There are many excellent exercises you can do while working around the home - you really don’t need to go to a gym, have elaborate
equipment or a tight fitting leotard to exercise!
- Bend from your waist down or from your knees instead of stooping. Proper movement is essential to good posture
- Deep breathing is excellent for slimming your tummy, increasing flexibility and eliminating fatigue
- When you’re sitting, contracting your tummy and buttocks is one of the best possible exercises for flattening and firming both areas
- Keep the body supple and flexible by stretching when reaching for objects, which are almost – but not quite – out of reach
- When you wash dishes or peel vegetables, don’t hunch over the sink. Stand upright in an easy relaxed position
- When you brush your teeth, pull in your tummy muscles as if trying to touch your spine with them. Breathing normally, try to hold them there until you’ve finished brushing your teeth
- As you go through a door, stretch up your right hand as if trying to reach the doorway top. Then try to touch it with your left hand. This slims and stretches your waist and diaphragm
- Vary your shoes and heel height. The lower the heel, the better your legs are exercised naturally but different heel heights exercise different muscles
- Standing up and bending from the waist exercises the muscles in the backs of the legs and slims the waistline. When making beds, bend from the waist and stretch your body across the width of the bed.
- When picking up light objects from the floor bend from the waist, keeping your legs straight. This exercises the muscles in the back of your legs and is slimming for your waistline (always bend your knees when picking up heavier objects or you might hurt your back)
- When picking up something from the floor while sitting on a straight chair or stool, bend over to the side, keeping your back straight. This is excellent for slimming your waist and midriff
- Another way to pick up something from the floor is to stand near the object and kneel on one knee before picking it up. As you rise, use your thigh muscles not the muscles of your back. This helps to keep thighs slender and prevent back strain
- In the bath, you can slim your waist and diaphragm by keeping your legs straight and touching your left foot with your right hand and vice versa
- When drying yourself hold the towel near the centre with both hands. With bent elbows held horizontal to the floor, swing your arms to the right at shoulder level and wring the towel hard. Swing to the left and wring again. This is good for firming the bust
- Are you worried about a double chin? Before you get up in the morning, lie on your back with your head extended over the edge of your bed. Let your head drop backwards then raise it up and forwards onto your chest
- For a firm bosom, lie on top of your bed, with the upper part of your body supported, and make strong breaststroke swimming movements with your arms. You can also clench your fists, tuck them into your armpits then make circles with your elbows as if trying to fly
If you can use these ideas every day, you’ll be surprised how much you benefit – give it a try!