First, it’s time to clear the home of the little ones! I recommend trading days with a friend for kid watch or dropping them off at a family member’s home for a few hours. It may be time to let the husband skate by and take them off your hands for Daddy time.

Second, tackle the house with intensity and speed. Housework is hard and a dedicated two to three hour cleaning will result in a full body workout. It’s not fun, but necessary. It’s best to knock it out before the week of cooking and final touches for decorations.

Calorie expenditure can range from 422 calories to 740 calories during the two to three hours of a focused scrubbing, vacuuming, mopping, dusting, decluttering marathon.

I am not looking forward to the decluttering efforts in our office/open family room area (aka. space for the guests and extra seating for Thanksgiving dinner)! Which area are you avoiding?

Our walls get as much attention as the…ummm….area under the stove top, refrigerator and cabinet tops.  Yep, I’ve pulled out the vinegar, water and scrub brush and plan to tackle the major, high traffic walls of our living room, bedrooms, dining room, and bathrooms this week.

Of course, to make these wall scrubbing moments memorable, throw on the workout clothes, running shoes, and music as that bucket makes it’s way around the house.

Are you with me on this?  Ready to spike up the heart rate while dealing with the inevitable need to clean?

Wall #1:  25 wall jumps before touching it with the sponge.  Reach as high as you can and be explosive.  Your extra fingerprints are going to be scrubbed off in a moment anyway!

Wall #2:  30 count Wall Squat.  Hold, hold, oh, feel the slight burn!

Wall #3:   25 Wall Pushups.  Don’t worry, the fingerprints are fresh and will wipe off easily.

Wall # 4:  30 count Wall Squat with Upper Cut punches.  Keep your abdominals tight and be forceful.  Your core will love ya for it!

Bonus:  Attempted Wall Hand Stand (One or as many as you can)

Repeat with each room and you’ll feel this whole body workout once combined with the wall scrubbing chore of a year!  Based on Fitness Jumpsite Calorie Counter ( a really cool calorie counter, too), the wall scrubbing itself burns 105 calories in 30 minutes based on my weight and the calisthenics reach up to 125 calories in 30.

Socks, undies, and bras are notoriously overstocked, mismatched and space suckers.

Tackle the drawers in exercise fashion for another great side benefit. For small drawers, use the side of a bed, chest or chair as support to perform One-Legged Squats. With a foot up or placed behind you on a platform, sit and sort. When tired, side step in place or walk with high knee lifts. Resume alternating single leg squats when ready.

So, how many mismatched, non-fitting undies and bras, did you collect in your first drawer sit and sort workout?!

I attached an exercise to the items  stacked on a flat surface that don’t belong. For every item, complete each exercise ten times. Drop the items into a collection box, bag, or basket to redistribute at the end of the round. A round is every ten minutes.

If you’re stuck at the flat surface for ten minutes, then grab your box, bag, or basket and quickly race around the house to put the items back in their proper place. Continue until you have completely cleaned your flat surfaces or you’ve run through your alloted chore time!  Tired is not an excuse.  Keep huffing and puffing.

• Newspapers: Jumping Lunges (start with one foot forward/one back, lunge, jump and swap feet)
• Clothes: Full Squats
• Books: Grab the books, hold them in front of you and complete forward arm raises
• Toys: Jumping Jacks
• Dishes: High forward kicks
• Mail: Fast feet (half squat and move feet as fast as you can)
• Miscellaneous Papers: Push ups
• School/office Supplies (pens, pencils, etc): Half squat and upper cut punches (be quick)
• Other Stuff: Jump up as high as you can!

Do you have ten minutes of stuff in your bag? Get through the house and put everything away in 5 minutes. Sprint! You can do it! Let the kids join and make it a family race. All the surfaces will be cleared in no time!

How many rounds were you able to complete? How much stuff was removed in 15 minutes?  Way to Go Workout Mom!

Apparently, it’s not a good idea to place a sheet of aluminum foil on the bottom of the oven. Something about uneven heating and causing the coil to burn out earlier. What are we to do now that we can’t just replace the aluminum foil?!

If you have a self cleaning oven, then I’m envious. Set the timer, let it go, and complete your workout anyway. Since cleaning the oven is a once or twice a year venture, this is a tough, but short workout in the kitchen. Are you ready?

Warm Up: Complete a more through cleaning of the stovetop and hood. While wiping and scrubbing, focus on 10 kegel exercises held for 10 seconds and 10 deep breath/pulled in abdominal squeezes for 10 seconds a piece.

Go ahead and throw the stove guards and coils into the sink with a bleach/water combination and let them soak for 15 minutes. Spray down the oven with your cleaner and set the timer for the amount of time on the label or start your self-cleaning oven timer.

While waiting for 15 to 20 minutes, here is a series of body resistance exercises you can perform right in the kitchen. Perform each in sets of 10, immediately start the next move and give yourself a 1 to 2 minute rest between sets. Try to do as many as you can during the 15 minute period.

Bodybuilders: A tough 8 count exercise that stresses almost all the muscles in your body!

1. Start in a standing position
2. Squat to the floor
3. Kick feet back into pushup position
4. Down position of pushup
5. Up position of pushup
6. Bring feet back to hands in squat position
7. Jump up to standing position
8. Complete 1 Jumping Jack

Donkey Kicks: Place your weight forward on your hands. Kick both feet back and return to starting position. Your body will be more in an inverted V-shape. Focus on holding the abs in tightly and keeping the back straight.

