March 26 Weekly Challenge: Micro Workouts
themedalist
Posts: 3,218 Member
Theme: Exercise and Movement
Challenge: Micro Workouts
We’ve had a running theme going this month with many of our weekly challenges: the big impact of small changes. Whether it’s a tiny new healthy habit, a food swap, or another small change in our eating habits, small changes are the most sustainable and as such, they’re a great roadmap to reaching our health and wellness goals.
Let’s close out March with a focus on small increments of time. Let’s capitalize on the few minutes we have throughout the day when we take a break to use the restroom, get a drink of water, wait for the microwave or our kids at the bus stop, when we’re standing in line, or sitting through a string of commercials waiting for our favorite TV show to return. These kinds of activities are good triggers to cue us to slide in a few minutes of exercise. Easy and effective!
Some ideas for micro workouts:
This Week’s Challenge: Identify one or more exercises you can work on this week that you can easily do in just a few minutes. What will be your trigger for doing the exercise? Ideally, the trigger would be something you do or something that happens to you several times a day.
Several of our previous weekly challenges lend themselves well to this week’s challenge, and those links are listed below.
Make it a great week!
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Suggested Resources:
Lots of Squats!
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10573046/july-3-weekly-challenge-lots-of-squats
Wall Pushups
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10613523/nov-6-weekly-challenge-wall-push-ups
Balancing Act
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10600284/sept-25-weekly-challenge-balancing-act
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Challenge: Micro Workouts
We’ve had a running theme going this month with many of our weekly challenges: the big impact of small changes. Whether it’s a tiny new healthy habit, a food swap, or another small change in our eating habits, small changes are the most sustainable and as such, they’re a great roadmap to reaching our health and wellness goals.
Let’s close out March with a focus on small increments of time. Let’s capitalize on the few minutes we have throughout the day when we take a break to use the restroom, get a drink of water, wait for the microwave or our kids at the bus stop, when we’re standing in line, or sitting through a string of commercials waiting for our favorite TV show to return. These kinds of activities are good triggers to cue us to slide in a few minutes of exercise. Easy and effective!
Some ideas for micro workouts:
- Squats
- Wall pushups
- Planks/Push-ups
- Calf raises
- Toe Raises
- Walking lunges
- Glute squeezes
- Balancing on one leg, alternating feet
- Yoga stretches
- Tricep Dips
- Seated Leg Raises
- Walking!
This Week’s Challenge: Identify one or more exercises you can work on this week that you can easily do in just a few minutes. What will be your trigger for doing the exercise? Ideally, the trigger would be something you do or something that happens to you several times a day.
Several of our previous weekly challenges lend themselves well to this week’s challenge, and those links are listed below.
Make it a great week!
............................................................................................................................................
Suggested Resources:
Lots of Squats!
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10573046/july-3-weekly-challenge-lots-of-squats
Wall Pushups
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10613523/nov-6-weekly-challenge-wall-push-ups
Balancing Act
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10600284/sept-25-weekly-challenge-balancing-act
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Hello...Monday!!! Let’s Move!
Please post your workout here:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10637806/move-it-monday-weekly-challenge3 -
I like this idea of squeezing in mini workouts.
-I am going to try the 10 squats per hour
-Walking in place while my coffee brews
-Calf raises while brushing teeth
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Great post! Lots of good info and suggestions.
I will do some wall push ups, squats, leg raises while I watch tv!
Have a great week everyone.4 -
I'm finally ready to take this on! I have been starting to do this on my own and I enjoy it. I'm going to do five squats before I sit down throughout the day as my new thing. Currently I do wall (actually sink) push-ups after brushing my teeth, and walking/jogging in place when filling my water or waiting for the microwave. I'm finding that determining the trigger is the biggest challenge.4
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I've started to jog in place while waiting on the microwave. There are some other great ideas here that I'm going to incorporate in to my day as well. Thanks for the ideas and inspiration!4
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I have done 50 squats...it's a start. I was busy with Jonny today and actually forgot to stop each hour and do my squats.
I did walk in place many times today.
I did calf raises 3 times today3 -
I just read this so didn't actually start today with anything, but I love the idea of mini workouts! I am trying to think of what could trigger me to do some of these, especially at the office... I think I will do wall push-ups after using the restroom throughout the day, and I think I will do 5 semi squats before sitting down throughout the day.
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I’m going to be working on wall pushups this week. I love how easy they are to do and how effective!3
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I had a move it Monday. Got my lawn cut for the first time before we get almost 3 days or rain. I'm going to try and give wall/sink pushups a try. I'll alternate that with my jogging while I'm waiting on the microwave. 2
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Love these micro workouts! Why just stand around waiting for the microwave when you can be doing squats or calf raises?! My kids find it funny when I start doing squats in the kitchen but now they're starting to join in and it's becoming a game. Will definitely keep using these micro workouts this week and beyond!4
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I have Jonny, my grandson all week due to spring break. I have not been consistent on my micro workouts but I am getting more than the usual done.
50 squats
20 calf raises
4 Leslie miles
30 min soccer with Jonny
yoga with Jonny
We fight Captain Hook and Black Beard many times a day. We are always running through the house battling pirates. We also ride Ybikes while doing so. I am exhausted when he goes home but I am having a blast.3 -
I’m enjoying reading about your micro workouts. It is a good way to take advantage of a few minutes throughout the day, isn’t it?
In addition to wall pushups, I’m working on some calf and toe raises, since that’s an area I’m weak in.
Thank you for your posts!0 -
I like this challenge. Since I work in an office all day and am sitting on my rump, I am going to make a goal to get up every 30 minutes and do a minute to two minutes worth of exercising from this list.2
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Sorry I haven't commented earlier. I love micro-exercise. It is one of my secrets for getting in activity in a busy day. I do lots of mini walks (10-12 minutes so that My Fitbit will count it). I like to pick an exercise each week to work on. I'll set a goal per day 100 squats, wall push ups, lunges, etc. Then I break that big number up into 10 micro workouts and throw them into my day wherever they fit.
This week I'm doing squats. Monday was good, Tuesday I didn't make my goal, but I'll try to catch up today.2 -
While I brush my teeth I do 2 rounds of 10 calf raises/10 toe raises. I want to add the stretch to the door frame and squats. I really love this weeks challenge. Thank you so much for doing this @themedalist1
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I’m so pleased that you all are excited about micro workouts! I think they are a perfect complement to a regular workout. And since there’s a natural trigger and they are easy to do, they can become a habit.1
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So I really tried to incorporate micro exercises into my day today. I did a total of 30 pushups at work after using the restroom and did 20 squats while waiting for things in the kitchen. I'm actually really proud of myself. I went from being able to stand while behind the line to only being able to sit. So after two days of it, my back is hurting. I'm going to have to work on my a lot more now.5
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