Kick Out the Laziness and Start Your Day with These 9 Exercises

Are you one of those people who use their yoga pants only as PJs in which they can laze around throughout the day?

You might also relate to feeling lazy and tired, even after having an adequate sleep at night.

I admit that I used to be the same, lazy like a sloth!

But that was until I started facing health issues due to a sedentary lifestyle. I noticed an expanding waistline, and my blood sugar and cholesterol crossed the borderline limits. My doctor suggested me to start being physically active or else my health issues will worsen.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the risk of developing health conditions like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and a certain type of cancers in a person is increased if he stays physically inactive. Other than causing diseases, laziness also kills motivation and creativity.

One of the most fruitful ways to overcome laziness is to workout regularly. The best thing about doing physical exercise is that it requires no prerequisites and can be easily done at home. You can start by jogging around your house, and go on to advance your workout regime gradually.

Motivating You to Begin Your Workout Routine

• Create a WhatsApp group with some of your friends or family members who want to start exercising. Similar goals will kick your motivation.
• Begin small. Avoid setting unrealistic challenges like “I will do 50 pushups” in the beginning.
• Gradually go on to do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activities, as recommended by the S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
• Choose the physical activity that you like. It is easier to be regular in something that you enjoy.
• Follow fitness gurus on social media for inspiration.
• Think about everything you cannot do or all the clothing that no longer fits you. Trust me, dragging yourself to the exercise mat will be much easier.
• Skip the escalators and lifts. Use the stairs instead.
• Watch what you eat.
• Set a proper routine so you can take time out for workout daily, without any excuses.
• Remember that you owe yourself a healthy life.

Now that you are probably halfway into making the life-changing decision of starting to workout, I would suggest some exercises that will help you stay active.

1. The Upward Dog Stretch

Start your workout with some stretching as it will relax your tense muscles, making them ready for the hard work that is about to begin. Stretching poses help you do exercises easily and freely, thus avoiding muscle injuries.

One of the best ways to do stretching is with the upward facing dog pose. You have to lie face down on the mat spreading your legs straight. Place your palms on the floor. Gently lift your body until your arms are fully extended. Do not keep your hands too far in the front. Keep them aligned with the elbow and shoulder. Stay in the position for a minute and take deep breaths.

This exercise gives strength to your spine and relieves muscle tension almost instantly. It also relieves lower back pain and sciatic pain.

2. Side to Side Body Swings

Another warming up exercise, side to side body swings help you get in the form. Pivoting on both your feet, gently swing your body side by side. This will rotate your upper body muscles, warming them up.

It’s an exercise for lazy people who don’t want to be too hard on themselves. Just moving the body like this will also benefit them.

3. Planks

Amazing things happen when you do planks daily!

Plank pose can be termed as one of the best exercises for a strong core. Mind you, it seems easy to stay straight while your elbows rest on the grounds aligned with the shoulders. But the reality is that one needs consistency, practice, and strength to hold a plank even for one whole minute.

Not only the lower body, but several muscles of the upper body are also engaged while one holds a plank. It is a very effective way to improve posture, balance, and flexibility. Also, as the abdominal muscles are involved, it helps boost the metabolism.

Everyone knows how important exercise is as you grow older. Planks are one of the best exercises that you can keep on doing even when you start aging.

4. Wall Pushups

Just placing your palms on the wall, bring your body closer and away from the wall.

These kinds of pushups may seem like some lazybones invented them, but it actually quite good to ward off laziness. Your arm muscles, shoulders, and chest muscles are working when you do this exercise.

5. Hip Hinge Reverse Reach

Stand with your legs apart. Bow down and be careful not to arch your back. Use your back like a hinge instead. Let your arms dangle towards the floor. Now reach down with one arm, and reach back up with the other one.

This exercise will get your upper body and back moving, warding off sluggishness.

6. Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers fall under the category of full-body workouts. From a full plank position, you need to bring each knee forward, mimicking a person who is climbing up the hill.

From your arms, chest, core, and even your quads, all muscles are engaged while doing this exercise, and it makes laziness run away. It is proven to develop cardiac endurance, as well.

Keep one thing in mind that high-intensity exercises can be quite uncomfortable unless you wear supportive undergarments while doing them. A good option for men would be boxer briefs with pouch, as they keep things supported and adjusted. Women doing such kinds of exercises must wear a good quality sports bra.

7. Bicycle Crunches

To build firmer and toned abs, the best exercise is the bicycle crunches. Here you lie down on the mat facing the ceiling.

Perform the exercise properly. By supporting your head with your hands near the ears, you start moving your legs in a bike pedaling position. When your right knee moves up, try to reach it with your left elbow, and vice versa.

8. Hip Bridge

Lie down straight on the mat and bring your legs closer to your waist, your heels near the buttocks. Lift your body from the midsection, such that a straight line is formed from the knee to your neck.

Exercise enhances core stability. For anyone who cannot do squats, the hip bridge is an effective alternative as it involves the same muscles as in squatting.

9. Abs Scissor Kicks

In this exercise, you have to lie down and raise both of your legs off the ground. Now move them in a criss-cross position, like fluttering. This exercise engages the lower abdominal muscles, quad muscles, and glutes. If the exercise is performed regularly, it will train these muscles well enough to build a strong core.

Wrapping Up

The first step that is to get up and begin working out is the toughest. But once you succeed in doing so, you will notice positive changes in your physical and mental health. Consequently, these exercises will help you get rid of lethargy.

Although it is recommended to do a workout the first thing in the morning, you can also do it at night if you have skipped the morning one. The ultimate goal should be not to miss physical activity. I bet you will never look back once you develop the habit of staying fit.