Health and Fitness

Did you ever think that just doing housework could help you lose weight and get a great cardio workout? Vigorous vacuuming, scrubbing and walking around your house can get your heart rate up and work all your major muscle groups. Put on a music CD and vacuum to the music. Dance while vacuuming and use your vacuum cleaner to get in some lunges. Dancing is one of the most fun and efficient cardio workouts you can do to get in shape fast. You don't need gym equipment to work out your legs and thighs and get a great cardio workout, too.

Walk up and down the stairs 3 or 4 times every day. Jog to the mailbox and back. Instead of bending over to pick up something off the floor or get something from a low cabinet, do some squats. When you are standing in front of the dryer waiting for the last couple of minutes of the cycle to end, jog in place, do some stretches and work in a couple of lunges before the timer ends. Grab the jug of laundry detergent or bleach and do some bicep curls.

Go for a walk when the weather permits. Take a digital camera and walk around your block or walk in a park and take photos. You will have so much fun taking photographs that you will lose track of how far you've walked! Walking is an inexpensive, low-impact cardio workout that you can do anywhere. Do some jumping jacks before you start your walk and then finish off your walk with another set of jumping jacks. You will feel invigorated by the cardio workout while you lose weight.

Begin your morning with burpees. The burpee exercise is both a strength and cardio exercise that will work your entire body and rev your metabolism for the whole day. Squat down and place your hands in front of you on the floor. Place both feet into a push-up position so that your body is in a straight line or plank position. Return your feet to the squat position, and jump up as high as you can. Go back to the start position and do as many repetitions as you can in one minute. Modified version: Start in squat position with both hands on the floor, place both feet in push-up position with body in a straight line. Then, go back to the squat position, stand and reach for the ceiling. Do not jump.

Get rid of the recliner! Swap the recliner for a comfortable recumbent bike. You can bike slowly while watching your favorite TV show or talking on the phone. Rest assured, moving your body on a bike will definitely burn more calories than just sitting on the recliner or couch.

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Robin Reichert is a certified nutrition consultant, certified personal trainer and freelance writer. She has been involved in the health and fitness industry for over 10 years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of San Francisco and a Master of Science in natural health from Clayton College. Robin's goal is to make every personal training session fun and effective for her clients. Her services include both in-person and online personal training at http://www.trainwithmeonlinetoday.com Lose up to 10 lbs with a 24-DAY WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE! Visit my website to get started today!