Let’s face it, even with our best intentions some days unexpected barriers and deadlines arise in the way of our exercise. Instead of giving up on your exercise efforts entirely, perform the following Maintenance Moves to keep your fitness steady. Perform 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions of each exercise. Consult your physician before beginning exercise and perform moves at your own risk.

1.  Standing Squat- (strengthens the lower body) Begin in a standing posture.  Bend your legs as if you’re going to sit down. Sit back and keep your knees over your ankles. Stop when your hips are just above your knees and stand up tall again.

2.  Pushups- (strengthens the upper body) Position yourself on your knees or toes and hands. Pull your belly button up into your spine and keep your body straight. Bend your arms and lower your body to the floor. Stop when your elbows form right angles, and then return to the starting position.

3.  Standing Lunge- (strengthens the lower body) Stand with one foot about 36 inches in front of the other.  Keep your back heel up and bend the back knee toward the floor. Make sure your stance is long enough so when bending your back knee your front knee remains over your front ankle.  Extend your back knee and return to the starting position.

Some days our schedule and life-demands get the best of us, but don’t let that discourage your fitness efforts entirely. Not all exercise has to be structured to count, keep it steady and perform these 3 maintenance exercises. Prior to performing strength exercises complete 10 minutes of cardiovascular exercise such as walking or jogging and you’ll take care of your warm-up and heart/lung conditioning as well.

By Nicole Bryan. ACE, NASM and ACSM Certified Fitness Professional.