Even if you watch your intake of sweet and savory goodies during Christmas, packing on the pounds is inevitable for some people – especially during the holiday season. If you haven’t much time to add gym visits to your schedule, here are easy ways to burn extra holiday fat and build muscle while brushing your teeth.
Calf Raises:
While brushing your teeth, stand with your feet hip-width apart and raise yourself onto your toes and the balls of your feet. Slow and controlled, lower your heels back down to the ground. Be sure to keep one hand on your hip while the other one brushes, for balance. Repeat three sets for strong, defined calf muscles.
Lunges:
If you have the space, lunges work wonders if you are interested in burning fat, and strengthening your legs, hips, and thighs. When lunging while brushing, be sure to watch that your front knee doesn’t shift past your front ankle (bend at a 90-degree angle), and that your upper body is upright and firm. Most importantly, make sure you learn to do a proper lunge when not brushing your teeth, so you don’t injure yourself!
Squats:
Not only does squatting strengthen your entire lower body, gluteus, and core, it also helps burn fat. With your feet hip width apart, lower your hips and bottom towards the floor, ensuring your front knee doesn’t bend past your toes.
One-Leg Stand:
Another great way to firm your core while brushing is to balance yourself while standing on one leg. If you are a beginner, and your balance isn’t where you’d like it to be, try balancing on one leg for just a few seconds, while the other foot lightly hovers over the ground. By improving your balance, you will strengthen your core and slim down your stomach.
Standing Leg Raises:
Give your hips some TLC with standing leg raises while you brush your teeth. Leg lifts can be practiced in a variety of ways and are extremely beneficial to your hips, glutes, and thighs. Cross leg raises lift your leg across your body as you stand shoulder width apart, offering focus on your hip adductors (inside of your thighs). Side leg raises lift your leg out to their respective sides in a controlled manner, and help strengthen the gluteal muscles.
Good luck with your brushing workouts. You’ll soon see that the benefits of brushing your teeth go beyond oral health. It is a perfect time to give extra attention to your waistline, too.