Monday Moves: zero displacement cardio

Playpens are God sent. They are easy to setup, convenient and all in all a mini miracle. But what if your child is too stubborn to stay within?

mama: 'now don't you get out of there, mister'

He adores you so much that in return he demands your constant attention, and wails if you move even for a second.

baby: 'but i love you mama'

*sigh* 

What to do then?

A simple exercise: zero displacement cardio - jog in one spot for 30 minutes daily.

Sound seemingly pointless? Well surprisingly it's not. If done correctly, the cardio exercise is very useful in burning a significant amount of calories. 

Typically, a 150 lb. person will burn about 540 calories by jogging in place for an hour. For every additional 10 lbs. of weight, you will burn about 40 more calories. For example, 160 lb. person will burn 581 calories and a 170 lb. person will burn 617 calories. 

So ..

Let the Jog begin!

• Start by warming up your body by doing simple stretches or jumping lightly on your toes for 3 to 5 minutes.

• Begin the exercise with a light jog. Hop from foot to foot by lifting your feet only 1 to 2 inches off the floor. Coordinate the muscles of your body.

 

• With arms parallel on either side of your body, form a fist with your hand and lift your forearms so that they are perpendicular to the floor. Raise your right arm in front and left at the back, so that the forearms are parallel to your body. Alternate positions and build rhthym as you keep hopping on your feet. 

• Lift your knees higher, closer to your chest, with each hop. The higher you hop, the more calories you'll burn. Work up to aligning your thighs parallel to the floor at each hop.

• Increase speed.

• To increase intensity of the workout for burning more calories, lift your arms up over your head and then pull them down. repeat the motion throughout the routine.

This is a very effective exercise for individuals who lack the gym equipment, or like the protagonist of this post, is space bound. 

All the while you can comfort your baby by staring right in his face and making sure he knows you're keeping an eye on his every move. Eventually he will lose interest and get bored of your face.

baby: 'ok mama. i think i'm ready to be left alone now'

Mission: Accomplished!