Exercises for work and home
Joel Peterson – Level 5 Personal Trainer Apple Athletic Club
In previous issues we’ve pointed out the consequences of inactivity and poor nutrition to our health.
We’ve also provided an at home work out along with tips on moving our diet into more healthy foods. A problem many of us face is the time factor. “It’s just so hard to get in a decent workout with my job, kids, etc.” Well, we’ve got some good news for you today!
What is your body’s strongest muscle? It’s your heart – which beats approximately 100,000 times per day. That means that in just 10 days, your heart beats one million times. If you do sustained, intense exercise daily, you’ll reach a million even more quickly.
No, we can’t give you more time, but we can show you how to get some great exercise in during the day, at work, home or anywhere. Prolonged sitting is a danger to our overall health, but for many of us it cannot be avoided. Fortunately, we can counter the danger with a few simple movements during the day.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that staying active—and by that I mean engaging in virtually any physical movement—as much as possible, throughout the day, is critical for health and longevity. In the big scheme of things, it is more important to engage in any physical activity than to do nothing. However, a regularly scheduled fitness routine done in tandem with some basic activity is dynamite.
The easiest and simplest strategy is to merely stand up, and then sit back down. But the evidence suggests you’d be wise to go a little further—especially if you only exercise a few times a week, or not at all. There are plenty of ways to get movements in during your work hours. I suggest taking a break to do one set of three exercises, anywhere from once every 15 minutes, to once per hour.
Let’s practice a few right now!
#1: Standing Neck-Stretch: Hold for 20 seconds on each side.
#2: Shoulder Blade Squeeze: Round your shoulders, then pull them back and pull down. Repeat for 20-30 seconds.
#3: Standing Hip Stretch: Holding on to your desk, cross your left leg over your right thigh and “sit down” by bending your right leg. Repeat on the other side.
#4: The Windmill: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, then pivot your feet to the right. Push your hip out to the left. Raising your left arm skyward, and your right arm toward the floor, lower your body toward the floor while looking up, and then raise your torso back to standing position. Repeat on the other side.
#5: Side Lunge: Starting with your feet together, take a medium step sideways, and bend down as if you’re about to sit. Use your arms for balance by reaching out in front of you. Return to starting position, and repeat 10-20 times. Repeat on the other side.
#6: Desk Push-Up: Place hand a little wider than shoulder-width apart on your desk. Come up on your toes to make it easier to tip forward. Do 10 repetitions.
#7: Squat to Chair: With your feet shoulder-width apart, sit down, reaching forward with your hands, and stand back up in quick succession. Do 15-20 repetitions
#8: Single Leg Dead Lift: Place your right hand on your desk, and place your weight on your right leg. Fold your torso forward, while simultaneously lifting your left leg backward. Do 10 repetitions on each side.
#9: Mountain Climber: Get into a push-up position on the floor. Pull your right knee forward to touch your right wrist or arm, then return to push-up position. Repeat on the other side. Try to pick up the pace, and do 20 quick repetitions.
Be patient. Resolve to do as much as you can for 30 days and notice the results. Don’t be surprised if co-workers and friends start joining in with you. It is really contagious. Next week we are going to bring you some fantastic stretches you can do anytime, anywhere.
You’re doing great. Stay the course and remember that old adage: Quitters never win and winners never quit.