HAND WASHING – Mini WORKOUTS:
Did you know you are probably spending about 10-15min per day washing and drying your hands?
20SEC (WASH) + 10 SEC (DRY*) = 30 SEC
X 20-30 SETS PER DAY = 600-900 seconds OR 10-15minutes a day.
X 7 days a week, X 52 weeks in a year…well, you get the picture!
*THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION AND HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED/RECOMMENDED OR OTHERWISE INSRUCTED BY THE HEALTH ATHOURITY, BUTIT MADE SENSE TO US AND MAKES THE MATH EASIER…!!
WHAT TO DO ABOUT THOSE SECONDS 600+ seconds per day SPENT HAND WASHING???
And how can we use that time effectively??? Read below for your first“mini workout” - and then tune back in regularly for more ways to get exerciseduring these hand washing sessions.
Note: these exercises are only suggestions - please use your common sense, decrease if painful, avoid ifconsidered dangerous.
AND… do not let the exercise distract you from the real purpose – removing germs!!
But first off, are we washing our hands properly?? Here is what the experts tell us to do, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/hand-washing/art-20046253.
Bonus… When done properly – you are actually activating a fair amount of muscles in the upper body.
Day 1 : Balance
Since you are washing your hands chances are you have a counter in front of you. You can lean on it for more support orstand back for less.
Level 1: Stand with your legs close together. A shorter base of support will always challenge our balancemore than a wide base.
Level 2: Stand on one foot and use just the toes from the other foot (making a tripod).
Level 3: Stand on one leg. The other legcan free float either to the side or behind. (just don't bonk your knee on the cupboard below you)
Level 4: Close your eyes with any of the options above.
What to focus on:
-Always breathe: don’t hold your breath. It is very typical to hold one’s breath when holding a posture/position, butholding breath raises blood pressure and could also cause you to feel dizzy.
- Splay (spread) your toes: this provides a larger base of support and minimizes cramping.
- Engage your leg and glute muscles: press away from the floor through your whole foot to engage the muscles in your leg.Think about pressing and lifting your body away from the floor VS sinking intothe floor. Pull your hips in towards the midline of your body.
- Engage your core: gently pull your belly button towards your spine to engage your inner core muscles.
You got this! Now go practice 20-30 more times!!! Challenge yourself, but stay safe - kitchens and bathrooms are full of very hard and sharp surfaces. Safety needs to come first.
- Happy washing!
