I’m pretty sure I’m not the only mom in the world who is not looking forward to bikini season. In fact, I already know a few {but I won’t tell} who are dreading it just as much as me. It’s definitely not because of the warm weather or poolside lounging… no no, I definitely plan to embrace that. It’s more due to the few extra cookies I ate this winter, which happened to drag on forever. {insert Sandlot voice} Darn you Recipe Vault! And as much as I would like to hit the gym or take a run {that’s a lie} I just don’t have the time {that’s the truth} to leave the house. So, I stay in the house and cheat exercise on a daily basis. Let me show you the way…

4 Ways I Cheat Exercise at Home

Let it be known that I am most definitely not a personal trainer or fitness enthusiast. I am not a nutritionist or a doctor, but I am a former college athlete and award-winning volleyball coach who has spent 12 years talking about the importance of fitness with young women. I was put through grueling fitness regimes, tore muscles and won lifting records. So I get it. {read the bio} This post is meant to be a little funny, but true! I am now a mom who has been able to successfully fight off my muffin top by initiating a few fitness hacks into my daily lifestyle.

I’m sure that this post will make a few Fitness Instructors’ eyes twitch but hey, I’m just a mom now, trying to feel good about my post baby body 😉

For actual fitness advice please consult your nutritionists and doctors. But if you want a few tricks up your sleeve from a fellow muffin mom I’m here to offer some #momwinning.

*These methods are not scientifically proven to cheat exercise. Just ask my husband. You should still try to sleep exercise whenever you have a spare second.

Bedside Workouts

Literally, I have to walk over {trip over} the stuff I lift up in the morning. I place these awesome, garage sale dumbells at my feet, right on top of my slippers so that I have to pick them to put the slippers on. Once they’re in m y hand I can muster a few reps. The cheat here is the motivation. Regular, fit people would go get their lift on all by themselves because they’re motivated. I am not. I must make lifting an obstruction that I have to deal with to touch it.

Inconvenient Snack Placement

I’m well-educated in the actual math it takes to lose weight, gain weight and sustain weight, yaddah, yaddah. I have enough college athletics and coaching experience to have taught me all that. Which is probably why I can stack the odds against my own math. I know you already know this, but you’re the one who controls what you put in your shopping cart. You’re the one who can control what comes home and makes it into your body. We as moms all know that. But we also really want some darn chocolate sometimes, and I’m not going to just stop buying it. What if I really need it after a toddler tantrum? It needs to exist in the house, but here is the cheat:

The cheat is to organize it into your cupboard by height priority. Crap on the top, good stuff in the middle and the best choices on the bottom, easiest to reach when you’re running to binge. Now, I’m short, so the stuff on the top is going to take me a lot more effort to reach {I actually can’t reach it} if I want to put it in my body. Often days, since I know myself, I don’t even try. Therefore I’m not stuffing myself with crackers all day long. For a quick run down on that math situation: If you put more calories in than you burn, you gain weight. If you burn more calories than you put in, you lose weight, and if you can magically balance the two, well then, you’re probably not needing this post. I cheat exercise by avoiding higher calorie, less beneficial snacks by making them simply inconvenient to get to. which helps me balance my math.

PSA- That Pop Tart bin has been empty for 4 years after I read THIS ARTICLE and since I can’t reach it, I haven’t changed it yet.

Water Flush

This is actually my hardest cheat of the day, which is why I bring my husband into the game. In the morning, or perhaps even before bed, he refills all of these water bottles for me. It is then my challenge to drink them all before he gets home. I fail at this one a lot, but hey, such is life. Back up to that math thing, water is a great way to find balance and eliminate extra calories hiding in your drinks {Pepsi addict here} so I substitute all this water to keep me off the soda-sauce. Remember that this is a cheat post, not a healthy living, best practices post. I don’t have time for that or I’d have no problem with a bikini! I should also note that I write the date I got these bottle on them with a Sharpie and never reuse them more than one month. The internet tells me not to reuse plastic bottle very long!

Weighted Ankles

I actually like this one. It makes me remember my coaching days when I would wear these around the gym. Under my yoga pants {#momuniform} I attach one pound ankle weights. By lunch time I don’t even notice they’re there anymore. Plus, I think I sound a bit more intimidating to the boys when I come stomping into their room to break up a fight.

And there you have it! That’s how I’m slimming down after the winter. I’m really doing nothing more than modifying my everyday lifestyle. The best fitness option is obviously to eat well and take care of your body. However, if you lack the motivation and time these are my strategies for a little cheat 😉

*This post contains an affiliate link to the ankle weights

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Hi There! I’m Kandice