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: Vacuum Lunges

In my house, the floors are mostly carpet, aaaaaand I have 2 kids and 2 dogs. I could vacuum 3 times a day if I wanted to keep up with the mess. Our poor carpet...

I settle on 2-3 times a week, for my own sanity. Honestly though, I really don't mind vacuuming. It is instant gratification. And it means I don't have to lint roll my clothes as often- a chore I really don't like as much.

I love dumping out the canister on our Dyson vacuum. It makes me realize all that I was able to accomplish. Sometimes I will empty the canister after each room just to see which one was the dirtiest that day. That may be TMI, huh?

I could write an ode to vacuuming out the couch and the satisfaction I feel after cleaning under the cushions, but not today. Maybe later.

The other plus to vacuuming is that it forces me to pick up the clutter. Even the kids pick up their toys for fear of the vacuum getting them. When you are finished with the vacuum, you have clean, picked up floors. For at least 2 minutes. Bliss.

Taking this gratifying chore to the next level and knocking out a great leg workout is even better! Lunges are a natural motion when vacuuming, it just takes a little concentration.  Vacuuming elevates your heart rate too so that's an added bonus. 

When incorporating lunges into your vacuum routine, proper form is key! Don't rush these or you could hurt yourself.  This is not the kind of vacuuming you do 2 minutes before company comes over. Make sure you have the time to do these right and you will be surprised by how great your legs will start to look and feel... Do you really think I would have taken pictures in leggings if I hadn't been doing my lunges for a couple of weeks prior to writing this post? Um, no. So, just trust me. 

If you need to distract the kiddos, one episode of Bubble Guppies usually gives me enough time to get the job done and my leg workout in for the day.

Proper Form

• Always start a lunge standing straight, feet side by side. Put one hand on your hip and the other on the vacuum handle.

• A lunge is when you step out with one foot, leaving the other foot planted.
• The idea is not to step out so far that you are stretching, but far enough so that you can bend your knee (same side as the foot you are stepping out with) at a 90 degree angle. Your stationary-foot-side-leg will be extended so that your knee almost touches the ground- but not quite!

{make sure your knee bends at an angle that does not go over your toe!}

• To finish the lunge, slowly bring your feet back together- leave your stationary foot where it is, and bring the opposite foot back to its starting place. Don't "push off" with your extended foot. Control the motion and make it fluid, think "graceful" {vacuum ballet- ha!}.
• Tummy tight at all times. Like you are pulling your belly button to your back.

Clean & Lean

• Push the vacuum out as you step into the lunge.
• Pull it back towards you as you step back.
• Do 10 lunges with one foot stepping out, and then switch feet and put the vacuum handle in the opposite hand, too.
• You will have to move slightly in between lunges so you aren't vacuuming the same strip of carpet each time- this adds an extra element to the workout and engages more muscle!
• Take a short break in between rooms {i.e, moving from the living room to the dining room} to give your muscles a rest- don't stop moving though! Just walk in place for 10 seconds {or move the plug-in from room to room} and then get back to lunging!
• See if you can do at least 3 sets of 10 as a starting point {2 sets of 10 is great for beginners though}
• Work your way up to 4 sets of 12 and then step it up!

Step It Up

• Ankle weights make this exercise much more difficult. Once you've got the basics down, give it a try!
• You can also incorporate arm movements for the arm that isn't pushing the vacuum- extend the arm out in front of you with one lunge and on the next extend it to your side {instead of keeping it on your hip}. This will also help with coordination as you are asking your brain to do lots of things at once.
• If you are feeling like a pro and if you have a kiddo young enough, really challenge yourself and hold them! Make sure you keep that tummy tight to avoid a back injury though- and don't do the"mom hip" {holding the kiddo on your hip and pushing that hip out to help you support their weight}, it will ruin your form and could lead to injury.  This is a great way to work your arms at the same time as your legs.

Now go clean, your legs will thank you!