Exercise Articles

Break a Sweat with this Office Workouts

The office is probably one of the most unlikely places to get healthy. Spending hours lurking in that office chair doesn't do anybody any good except build those love handles. Taking care of our careers is one thing but keeping our body healthy is equally important.

Studies have shown that prolonged sitting can have a damaging effect on our health. Sitting in the office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. can be likened to a couch potato minus the TV. Some studies even showed that sitting for long periods of time can increase a person's risk for cancer by 60%.

Starting your journey to a healthier life can be done with a few simple changes. Switching to a healthy snack or deciding to take a little more veggies during lunch is just one of those little things that all up to being healthy.

Breaking a sweat in the office is possible and it doesn't involve bringing in gym equipment. So the next time you find yourself hitting a wall and just need to release stress why don't you make this an opportunity to get those sleeping muscles working. Below is a few simple exercises that you can do in your downtime.

Stretching

1. Back and Legs

Lean forward from a standing or sitting position bringing the chest towards the thighs. Try to straighten the legs slowly stretching the hamstrings.

2. Arms and Shoulders

Pull the arms across the chest and hook the other arm around it to pull the tension out of the upper back and rear shoulders.

3. Neck

Tilt the head slowly towards the shoulder and hold it for ten seconds on each side. Do this on a slow and easy pace.

4. Calves

Stand and lean into the desk with the heels on the floor. Bend the knees slightly to stretch the Achilles tendons.

5. Thighs

Sit on the left edge of the chair. Grab the left ankle and pull it upward towards the buttocks. Do it also on the other side.

10-Minute Office Cardio Workout

1. Push-Ups

Get into a plank position with feet firmly on the ground and hands on a chair. Bend the arms to go down and bring the body back up. Go as low as your body can reach and press the back up to a tall position. The core should be tight and the routine should continue for at least one minute.

2. Broad Jumps

From squat position, bend down and jump forward landing again in a squat. Turn around and hop the other way. Continue hopping back and forth for one minute focusing on the distance instead of the height.

3. Tricep Dips

Facing away from the chair with the hands gripping the edge, place the feet out in front of you with knees bent at ninety degrees. You should feel the effect on the shoulders and triceps as you dip down and back up. Do the routine for one minute.

4. Squats

From wide stance, squat down and tap the butt to the chair, then come up. The pace should be fast to get the heart rate up. Extend the body as you rise up and squeeze at the top to engage the muscles.

5. Walk Lunges

Bend the knees in an alternate pace as you lunge-walk through the hallway. Do it in a nice and low position so that the quads with feel it by the end.

It's Swimming Season

With the warm weather comes the opening up of public pools and home pools and people break out the bathing suit for another season of swimming. For many people, swimming is a good way to wind down after a long day.  But others are using swimming as another means of exercise and they are finding that exercise in the spring and summertime can be fun!

Swimming is an excellent way to lose weight and strength train all the while enjoying the beautiful outdoors.

Exercise experts recommend swimming as a form of exercise because of the great cardiovascular workout you get from swimming.  It is considered a great aerobic exercise because by definition it is an action that maintains an elevated heartbeat for a minimum of 20 minutes.

You can simply add swimming to your pre-existing aerobic workout to help switch things up and keep your workouts fresh.  Alternate days that you decide to use swimming as your cardio for that day, so you don't get bored with any one workout.

Like any exercise, you should also start any swimming workout routine by stretching first. You may not realize the affect swimming has on your entire body until it is too late, so be sure to stretch appropriately before you begin. Then start off slow by swimming strides and gradually increasing your speed in the pool.  This will help to elevate your heart rate at a safe pace and help you to last longer during your workout.

Swimming, and using swimming as your key workout, is more about endurance than quickness.  Experts suggest starting out swimming laps for approximately 20 minutes for women and 30 minutes for men.  You can begin to increase your time as necessary and as you continue your workout over the course of weeks or months.

Again, this will prevent you from getting too tired, too sore, wore out or disappointed in your swimming workout. Try out different strokes when you are swimming, too.  Do some laps using the breaststroke, then switch up and do the backstroke, or even the doggy paddle.  Each swimming stroke using a different variety of muscles and therefore will give you the best overall workout.

Resistance Band Workout

If you are looking for something different to do to change your typical workout routine, pick up a set of resistance bands and give some of these exercises a try!

Front Squat - Stand on a tube band with the feet slightly wider than your shoulders and center of the band between the feet. Holding a handle in each hand, bring the top of the band over each shoulder, securing the band in place by crossing your arms at your chest. Sit straight down, chest up, abs firm, pressing your knees out over your toes. Rise back up to start position and repeat for 8-12 reps.

Bent Over Row - Stand over the center of the band with feet shoulder-width apart. Bend slightly at the knees and hinge at the waist, keeping your hips back. Grasp each handle with hands facing the outside of your knees. With elbows bent, pull the band up toward your hips, squeezing your shoulder blades together until your elbows form a 90-degree angle. Lower and row for 10-12 reps.

Bench Press - Anchor a tube band on the bench legs, and lie on the bench, face up. Grabbing a handle in each hand. position them at shoulder height (so your thumbs touch the front of your shoulders). Extend the arms straight up overhead to full extension, moving your hands toward each other at the top. Lower back down and repeat for 10-12 reps.

Overhead Press - Stand over the center of a tube band with feet shoulder-width apart. Grip each handle, positioning your hands at shoulder level with palms facing each other so your thumbs touch your shoulders. Press straight up, rotating your palms forward as you fully extend your arms. Lower back down slowly and repeat for 8-10 reps.

Russian Twist - Sit on the floor with legs extended, wrapping the center of the band around the bottom of your feet. Hold the free ends in each hand. Slightly bend your knees, keeping your feet on the floor, and lean back at a 45-degree angle. Rotate the band right by bringing your left hand across your body and your right hand down by your right hip. Contracting your oblique muscles, bring the band toward your right hip while keeping your middle and low back neutral. Return to starting position and rotate left then right for a total of 10-12 reps on each side.

Walk Off that Easter Candy

Feeling a little guilty after learning how many calories are in your favorite Easter treats? (See “Food for Thought section of this newsletter.)

Don't worry!  Just use this handy guide to determine how much walking you need to do to work those calories off!

Editor's Note:  Mileage is based upon eating only one serving of each of the following candies.  Should you eat more than one serving (according to package) or a combination of any of the following then your mileage will need adjusted.

Jelly Beans: 1.4 miles

Peeps: 1.6 miles

Robin Eggs: 1.7 miles

Small Chocolate Bunny: 1.4 miles

Medium Hollow Bunny: 2.6 miles

Large Chocolate Bunny: 10.5 miles (!!!!!!)

Chocolate-covered Marshmallow Bunny: .6 miles

Chocolate-covered Marshmallow Egg: 1 mile

Cadbury Crème Egg: 1.7 miles

Cadbury Caramel Egg: 1.9 miles

Lindt Chocolate Carrots: 2.1 miles

Prefer real eggs over chocolate eggs?  You may need to do some walking, too.  One hardboiled egg requires .76 of a mile to walk it off and a half of a deviled egg takes .73 of a mile to burn!