Weekly Work Out {Clean & Lean}

It's been a while since I posted about Clean & Lean. But for good reason. :-) I've already shared the basics, you can find them under the tab at the top-o-the-blog, and now that I have my handy dandy treadmill I have been working on some "routines", if you will.

To integrate cleaning my house into my workout schedule I have found that cleaning makes a great warm-up and cool-down. This also reduces the amount of time I'm on the treadmill, But I still get 50 to 60 minutes of workout 4-5 days a week.

Here's what a weeks worth of Clean & Lean looks like for me now (there are a few new moves that will be coming to the blog soon :-)):

Monday
Start a load of laundry
15-minute pick Up
25 minutes on the treadmill
Squats while I transfer clothes from washer to dryer
Standing crunches
Push-ups

Tuesday
{rest day}

Wednesday
Start a load of laundry
Vacuum Lunges
25 minutes on the treadmill
Mopping arms
Laundry Plies
Standing crunches
Push-ups

Thursday
{Some weeks this is a rest day}
Start a load of laundry
Window Abs or Dusting Standing Crunches
25 minutes on the treadmill
Squats while I transfer clothes from washer to dryer
Push-ups

Friday
Start a load of Laundry
Guest bathroom (toilet cleaning squats, bath tub arms, mirror abs)
20 minutes on the treadmill
Master bathroom

Saturday
Dishwasher calves/Dishes
25 minutes on the treadmill
Standing crunches
Push-ups
Clean the kitchen- counters, sink, floors, wipe down cabinet fronts

Sunday
{rest day}

Here are a few mommy machine secrets to make this as efficient as it can be:

• I usually get my hour of workout in while my kids watch an hour of TV. After we get home from school/the babysitter's house it is good for them to have some quiet time and a snack. It also happen that they love Max & Ruby and that show is on from 3-4. Good timing for me.
• I don't beat myself up if I don't get everything done. There are some days that things come up and I have to rearrange my schedule. That's ok!
• I will substitute activities as necessary. This routine isn't the end all, be all of my schedule. Somedays I have way more dishes/kitchen clean up to do so I will swap that in for dusting or laundry. If it's really nice outside we will go for a walk or play soccer in the backyard and that's my "treadmill time" for the day. Flexibility makes it much easier to get things done and stay active!
• I do more housework than this, but these "routines" help me to maximize my cardio work and muscle toning in a one hour time frame. All the other "chores" I do still count, but they just happen before or after my hour workout.
• I remind myself that every thing I do around the house can be active- even if I have to piece my 60 minutes together over a few hours, at the end of the day I will have a cleaner house and a healthier body!

What's your favorite household chore to step up and make a work out? I'd love to know!!

Happy cleaning everyone!

Clean & Lean: Mopping Arm Workout

With all the rain we have been having lately, combined with the yard that is starting to be mowed again, my tile floors have a lot more dirt to show off lately!

You know I can't have that.

I have figured out a way to isolate my arm muscles while I mop. I find myself using a little extra "elbow grease" on our floors anyway, but if I really focus on my form, my arms make this a workout!

Mopping Arm Workout

Proper Form

• Start with your feet shoulder width apart and your tummy tight (pull your abs toward your spine like you are sucking in your muffin top- or at least that's what I'm doing).
• Keep your back straight the whole time- no bending! This is the secret! You can twist, as long as you keep your tummy tight.

My feet won't move until I have to step on to the next spot on the dirty floor.

Clean & Lean

My left arm is doing all the work here. My right arm is just guiding the mop.  And my back is straight!

• While pushing the mop on the floor, really get your arms into it- even if you can't see the dirt you are scrubbing, get after it like it's your enemy! :)
• Use your arms- and just your arms- to push and scrub.
• Make sure you switch your arms so that you have one scrubbing and one guiding (see picture above)  for a couple of minutes at a time. A good rule is that every time you have to re-wet your mop, switch your arm positions.
• By keeping your abs tight you are strengthening your core, too. It takes a lot of muscles to keep your back straight while doing this so it's a great toning exercise for your arms and core!
• When you have throughly scrubbed one section of floor, take a few steps and move to the next area. You will have to move a lot since you aren't bending, your reach will be shortened.

Step It Up

If your tile surfaces aren't enough, try this same technique while vacuuming too! Can you clean all your floors using only your arms? I dare you!!