Cook Up a Sweat with These Kitchen Workouts

Moderate resistance training helps strengthen bones, manage weight, and improve posture, sleep, mood, and endurance, but fitting it in isn’t always easy — especially when you need to get dinner on the table.

The good news is that you don’t need a gym to fit in a workout; you’ve got all the equipment you need right in your home kitchen. Even a brief kitchen workout can help you maintain a consistent fitness regimen that you can later expand upon.

And you’ll be surprised at just how effective some of these exercises can be.

Counter-top pushups target your triceps, chest, and upper back: Simply face the countertop and place hands on the edge, around shoulder-width apart. Step your feet backward and lift your heels up so your body is in a plank position. Slowly lower your chest toward the counter, keeping your forearms parallel to each other; press your body back to the starting position and repeat.

To work your lower body — quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings — do some stove squats. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, interlace your fingers behind your head, and keep your elbows wide and chest high. Lower into the squat position, bending your knees to as close to a 90-degree angle as possible. Rise back up and repeat.

For the back, do some lateral pan raises. Grab a pan — make sure it’s not too heavy — and hold it at your side with palms facing in. Slowly raise the pan outward until your arm is aligned with your shoulder, and then lower to starting position. Switch hands after each set.

The target your hard-to-reach forearms, try some forearm plate lifts. Simply hold a small plate in one hand, raise your arm out to the side so that it’s aligned with your shoulder, and bend at the elbow, making an L shape that is parallel to the floor. While holding the plate, move your wrist up and down. Then, switch hands. If you feel a burning sensation in your forearms after a few reps, you’re doing it right.