Repetition helps you build strong habit muscles. I undertake the same five exercises every day, and I believe doing them helps contribute to good health and a sense of personal satisfaction. I’ll sometimes skip an exercise or two on Sundays – we need a break from home tasks, too – but other than that, I’m hella consistent, so I can attest to positive, long-term results.

Exercise one: Stand.

Stand up, then stretch and bend as you make your bed for the day. Making the bed each day adds a lot of positives to one’s life. You get to start the day with a task from the “to-do” list already ticked off, plus the made bed gives you a little burst of joy every time you walk by your room and see it done. A made bed is also a great place to display one’s stuffies, should you have any. If you’re lacking, thrift stores have many abandoned stuffies in need of a good home.

Exercise two: Walk.

Walk to the windows in your house, and rotate from your waist as you slide them all open. Fresh air is a very good thing, and I believe it’s beneficial for body and soul to invite the outside in. You can close some after a bit if the weather is cold or inclement.

Exercise three: Bend.

Bend at the waist, and pet the dog or cat. Let yourself hang for a few seconds each time you fold. Feel that spine lengthen – remember when you could put your hands flat on the ground? Your pets will appreciate the extra attention as much as your spine. The spine likes to be stretched out. If you don’t have pets, and your children are too tall for random pats on the head, toss that basket of unsorted socks on the floor, and bend from the waist to pick them up for folding. Your hamstrings appreciate waist bends, too.

Exercise four: Lift.

Grab your toothbrush and lift it to your mouth with your dominant hand. Brush for a minute or two, then lower it and change hands. Raise your non-dominant hand, now holding the toothbrush, to your mouth, and brush for another minute or so. Your dentist will thank you, and so will your brain. It’s good for us to use our non-dominant side every now and then. It keeps the brain sharp and prevents muscle fatigue when you rake.

Exercise five: Stretch.

Tighten the corners of your mouth, then stretch your lips laterally until you have arranged your face into a smile. Make sure to lift the corners of your mouth into your cheeks, so your entire face is engaged. Do this regularly throughout the day, when you see yourself in a reflective surface, or when you encounter other humans out in the wild. I find that regular reps will have a positive effect on my mood, especially if I also encounter other people stretching while I’m out and about.

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Daily walks are also good for your health. Don’t cheap out on your walking shoes, either. Much misery in life can be attributed to bad shoes and the subsequent sore feet. That doesn’t mean you have to spend into the high three figures, but it does mean that cheap kicks with no support are false economy. It’s better to spend eighty dollars once on good shoes rather than twenty bucks four times on garbage.

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What are five simple exercises to do at home?

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