Welcome to Monday, folks!

Is it just me, or does it seem like losing an hour of sleep followed so quickly by a Monday is borderline sadistic?

Either way, it’s here, though, so we’d best get moving!

But first, don’t forget to head on over and enter the My Memories Giveaway! Entries close @ 11:59 PM tonight!

I had grand plans to make you guys a vlog of the moves I’m going to show you today, but two things prevented me:

1) Rain—I try to do all my vlogs outside, and it has been a chilly, drizzly mess around here for days straight. I’m grateful, though, because every drop that falls lessens the likelihood that we’ll have another summer of bone-dry misery with 111 degree highs.

2) Headaches—I have never had chronic headaches before. In fact, I would (randomly) guess that the number of times I’ve actually had a strong enough headache to take something for it in my entire life is less than 25. But last Monday, I woke up with sharp pain in the right side of my head, and, while it has ebbed and flowed a bit (sometimes, it’s not sharp but a dull ache, and sometimes I don’t feel it at all for a little bit), it has persisted.

Yesterday was definitely the worst.

Never in my life have a I sat on a couch, completely immobilized by head-pain, afraid to move. It gave me a lot of empathy for migraine-sufferers.

Thank goodness for husbands who take your children on errands (twice!) and bring you back flowers, groceries, your favorite drinks, cups of pellet ice, and pizza!

If you think of it, would you pray that this goes away quickly? Sitting on a couch—while nice in small doses—is not a long-term career option for me.

ANYhoo, moving onto our exercises…

All this rain got me to thinking about some super-simple exercises that anybody can do in her own home (since I know the last thing you want to do when it’s damp and cold is haul all the kids to the gym or go for a run).

And since a lot of people think they can’t do much in their houses because they don’t have fancy equipment, I’m going to show you three fantastic moves you can do with something every single person in American has at least one of:

A chair.

**Since I didn’t make a vlog, I did some snooping around the internet and was thrilled to find all three of my moves in one workout, with pictures, and great explanations. I borrowed (almost) every bit of the following from here.

1. The One-Legged Squat

Why it works: As you lower your body, your weight is focused on the standing leg’s gluteal muscle.

How to do it:
1. Stand on your right leg, with your left leg bent; hold the back of a chair for balance. Keep your head and chest lifted.
2. Slowly lower your body for two counts, bending at the hip and right knee as if you’re sitting in a chair (be sure your knee doesn’t extend past your toes). Straighten the standing leg to a count of two, pressing up from your heel; repeat 12 times. On the final rep, hold in the lowered position for eight counts, then pulse eight times. Switch sides so you’re standing on your left leg with the right leg bent and repeat the entire set.

one-legged squat

2. The Tricep Dip

Why it works: The triceps hold up your entire body weight and move through a full range of motion.

How to do it:
1. Sit in a chair, holding on to the edge with both hands, knuckles pointing forward. Slide your bottom off the seat and hold yourself up with arms straight, keeping your body close to the chair.
2. Slowly lower your body for two counts as you bend your elbows (they should point directly behind you, not out to the sides); straighten your arms for a count of two. Make sure your arms (not your feet) are supporting your weight throughout the motion. Repeat 12 times. On the last rep, hold at the bottom for eight counts, then pulse up and down slightly eight times before straightening your arms.

tricep dip

3. The Concentration Curl

Why it works: This exercise isolates the muscle. Use the two variations on hand position to strengthen the entire upper arm.

How to do it:
1. Sit in a chair with your legs open wide. Hold a five- to eight-pound dumbbell in your right hand, resting your elbow on your right inner thigh, with your forearm hanging down.
2. Bend your elbow and bring your hand up toward your shoulder for a count of two. Be sure to keep your elbow against your thigh. Lower your hand to the start position for two; repeat eight times.

bicep curl

Hi! Me again…Just wanted to point out that you don’t have to have dumbbells to do this exercise. Lots of household items—from bottles of vegetable oil to large cans of beans to containers of laundry detergent could all stand in for actual weights. Just don’t be surprised if your husband gives you funny looks when he walks in on you curling the jug of milk.

