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Exercise, am I right? In the morning, when having to choose between an exhausting workout and remaining in a cozy bed, the choice seems rather obvious for most people – bed it is. It is hard to get up when in a warm embrace of the blanket, so even though you are not sleeping, sometimes you may spend long hours in your bed before you will find the strength to leave its sweet confines.
But if you give up your workout too many times, you might start feeling guilty because you are wasting your precious fitness time. Luckily for you, you can easily combine the practical with the pleasurable and start exercising in your bed. There are plenty of exercises that you could implement into your new bed workout – be it lateral leg lifts, twisting plank, cross ankle hamstring stretch, or bicycle crunch.
Are you unable to leave your bed to complete your workout? Here are some exercises that you can do in your bed:
Benefits of Exercising in Bed
Some trainers and fitness experts might be reluctant to the idea of exercising in bed, as they believe that a proper fully-fledged exercise program requires solid ground and enough room for movement. Though there are limitations to this setting, it does not mean there are no benefits for your body.
First of all, most mattresses offer an unstable surface that you might use to increase the difficulty of particular activities. Just like when you are using an exercise ball, you will recruit small stabilizing muscles while working large prime movers. This will help you to improve your balance, build core strength, and tone areas of the body such as the abs and glutes. However, make sure you don’t do any exercises that require keeping a straight back as you may do yourself more harm than good.
What is more, bed exercises might be the solution to keep you motivated on the days when it is especially hard to stick to your routine, for example, when your muscles are particularly sore after an intensive workout. Though you might want to check out CBD salve and rest to alleviate the pain, most trainers recommend keeping exercising. While your regular routine might be too much, stretching on a comfortable bed will be just perfect.
Lateral Leg Lifts
While lying on the left side of your body, place your left hand behind your neck to support your head. Bend your left leg at a 90-degree angle, whereas your right should be straight extended through the heel. Slowly raise your right leg up towards the ceiling and then lower it down. Before the right leg touches the left, raise it once again up. Repeat the movement 20-30 times and then flip to the other side to perform the exercise on your right side.
Twisting Plank
You should start by placing your forearms on the bed – elbows aligned below shoulders and arms parallel to the body at about shoulder width. Brace your core by pressing the belly button in, and then twist your right hip till it slightly touches the bed. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement for the right side. That’s one rep.
Remember to keep your back straight without your butt sticking out or your hips dropping down. You could aim for 20 reps, but it is a challenging exercise, so do not feel bad if you do less.
Cross Ankle Hamstring Stretch
Lie on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and feet flat on the mattress. Then cross your left ankle over your right knee and press on your left thigh for about 30 seconds. If it is not enough for you and you need a deeper stretch, grab your right leg behind the knee and pull it towards your chest. You should feel the stretch in your left thigh. Hold it for another 30 seconds, and then repeat it on the other side.
Bicycle Crunch
Lie on your back on the bed with bent knees and feet flat on the surface. Place your hands behind the head to gently cradle it and keep your elbows wide. Bring your knees up until they are at a 90-degree angle, and lift your shoulder blades off the bed. Drive your left knee towards your chest and allow it to bend to a deeper angle. At the same time, straighten your right leg out without touching the bed.
As you move your left knee towards the chest, bring your right elbow to meet it, moving your whole upper body in that direction. You should feel strain in your abs. Return to the initial position, repeat everything on the other side, switching the leg position, and once again return to the center. That is one complete rep.
Diamond Reverse Crunches
Lie on your back and bring your feet together with your knees opened out, so your legs are in the shape of a diamond. Put your arms along your sides, palms pressed into the mattress. Tighten your abs and raise your feet up over your hips. Now you have to lift your hips up, so you drive your feet straight up toward the ceiling and then slowly return your hips to the bed without dropping your feet. You have completed one rep. Aim for 20-30 reps.
In Conclusion
You might be surprised by how effective these exercises are. They may be simple, but they will make your abs burn. You will definitely enjoy the upper body workout that you get from these exercises, especially when you are not looking for an intense cardio session. None of the above exercises will leave you breathless and sweaty. On the contrary, most of them are so gentle that you might be able to fall asleep as soon as you lie down on your back.
This guide will show you the benefits of bed exercises and give you a few examples of what you can do on your bed. Go ahead and try them out!
