A Pilates Expert Demonstrates 5 Easy Exercises You Can Do While Making Dinner

This COVID-19 situation is definitely making us work on things we have neglected or not that good at. Cooking and at-home exercises are 2 of them. As most of us are now at home and getting bored or stressed, doing some easy exercises is a great way to feel better, productive and work on your fitness while you are stuck at home. To help with your fitness, I am going to share 5 easy exercises from Kit Rich (a celebrity trainer) you can do while making your dinner. Keep on reading.

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Kit Rich, nationally recognized Pilates expert, and creator of KICHGO has come up with a fun idea of how to incorporate working out while cooking dinner, ensuring that you are using your kitchen to its fullest potential. Just because gyms are closed doesn’t mean you shouldn’t continue working out and feeling good about yourself.

“Consistency is definitely key at a time like this where people are less inclined to work out more than ever. We need this collective, positive, and healthy energy right now. I want everyone to know that I’m here for them and am offering a complimentary YouTube live workout every day for the next two weeks at 8am PST.” At a time where leaving the house is a major no-no, thinking of outside the box ideas to stay fit and entertained is key.  Kit offers 5 exercises you can do while cooking dinner.

5 Easy Exercises While you Make Dinner:

Exercise 1: Butt Lifts

What you’ll need: Kitchen counter and KICHGO ball (you can also use any ball that fits behind your knee or not use one at all)

Length of time: 1 minute per leg, 3 rounds

• Hold onto the counter/sink, place KICHGO ball or any ball behind your right leg.
• Flex your right foot, left leg (standing leg) should be bent a little, tailbone under
• Pulse back, squeeze the ball
• Repeat for 1 minute
• Switch legs
• 3 rounds total per leg

Exercise 2: Standing fire hydrant & knee circles

What you’ll need: Kitchen counter/sink and KICHGO ball (you can also use any ball that fits behind your knee)

Length of time: 1 minute per leg, 3 rounds (fire hydrant); 30 seconds in each direction (knee circles)

• Hold onto the counter/sink
• Place the ball behind your right leg
• Take right knee out to the side
• Lift the knee up and out to the right side
• Repeat for 1 minute
• Switch legs
• 3 rounds total per leg
• Immediately go into knee circles while still holding the ball and the right knee is out to the side
• 30 seconds in each direction

Exercise 3: Calf raises

What you’ll need: Kitchen counter/sink

Length of time: 1 minute, 3 rounds

• If you have a KICHGO ball or an inflatable ball put it between your inner thighs (if you don’t have a ball it’s completely fine)
• Feet should be parallel and hip-width apart
• Hold onto the kitchen sink or counter for stability
• Lift heels off the floor
• Squeeze glutes at the top and then drop down
• Continue for 1 minute
• If you are looking for a challenge, do an incline pushup while holding the counter in between calf raises

Exercise 4: Squats

What you’ll need: Refrigerator

Length of time: 1 minute, 3 rounds

• Get into a squat position up against the fridge (imagine sitting in a chair with your back to your fridge)
• You want your entire back of your body connected to the fridge
• If you have one, place a ball between your inner thighs. If you don’t have one, it’s no big deal.
• Squeeze ball 10 times or just imagine squeezing a ball if you don’t have one and alternating lifting heels
• 10 times each leg
• Repeat until 1 minute is up
• 3 rounds total

Exercise 5: Mountain climbers

What you’ll need: Kitchen counter or sink

Length of time: 1 minute, 3 rounds

• Hold onto your kitchen counter or sink with your legs hip-width apart
• Get into an incline push up position
• Bring your right knee up to your chest towards your left arm, bring back down
• Switch legs
• Keep switching legs as if you are running
• Continue for 1 minute
• 3 rounds

You can also check out: 10 Fun At-Home Fitness Routines for those who don’t like “Workouts”

Bonus exercise:
Balancing (working your core and stabilizer muscles)

What you’ll need: Kitchen sink

Length of time: Up to 2 minutes

• As your washing dishes balance on one leg
• As you’re washing dishes, balance on one leg
• Put it in front of you or behind you
• This works your core and stabilizer muscles
• Up to two minutes per leg

Here at Sifa’s Corner, I am constantly trying to make your stay-at-home quarantine phase easier & healthier by providing insightful solutions from experts. I hope you can utilize these 5 easy exercises even if you are not making dinner. Stay healthy and stay positive!

Are you going to try out these 5 Easy Exercises While you Make Dinner? Let us know below!

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