Combining Exercise with Oral Care
Easy Workouts You Can Do When Brushing Your Teeth
Individuals today lead very busy lives – between work, family commitments, children’s activities, and regular chores and tasks there seems to be little time for anything else. With the health craze that is taking the nation, many people are finding it hard to add exercising to their already full plates. But, what if you could get a good workout in while you do something else, like brushing your teeth? Here are three quick workouts you can complete while brushing your teeth.
Calf Raises
Toning and shaping our legs is something that many of us strive for. Any easy way to do this is by doing calf raises while we brush our teeth – not only are they easy to perform, they are also very effective when done on a regular basis. When brushing your teeth or flossing (or both) stand with your hips directly over your feet and slowly lift your body weight up onto your toes in a controlled motion. Do as many as you can while completing your teeth cleaning routine – you will see results in no time!
Squats
We have all seen the “squat challenges” that have been floating around the Internet, social media, and blogs. Squats are great for improving flexibility and strengthening not only your legs but also your lower back and entire lower body. To complete a proper squat, while brushing, pull your bottom and hips back as you move to a seated-like position toward the floor and making sure your knees do not move past your toes. Do as many squats as you can during your morning routine and you will definitely see the improvement.
Lunges
Lunges are another quick exercise that you can complete multiple sets of during a short amount of time. To do a complete, proper lunge, keep your upper body as straight as possible with your shoulders back while also pulling in your core muscles and keeping them tight. While doing all of this, and brushing your teeth, take a step forward with one leg and lower your hips until the knee of the leg you stepped with is at a 90 degree angle and your other knee is touching the ground. Return to a standing position and repeat the same motion with your other leg. You can complete quite a few lunges in two minutes.
Now that your physical health is the right track, it is probably a good time to see your dentist to make sure your teeth are doing just as good. If you do not already have dental coverage and live in New Hampshire, you can sign up for the Wellness Dental plan and save as much as 20 percent on your next dentist visit. For information on all of our dental plans in New Hampshire , please click here.
*Photo Courtesy of Thirteen of Clubs via Creative Commons License