So, what about you guys? Have you ever used things lying around your house to squeeze a workout in?

The CSI project ~ Menu Plan Monday ~ C.R.A.F.T.  ~ The Southern Institute ~ Making the World Cuter ~ Thrify Décor Chick ~ Metamorphosis Monday ~ Sumo Sweet Stuff ~ Gunny Sack ~ Singing Three Little Birds ~DIY Homes Sweet Home ~ Dittle Dattle ~ 1929 Charmer ~ Everything Under the Moon  ~ ModMix Monday ~ Sew Stylish ~ Coastal Charm ~ Under the Table and Dreaming

Tuesday ~ Get Your Craft ~ Tip Junkie ~ Blackberry Vine ~ Crafty Confessions ~ Me & my Boys ~ A Bowl Full of Lemons ~ Home Stories A-Z ~ My Uncommon Slice of Suberbia  ~ Carolyn’s Homework ~ Sugar Bee Crafts ~ House of Grace ~ Passionately Artisitc ~ My World Made by Hand ~ Uncommon Designs ~ Trendy Treehouse

Wednesday ~ Blue Cricket Design ~ Somedays Crafts ~ Sew Much Ado ~ Sew Woodsy ~ Handy Man, Crafty Woman ~ Savvy Southern Style ~ {Primp} ~ Midweek Fiesta ~ Rae Gun Ramblings ~ Polkadots On Parade ~ Lollipop Cards ~ JAQS Studio ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ My Girlish Whims

Thursday ~ Transformation Thursdays ~ Somewhat simple ~ Show off your stuff ~ House of Hepworths ~ Delightful Order ~ My Simple Home Life ~ The Frugal Girls ~ Thrifty Thursday ~ DIY Diva Thursday ~ Tablescape Thursday ~ No Minimalists Here ~ Crafty, Scrappy, Happy ~ Thrifty Decorating ~ Between U and Me ~ 36th Avenue

Friday ~ The Shabby nest  ~ Show and Tell Friday ~ Finding Fabulous ~ I’m Loving it ~ Simply Sweet Home ~ Whipper Berry ~ Chic on a Shoestring decorating ~ Spunky Junky ~ Delicate Construction ~ Homemaker in Heels ~ Family Ever After~ French Country Cottage ~ Common Ground ~ Young And Crafty ~ At the Picket Fence ~ Fingerprints on the Fridge ~ Miss Mustard Seed ~ Addicted to Decorating ~Bacon Time with The Hungry Hypo ~ Making Lemonade ~ I Can’t Stop Crafting ~ Over the Big Moon ~ Shabby Art ~ Answer is Chocolate

Saturday ~ I heart nap time- Sundae Scoop ~ Tatertots and Jello ~ Be different Act Normal ~ Funky Junk ~ 2805 ~ Making Lemonade Blog ~I am Along for the Ride  ~ Lolly Jane

Sundays ~ Homemaker on a Dime ~ Sunday’s Best

 

 

5 Comments

  1. Glad to hear your headache is gone.
    As lovely as those pictures are with the pretty pink chair being used in the exercises, I shudder to think of anyone who doesn’t realize they may easily slip if they do not use the right “chair”.

    I use a steamer trunk, my sofa, anything that won’t shift out from under me!

  2. I love love hate:) wall squats. With or without a ball behind your back to move up and down or just static at the bottom to see just how long those quivering quads can hang!!

  3. Not to be a nag but I’d recommend a check-in at your local doc. If headaches are not the norm for you, then something’s causing it – it could be anything from hormones (oh how we do love that) to food allergies (yes, they can come on later in life) to a misaligned back or hips (weird but true). If you’re anything like me, you might have a teeny weeny tendency to jump to the worst possible conclusions…so don’t. Just go get it checked and resolved. End of nag. 🙂

  4. I will definitely pray for your head…..sounds awful! I forgot to comment on last week’s move it mon….but I tried the lunge & the other Portuguese move and it was TOUGH! Thanks for taking the time to post these exercises. I’m always looking for new things to ad to my routine 🙂 Gonna def. add the lunge moves….I could really feel the burn. And your vlog was perfect!

I love hearing from you guys!