Ah fall!  The crisp cool air, the vibrant colors…the endless raking!  Every Monday this month we’ll be featuring exercises to help you firm up while doing your fall clean-up.  Don’t worry – if you don’t live where the leaves fall from the trees or you “leaf” the raking to someone else, many of our fall clean-up exercises can also be done while sweeping or mopping.

Let life be your workout in the yard with our Leaf Lunges:

Hold rake to the left of your body, feet shoulder width apart and facing forward.

As you reach and extend the rake to the left, also extend your left leg out into a lunge in the same direction. (See photo.)

As you rake in the leaves, place your weight on your right leg and draw your left leg up in front of your body. (See photo.) Proceed immediately into your next lunge.

Keep your supporting leg slightly bent and your abs engaged throughout this exercise.  Repeat for a set of 12 lunges, before switching sides to lead with the right leg for a second set of 12.

SUGGESTED CARDIO COMPONENT: Raking itself can be a great cardio workout.  Pick up the pace and get your heart pumping with 10-30 minutes of moderate intensity raking.  

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Tired of pushing paper for someone else?  Make your paperwork work for you with our Pushing Paper arm exercises.

Holding a ream of paper with both hands stand with your feet hip width apart and your knees slightly bent.  Extend the paper in front of you at chest height and slowly raise it above your head (see video).  This is starting position.  From this overhead position bend your elbows lowering the paper behind your head.  Make sure elbows are up and pointing to the ceiling.

RECOMMENDED CARDIO COMPONENT: Make your next coffee break a cardio break by walking briskly up and down the stairs for 10 minutes. No stairs? Hit the sidewalk for a fast-paced pick me up walk around the block.

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Every day has its ups and downs – and so should your legs!  This two-in-one exercise will tone and stretch your calves.

First, balance on the edge of a curb on the balls of your feet. Press up rising up onto your toes  (See photo.)  Engage your abs and squeeze your glutes for balance and burn while keeping head raised and back straight.  Hold for a 3-count of “Squeeze-It-In” and slowly return to start taking care to regain your balance with each rep.  Repeat for 2 sets of 12.

 Part Two:  Continue to balance on the curb on the balls of your feet.  Slightly dip heels down below the curb (see photo).  This is a subtle, small movement designed to stretch your calf muscle. Return to starting position. Slowly repeat dips for a set of 12.  Do not rise up on toes.

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Talk about a conversion!  Score extra points with this move that will tighten your back end.

Stand with a couch or chair behind you.  Bend one knee and extend that leg back toward the couch centering the top of the foot on the couch.  This is starting position.  (See photo.)

Slowly lower your front leg into a lunge position ensuring your front knee does not extend beyond your toes.  Engage your abs, keep back straight, and keep head and neck up throughout this move.  (See photo.)  Use the front leg to push yourself back up to starting position.  Continue until you have completed a set of 12.  Switch legs and complete another set of 12.

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Drowning in a sea of paperwork with no exercise in sight? Get your workout in at work with our Binder Backs.

Sit in your office chair holding binders of roughly equal weight in each hand.  Bend over from your waist bringing your chest parallel with the floor (see video).  Lower the binders by bringing your hands together in front of your legs.  This is starting position.

Slowly raise your arms out to the sides lifting the binders no higher than shoulder height while keeping your elbows slightly bent.  Return to starting position.  Continue for 2 sets of 12.

Keep your head and back aligned throughout this exercise.

RECOMMENDED COMPANION CARDIO:  Take a brisk walk around the office or around the block!

Standing at the bus stop has never been so slimming. Sweep your way to slimmer thighs with our Street Sweepers.

Stand with legs hip-width apart.  You must engage your core during this exercise to maintain your balance.  Raise one leg a few inches off the ground.

Using your inner thigh muscles (not the momentum of your extended foot) sweep the raised leg in a fluid and controlled motion in front and across the standing leg. (See photo.) Sweep leg back to starting position, but do not allow foot to touch the ground.

Repeat for 2 sets of 12 on each side.

Variation:  While sweeping leg is crossed in front of standing leg hold for a 3-count of “Squeeze-It-In “ before returning to starting position.

CAUTION:  Do not lock knee of standing leg at any point during this exercise.

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Hold everything – or nothing!  This simple isometric stretch will put long lean arms in the palm of your hand.

While sitting or standing, bring hands together parallel to your chest. Keeping your back straight and your core engaged, squeeze your hands together creating tension and resistance throughout your arms for 10-15 seconds.  Release and repeat for a set of 12.

You can either hold a football or clasp your hands for this exercise.

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Long hours taking the wind out of your sails and your workout?

Steal a few minutes for fitness and get your midship in shape with our Work the Plank moves.

Stand a few feet away from your desk.  Lean against the desktop resting on a bent elbow on the desktop and extend your body out in a straight line (see video).  Rest the opposite arm on your thigh.  Keep body completely aligned from feet to head.  Engage your abs.  Hold this plank position for at least 30 seconds and then switch sides.

Once you are comfortable with 30 seconds try to increase your time with each plank you perform.

Variation:  While holding the plank position dip your hip down toward the floor and bring back up to starting position.  Complete a set of 12 and then switch sides.

Variation II:  Raise top leg and resting arm up and hold for 30 seconds while in plank position.  Repeat on other side.

September means back to school. Look for new bus stop exercises on Mondays this month and help your little ones learn to let life be their workout, too!

Make waiting a workout with our Bus Stop Stomp.

Face the curb and place feet about hip width apart. Squat down while putting all of your weight into your heels. (See photo of SqueezeItIn.com’s Jenny with her daughter on the first day of school this year.) 

Push up and jump onto the curb planting both feet firmly on the ground.  Your knees should not extend forward beyond your toes. (See photo.) 

Squat down, push up, and jump back down to the street.  Continue until you have completed 1 set of 12.  After a short rest, complete a second set of 12.

Low Impact Variation:  Eliminate the jump, but stay low in squat position as you step up and down on the curb: Step right leg up onto the curb, then left.  Bring right leg back down and then left. Continue this movement for at least 2 sets of 12.

Note:  If your child is performing this exercise with you, make sure they are using proper form as described above.

SqueezeItIn.com during enough games this season and this seated crunch could move flab offsides – that’s off your sides – in time for the bowl games.

Sit on the sofa with feet firmly planted on the ground and bring hands behind your head.  Twisting at your middle and keeping your abs engaged (squeezed in) throughout, slowly raise one knee up toward your chest while bringing the opposite elbow toward the raised knee.  (See photo.)

Hold for a 3-count of “Squeeze-It-In” and then return to center and lower leg.

Repeat the same movement on the other side. (See photo.)

Continue until you have completed 2 sets of 12 twists on each side.

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