did anyone see the "last chance work out" that Bob created for his team?  He wrote random exercises on each card in a deck of cards and drew one by one.  8 burpees, 10 jumping jacks, 6 push ups, and on and on.  Great idea!

Another great at-home workout:

And let's face it - sometimes we just have to get creative.  For example, today was a CRAZY day.  So here's how I fit in my 30 minutes or more of exercise:
  -  I took the kids for a 20 min walk, well I push the baby in the stroller and my toddler rides his bike.  This allows me to walk briskly or jog the majority of the time.  Plus there are some great hills in our area. 
  - I rode the stationary bike for 10 min while the kids napped
  - We had a dance party in the living for for about 15-20min.  This is the time to pull out all the big moves: the lawnmower, the sprinkler, the running man, all those moves from the club you wouldn't be caught dead doing in public any more.  Ha!  And throw in a few traditional exercise moves like running in place, jumping jacks, jump squats, etc.  get your heart rate up and keep it there.  Fun for the whole family!

So I encourage you to find a few workouts that you really like and stick to them for the rest of the month.  Make sure to include some weight bearing exercises 2-3 times a week.  Then change it up after 4 weeks to keep your body on its toes.  I'll periodically share more workout ideas so I promise you won't be lacking in that area.  

Happy exercising!!!
Sarah