Any mother or father will probably agree that parenthood is not conducive to a strict workout regimen. With so much going on every day it’s hard to get in even the smallest workout, but it’s not impossible. Using household objects and managing your time well, you can easily get in a few small exercises every day. Broken down by body part, here are some of my personal workout secrets that help me stay fit and ready for the day.

Shoulders, Chest, Triceps, Biceps, Back
Push-ups are a great exercise that don’t take long to do, but work almost your entire body. I make sure to get mine in whenever I’m running upstairs for something. Before I reach the top of the stairs I plop down and do 10-15 push-ups. If you consider how many times a day you run up and down the stairs (if you have them), you could easily get in over 100 push-ups during the course of the day.

Triceps
When you’re feeding your little one at the kitchen table or getting ready to sit down for your own lunch, use your chair to get in a few tricep dips first. I normally do 10 reps before I eat or feed my little guy and 10 more after. If you get quick at them, increase the amount of reps each time so you feel the burn later.

Biceps
When it comes to cooking dinner, there are always wait periods. Wait for the water to boil. Wait for the stove to heat up. Wait for the meal to finish baking. Regardless of what you’re waiting on, you can do a few bicep curls with different kitchen objects to help pass the time. Though they don’t weigh much, I like to use jars of sauce or large cans of vegetables. Because these objects are pretty light, I do at least 20 reps per arm.

Calves
Calves are also easy muscles to work while you’re cooking or doing something else that requires you to stand in one spot. Doing calf raises is a great way to get your heart pumping and calves working. Challenge yourself to do them the entire time you’re prepping dinner or folding a basket of laundry. Just make sure to stretch afterwards so you don’t get a cramp later!

Quads
Just like calf raises, squats are an exercise that can be done while doing a household chore such as cooking or folding laundry. They work your quads and raise your heart rate, so you get more calories burned in a shorter period of time.

Abs
I like to work this muscle while I’m playing with my son. To get in a few crunches, here’s what I do. I begin by laying down in the starting crunch position. Next, I sit him on my feet so he’s facing me. When I come up to the crunch position, I usually say something to him along the lines of, “I’m going to getcha!” before I lay back down. He loves this about the first 20 times and then he starts to get bored, but at least I get a few abs in!

Remember, any of the exercises can be modified to fit your personal needs (even if you don’t have children!). Just make sure to stretch afterwards and use proper form when doing any sort of workout.

If you have any additional tips on getting in a workout or two around the house, leave them here!