Dirty Dogs: Your weight is evenly distributed on all fours with your knees at 90 degree with back and bottom. Lift your left leg and knee to the side as high as possible without shifting your weight to the opposite side or twisting your back. Think dog at tree! Complete 10 repetitions and shift to the opposite leg.

Complete a few stretches before the timer buzzes. This is tough. Are you up for the challenge? By the way, does anyone with a self-cleaning oven actually use the feature? I’ve heard that it makes the house smell for days.

Way to Go Workout Mom!

1. Book Collection: Gather your books and place them in one location. For a multi-day event, find an out of the way space. Hold your arms directly in front of you (Static Hold) with a stack of books as you travel through the house. As an extra bonus, do walking lunges (make sure your knees don’t extend pass your toes) to your sorting spot.
2. Sorting: Time to see what you want to keep, give away or toss out. Gather three containers and place them slightly behind you. Face the stack of books and prepare to sort through quickly. You will perform triceps extensions while shifting the books to the appropriate containers. Pick up a book, extend your arm behind you and drop the books in their containers. You should feel a slight pull in the muscle on back of your upper arm (triceps). Continue sorting and take a rest after completing 10 to 12 repetitions on each arm.
3. Back in Place: Books get heavy when stacked together. When you get a nice stack of books, it’s time to take them to their rightful place in the home. Before heading out though, let’s perform a set of 10 dead lifts. With a neutral, straight back, bend forward at the hips. Keep your knees bent (soft) as you pick up the stack of books or container. Lift to a standing position. Exhale as you slowly bend over and your upper torso/back are parallel to the floor. Repeat 9 more times. This is really good for strengthening your lower back. Now, get those books back in place with walking lunges. Repeat the entire process until all the books have found their home, donated items are in the trunk of your car or tossed out books are in the trash or recycling.

You’re done! Grab a glass of water, collapse on a comfy chair and exercise your mind with a good book while the rest of your body relaxes.

Is your family collectors of books? How many trips did you have to make to put the books back in place?

Here’s my exercise contribution to your household routine: Under the …Black Hole!

For a nice stretch, complete a lying arm/leg extension. On your stomach, reach under the…black hole and pull your items out as you slightly stretch your opposite leg to the ceiling. Tighten your abs toward your spine as you complete the move. Switch arms after a few seconds or when you pulled all the items within the one arm’s reach.

Are you up for a more challenging move? Here are two to choose from or combine:

1. Push Ups: Do a set of five each time you pull out an object. On your knees or toes, just remember to keep a straight line from shoulders through the hips.

2. Planks: Rest your weight on you forearms and maintain a straight line from shoulders through the toes. Clear items out from under the…black hole and maintain form. Great for exercising your core and balance. Tighten your abdominals toward your spine. Breathe!!!

Go Workout Mom!

So, What did you find under your…black hole???

• Static Holds: With one arm out to your side, hold the can parallel to the ground. Palm up. Arm straight. Keep your shoulders and elbows relaxed (you don’t want to lock the elbow joint). That’s it. Keep it there. Hold, hold, and hold. When the arm is tired, shift arms.
• Single Arm Bicep or Tricep Curls: While you’re moving the peas to the vegetable section, pump out bicep curls with your free arm. Don’t worry about count. Shift to your other arm when you’re tired.
• Side Arm Overhead Press: Have you organized the the peaches and fruit cocktail? Work in Overhead presses with one can. Repeat until the arm is tired and shift arms.

Leg Exercises:

• Calf Raises: With your feet about shoulder width apart, shift your weight from your heels to your toes and rise up. You can do this exercise for as long as you are standing.
• Step Ups: I know you have something on the bottom shelf that needs to go to the top shelf. You probably have several items. Gather all the items you need to rearrange to the top to move at one time. Grab your chair or step stool and work in single leg step ups. Left/Right; Left/Right!!! Way to go.

Keep going. By consciously adding small exercises into your daily routines and chores, you’ll not get as bored with the housecleaning. Isn’t it nice to have an organized pantry? Can you think of other exercises that will keep you moving, but not add more time to the chore? I’m always up for ideas.

1.Stand comfortably with your legs shoulder width apart.
2.No slouching allowed! Push your shoulders slightly back to maintain good posture.
3.Think of your side as an accordion. Deliberately, compress your shoulders toward your hips and exhale.
4.Inhale as you return to a standing position.
5.Complete a set to one side and then shift to the other side.

Continue organizing your clutter cubbyhole. This move is subtle, but perfect to focus on the obliques. The movement doesn’t need to be large to be effective.

1. Standing Leg Lifts: Keep your back aligned with your hips. Lean slightly into the appliance as you clean. Focus on pressing your leg behind you in a slow and steady pace. See this illustration for a visual aid.
2. Standing Side Leg Lifts: Keep your abdominals tight. Support your self with your free hand with a chair beside you or by using the counter top. Complete the lifts in a deliberate and slow manner. See this illustration.

For your lower appliances, the face of the dishwasher and stove, perform Plie squats. With your legs slightly beyond shoulder width apart and your toes pointed outward, bend the knees (do not extend beyond your toes) and lower your body into a squat. While cleaning the appliance, maintain your balance and return to standing position. Add a couple more squats (10 if possible) before moving on to your next appliance. If you’re really ambitious, then perform your chores with baby stapped on as illustrated by Stroller Strides.

Housecleaning is a chore, but with a little bit of a twist, it can be a great opportunity to sneak exercise into your day.

Way to Go Workout Mom!!!