Great legs are just a few steps away with this park bench exercise.

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Step your right foot onto the bench.  (Make sure your foot is flat and securely on the bench before starting this exercise.)  Focusing on your right leg, bring your body up onto the bench as if it were a large step.  Once up hold and squeeze your left leg behind you for a 3-count of “Squeeze-It-In”. 

Come back down on the left leg and then bring your right leg down and tap the ground. Repeat until you have completed 1 set of 12. Switch to the left leg for another set of 12.

SqueezeItIn.com is kicking off football season with Football Fridays. Whether you are a true football fan or a fan for your man you can SqueezeItIn while watching the big game.  Look for a new Football Friday exercise every Friday through the end of September.

Grab a pigskin (or any ball) and toss your way to tighter abs.

Lie on floor with your knees bent.  Grasp the football between your hands. Your lower back should be flat against the floor.  Engage your abs – squeezing your belly button toward your spine.  (See photo.)

Toss the ball into the air while contracting your abs, then raise your shoulders off of the floor and catch the ball.  Grab the ball hold the crunch for a 3-count of Squeeze-It-In and lower slowly back down.  Repeat crunching, throwing and catching for 2 sets of 12. 

Remember to breathe throughout this movement.  Exhale as you are coming up and inhale as you lower back to the floor.

Caution: The movement comes from your belly, not your neck. If using the ball is too difficult and strains your neck, put the ball down and gently place your hands behind your head for the remainder of your set.

Busy schedule pushing your workout off the list? 

Push back with our Cold Press:

This exercise can be done anywhere using a wall or, in this case, a refrigerator.

Place hands against the refrigerator and even with your shoulders. Extend your legs out behind you.

(See photo of SqueezeItIn.com’s Jenny Hein with Elizabeth Marcotte of Let’s Dish!)

Lower body toward the refrigerator, keeping back and legs straight. Push yourself back up to starting position. Remember to engage your core throughout this exercise.  

Repeat for 2 sets of 12.

Variation:

Move farther back from the refrigerator to make this exercise a little more challenging.

Finally!  Waiting at the bottom can improve your bottom.  While waiting at the bottom of the slide squeeze in some Slide Lunges.

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Standing at the bottom of the slide, bring right leg up and place foot on the slide.  Extend left leg behind you.  Lunge down making sure that the back knee goes straight down toward the ground and the front knee does not extend beyond your toes.  Come back up and repeat for at least 2 sets of 12. Engage your abs throughout this exercise. 

Variations:

Lunge down and before you come back up do 12 short pulses.

Lunge down and hold for a 3-count of “Squeeze-It-In.”

This week SqueezeItIn.com was featured on ABC’s Good Morning America with (the one and only) Diane Sawyer and Chris Cuomo.  You’ve got to see Chris Cuomo doing Laundry Legs!  Check it out:

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If you prefer to read GMA’s online article about SqueezeItIn.com click here.

Thank you to GMA, correspondent Taryn Winter Brill, and all of the SqueezeItIn.com fans for letting life be your workout and spreading the word that:  Life’s a gym.  Work it out!

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Put your back into it with our Bag Backs.

This exercise is great for both your back (latissimus dorsi) and arms (triceps).

With bags of equal weight in each hand, bend slightly forward from your waist taking care to keep your head and spine straight throughout the exercise.  Arms should be straight down with a bag in each hand.

Slowly bring your elbows up and back until your hands are alongside your chest. (See photo.) When elbows are raised, stop and squeeze your arms back as if trying to touch your elbows together. Lower bags to starting position.

Continue for 2 sets of 12.

This exercise can be done sitting in a chair or standing as shown.

When you see a park bench, don’t “park it” – push it!

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Stand behind the bench and place hands on the back of the bench about shoulder width apart.  Extend your legs out behind you.  Bend arms as you lower your chest to within a few inches of the bench.  Push yourself back up to the starting position.  Repeat for 2 sets of 12.

Variation:  To make this more challenging do your push ups from the front seat of the bench.

Done regularly, these subtle moves are the everyday superheroes of slimming and trimming.  Keep this Trusty Side Kick at the ready as your secret weapon in the fight against flab.   

Face forward in front of your countertop, stove or sink.  Keeping your right leg and knee straight slowly raise your left leg out to the side.  Raise it high enough to feel a good stretch in your glutes and thigh, but not so high that your hips come out of alignment. (See photo of Jenny with Elizabeth Marcotte of Let’s Dish.)  Your toes, hips and shoulders should stay facing forward throughout this movement.  Remember to engage your core (squeeze in your abs) during this exercise.

Hold leg up and squeeze glute (buttock) for a 3-count of “Squeeze-It-In.”

Slowly lower your leg back to starting position but do not let your foot touch the floor.  (See photo.) 

Continue to raise and lower leg for a set of 12 and then switch legs.  Continue until you have completed 2 sets of 12 on each leg. 

Variations:  Extend leg out slowly for a 3-count of “Squeeze-It-In” and bring it back down slowly for a 3-count of “Squeeze-It-In”.

Reminder:  These toning exercises are most effective when combined with cardio. Add enough cardio to round out a 10-minute burst of activity.  Three of these “bursts” throughout the day will equal one 30-minute workout.

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Even standing at the counter is a great opportunity to SqueezeItIn. Work on your balance and strengthen your core with our Counter Balance.

While standing in front of your counter bend your knees slightly and engage your core (squeeze in your abs).  Slowly lift one leg off the floor about six inches. (See photo.) 

Make sure your standing leg is stabilized to help you balance. Hold your stance for 15 seconds.  Bring your leg back down and continue for 2 sets of 12 on each leg. 

To increase the difficulty raise your leg higher and/or increase the length of time you keep it raised.

Have your next picnic lunch with a side of crunch! 

Try our challenging Lunch Crunches:

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Sit on the edge of the bench. Slowly lean back onto your “sits bones”, (the boney part of your rear end), while lifting your feet. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows out to the sides. Engage your abs and find your balance before beginning this exercise.

Bring your knees in toward your chest, then extend back out to the starting position. (See video.) Concentrate on using your abdominal muscles as you bring your legs into your chest.  Keep your head up, elbows out, and don’t pull down on your neck as you crunch. 

Note from Jenny: While this do-anywhere exercise is very convenient, it’s not as easy as it looks – but the results are worth the practice!  Take your time and take care to keep your balance so as to not put added pressure on your back. Work your way up to 2 sets of 12. 

This exercise can be done on a picnic table, park bench, or on a sturdy coffee table in your home.

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