Working Out In the Kitchen
By Kate Gardner
I am a big advocate for fitness that fits into your life so I was excited when I found a strength workout from Sarah Klein on Health.com that centered around using things you can find in your kitchen. Intrigued, I decided I would try the workout and let you know how it went.
In her video, Klein visits a commercial kitchen for her workout. I don't know anybody who owns a restaurant, so I did mine at home. Because of her location, Klein was able to find heavier items, while I made do with my normal grocery store products.
Squats
The first exercise up was squats. Klein used a 50-pound bag of carrots, I used a 14-pound bag of dog food. The squats were effective, as they usually are. The bag of dog food was unwieldy and I had to hold it like a baby, which made it harder to use good form. It also confused the heck out of my dog.
Reverse Fly and Overhead Press
These two exercises were a bit easier. I had two cans of refried beans so the weight was even on both sides. I weighed the cans and, at just over one pound each, they're a bit lighter than the weights I'd usually use for either of these exercises but they worked.
Triceps Extension
Things got a little tricky with the triceps extension. A bag of flour seemed to be the right size and weight but was hard to keep hold of. I barely avoided busting the bag open on the floor, for which I am very thankful. Can you imagine that mess? For the tricep extension, I think it's important to find something you can grip well that won't make a mess if you drop it.
Lunges
Klein recommends grabbing a 'floppy' weight, like a bag of flour, so that you can drape it over one shoulder while you do your lunges. I didn't want to mess with the bag of flour, and the dog food bag was open at one end so it took me a moment to find an alternative. In the end, I filled a shopping bag with about 20 pounds of cans and hung it off my shoulder. Other than the strap digging in a bit, it worked fine!
Suitcase Carry
I'd never done this functional strength exercise before, but it was pretty straightforward. You simply grab a heavy item and walk for 30 seconds with it in one hand, then switch hands for another 30-second walk. I started with a gallon of milk but also lugged around a container of cat litter for an extra workout.
Incline Push-Ups
These are push-ups you do against a wall (or another vertical surface) while standing. I'll admit -- I love incline push-ups and loathe traditional push-ups so these were great for me. No kitchen weights needed for this one!
My final assessment: Whether you're using weights or things you found around the house, this sequence of exercises provides a good full-body strength workout. You may have some difficulty finding items that are the right size for these exercises but it certainly makes you realize you don't have to spend a lot on a home gym to get in shape!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in San Antonio, Tex.