Eats' Daily Challenge

I'm going to do my best to post daily challenges just to help motivate others to add little things than can help them improve their diet and exercise routines. This isn't a challenge that will grow to the point that it takes over your normal routine. I'm just looking to add 1-5 minutes of fitness, taking it from places you might not even realize you have it. Some days I might miss here and there, but you can always be looking for little things you can do to get something extra in. Establishing good habits is as easy as making small changes daily...you can do it!

Daily Challenge for Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011:
Length of Challenge: 5 minutes

If you cook breakfast, while your food is on the stove and the coffee is brewing, do as many repetitions of each of these things as you can for 1 minute:

*Pushups against your counter top, or a wall. - Place your feet about 3 ft away from counter or wall, arms a little more than shoulder width apart, and lean in and push out while keeping your back straight and your stomach tight.

*Calf raises - Stand straight, raise up on your toes slowly and lower yourself slowly.

*Body weight squats - Try to keep your feet firmly on the ground, resist the urge to go up on your toes. With your feet about shoulder width apart, lower yourself as much as you can while trying to keep your back straight. As you straighten again, slowly push your hips forward rather than using your back muscles.

*Pushups - (Same as before.) This exercise engages your arms, shoulders, back, core, chest, etc. Do these as as often as you can throughout your day!

*Choose either of the other two exercises and do another set.

It takes only 5 minutes, uses no complicated machines or heavy weights, it can be done anywhere (even on a quick bathroom break at the office), and it's a quick way to burn between 50 and a 100 calories. Remember, this is just something extra to add to your normal routine. You can do this as often as you want, but try to do it at least once a day!

Have a great one!

PS if you want to log this on your daily journal, search for "Calisthenics (pushups, sit-ups), vigorous effort".