dumb question re: exercising

okay many moons ago (MANY) i used to be a fitness instructor, so i don't know why i am asking this question... but... here goes....

in an attempt to start very very slowly into exercising daily, i've written a little program for myself consisting of resistance training type exercises around the house, like squats, push ups, bicep/tricep curls, ab crunches etc etc etc etc, and i am keeping a record of what i do and am planning on increasing it week by week, eventually with adding some dreaded cardio.... ANYWAYS.... since i am working and am busy and yada yada yada, i was wondering, does it make any difference if instead of spending a half hour doing all the exercises, if i split it up throughout the day??? as in, wake up and get the leg work done.... do the crunches at lunch time, and the push ups and arms in between cooking tea....?

for some reason it just seems too easy to then be exercising each day.... dedicating a half hour + in one hit often gets put into the too hard basket, but if i could just do five minutes here and there throughout the day, would i still get the same benefits???

dumb question i know, as i can't see any reason why it wouldn't be the same as doing it all in one hit.... but for some reason it seems to good to be true, as i feel like i could actually keep this up and sustain it.

what exercises do you all do around the house? got any tips for doing cardio while bubs is sleeping?

i hate cardio :(

I have definately read recently that it doesn't matter if you split your workouts up during the day, as long as you get the right amount in the end. I think the main thing is that you are exercising for long enough to get your heart rate up into the right % you want then you'll be fine.

With your resistance training why not try to add some dynamic moves in there? In my PT sessions we do some really good ones and they really get the heart rate up!

This one we did today - ouch!

Put a 6k barbell (or anything, if you don't have weights, maybe a tin of something) on the floor between your legs, do a squat and pick it up in one hand, stand tall and bring up the weight to chest height in an overhand grip with your elbows high, push it up above your head (like a one handed clean and press)then back down on the ground and start again. As with a clean and press make sure you keep the weight close to your body on the way up and catch it with your elbows under the weight before you push it up above your head. Do 10/15 of these on your right hand. When you have finished do ten "burpees" - crouch down on the floor with your feet between your hands, jump both your feet back to a push up postion and then back to between your hands again and stand up, do that 10 times. Then do the squat clean and presses on the other hand x 15 and then 10 burpees again.

It is HARD!!! I only managed 2 sets each hand and I was sweating!!!

If you need anymore let me know, I have heaps!

Good luck, it's really hard exercising at home, have you thought about joining a gym?

Hun, I run around after a todler ... and that is just from after day-care till bed time and let me let you in on a little secret .... it's totally ENOUGH cardio :lol:

I don't think that doing cardio over the course of the day (little bits here and there) would be bad. You are suppose to get your heartrate up, so anything that make you do that is just peaches.

If you are looking to do something while bubba is asleep, why no springclean the house. I know, after a day's work that is the last thing you want to do, but it's cheap and you get things done, kwim?? You can wash windows, scrub floors, tidy closets, I find making my queensize bed is plenty of exercise :o If you do the cleaning, do it like you mean it. Scrub harder, sweep faster, bend and pick things up, reach to dust.

At work, do the usual. Take the stairs, walk to the faxmasjien instead of e-mail .. that type of stuff. I believe that you just need to get moving. Walk to a nearby shop for a fruitjuice at teatime.

I don't like the cardio either ... don't like sweating really. ATM I don't do exercises, but I try and do little things like mentioned above ... when I am not dead tired

Goodluck!!

Emma, how is the exercising going?