If you were to take advantage of a single morning ‘snooze’ time after your alarm clock goes off, and instead add a few small in-bed exercises in those 4-9 minutes of your day, it is likely you will get out of bed more refreshed, more invigorated and feel like you are already starting your day with one accomplishment achieved.
Furthermore, if you are willing to add a few small arm exercises to each day, even while you are still lying in bed, you will start to see and feel additional muscle tone after just a few short weeks.
To feel additionally invigorated and refreshed, consider warming up with a few stretches in bed.
Plank: Lying on your stomach, prop yourself up on your elbows. Lift your body so it is supported in a straight line on your elbows and toes.
- Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
- This exercise is also good for the core and abdominal muscles.
Reverse Plank: Lying on your back, prop yourself up on your elbows. Lift your backside off the bed and straighten your body.
- Hold for 30 seconds and release. Repeat 3 times.
Side Plank: Lying on your right side, lift your body up, and create a straight line with your body from your elbow to the right side of your right foot.
- Hold for 30 seconds and release. Repeat 3 times and then repeat entire exercise on your left side.
Seated Shadow Boxing: Sitting on the side of the bed, picture an imaginary opponent. Box and punch the air with increasing speed and alternating punches from side, to uppercut, to punches across the body.
- Continue for 60 seconds then pause for a break. Repeat 3 times.
- This exercise can also increase your heart rate and calorie burn.
Arm Circles: Sitting up in bed, stretch your arms straight out to either side. Pinwheel your arms forward in small circles as fast as you can.
- Continue for 30 seconds and then reverse the direction, pin wheeling your arms in backward circles for another 30 seconds.
- This is another exercise that can increase your heart rate and calorie burn.
The Cobra: Lying face down on the floor, bring your palms up near your chest and place them flat on the bed. Pushing up, Lift your head, shoulders and chest off the floor. Concentrate on pulling your shoulder blades down and pushing them together.
- Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times.
If you are feeling truly adventurous and would like to increase the muscle tone and calorie burn first thing in the morning, keep a set of hand-weights next to your bed. Remember to start off light, with 1-5 lbs. and then depending on the ease of the exercises, increase the weight and/or reps accordingly.
Below are “In-Bed Exercises” that can be done with a set of dumbbells:
Dumbbell Bench Press: Lying on your back, hold one dumbbell with both hands or turn the ends of separate dumbbells together as if you are holding a bar above your chest. Push the dumbbells up from your chest and back down.
- Repeat 25 times. If this becomes easy, add additional reps before adding more weight.
Dumbbell Punch Ups: Lying on your back and holding one dumbbell in each hand, take turns with your arms ‘punching’ each hand up as high as you can reach. Alternate hands, counting 1-1 then 2-2..etc.
- Repeat 25 times. If this becomes easy, add additional reps before adding more weight.
Dumbbell Pullover: Lying on your back in bed, hold one dumbbell with both hands and extend arms straight above your head. Lift the dumbbell so it is a few inches off the mattress and hold the weight steady with your arms straight.
- Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times.
Dumbbell Butterflies: Lying on your back in bed, hold one dumbbell in each hand. Stretching your arms straight out to the sides lift the dumbbell so it is a few inches off the mattress and hold.
- Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times.
Bent Dumbbell Pull-Ups: Kneeling on the bed, lean over and hold yourself up with your left arm, and grasp a dumbbell in your right hand. Pull the dumbbell up from the bed until it is even with your side and your elbow is sticking up behind you in the air.
- Repeat 25 times then switch hands.
- This exercise may feel similar to pulling a cord to get a lawn mower started.
Behind Head Pull-Ups: Sitting up in bed, hold one dumbbell or 2 dumbbells pressed together behind your head, with your elbows bend by your ears. Extend your arms straight up above your head.
- Repeat 25 times.
Even if you only do a few of these each day, you will wake up faster, more refreshed and feel more accomplished as you start your day. Also remember, small consistent activities are ten times more effective than big activities done irregularly.
Check back soon for abdominal exercises that can be done in bed!
Know of any other arm exercises that can be done in bed? Please share them here in the comments!
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