Exercise Articles

Exercises for the Working Girl: What you can do Around the Office

As much as you'd like to spend hours on toning your glutes and improving your sexy abs at the gym, the truth of the matter is you just don't have the time—you're a working girl. Add the additional responsibility of taking care of a family and chances are your sports bra won't ever see the light of day. Fortunately there are a few exercises you can do around the office to help keep you in shape. To find out what they are, continue reading.

On Your Way to Work

Before you even get to your place of employment there are tons of simple exercises you can do to help keep you fit. The first is to ditch your car and trade it out for a bicycle or some walking sneakers. Granted not everyone will be able to drastically change the way they commute to work, but if the distance permits, try to ride your bicycle or walk to work a few days out of the week. It won't only help keep you in shape, but it'll help you save on gas money and help reduce your carbon footprint as well.

If you prefer to take your car to the office, you can work on your abs while driving. A good way to do this is whenever you reach a red light, squeeze your abs and hold them for about 10 seconds and then release. Continue doing this until the light turns green. The same exercise move can work to tone your butt—just squeeze and then release your glutes in 10 second intervals.

If you usually park in a garage, make it a habit of using the stairs, not the elevator. When climbing back up the stairs at the end of the day, make sure to take double steps—it'll work out your legs more. If you park in a lot, make sure that you park far enough that you can do some good walking before you clock in.

Around the Office

If you are predominately glued to a desk and computer, chances are you don't get enough blood circulation. A good way to change that is by making it a priority to move around every 30 minutes or so. This could be as simple as going to the restroom. But to make it a little bit more challenging, try to use the restroom on an entirely different floor and use the stairs to get there. Remember to take double-steps on your way back up. Or, if you have a message to deliver to another co-worker or boss, get up and deliver the message in person instead of using e-mail or Instant Messaging. Some employees are even known to purposely leave important documents or their lunches in their cars so that they can have a reason to get out of the office and move around a bit. With that said, any little excuse you have to get up and move around you should take advantage of.

At Your Desk

If you have a very traditional office job you will most likely spend all of your time sitting at a desk. One of the easiest ways to simultaneously work on your fitness and your job duties is to switch out your office chair for a stability ball. It may seem a little impractical since there is nothing to support your back, but that's pretty much the whole point. Since you will be working on keeping your balance, your abs, legs and back will constantly work (and get toned in the process) to keep yourself situated on the ball. You don't have to use the stability ball every day if you don't want to but a few days out of the week can do wonders.

Calf raises are also another popular exercise move to do at your desk. All you have to do is sit in a chair (or stability ball) and use the balls of your feet to lift your legs off of the floor. You should feel your calf muscles stretch. Once you feel that your calves can't stretch anymore give them a good squeeze. Hold for 10 seconds and then release. Typically women prefer to do this exercise move until they begin to tire, but you can give yourself specific goals. For example, you can tell yourself "after I'm done with this report" or "after this phone call is complete" I can move on to another body part.

Arm raises are equally as affective. All you have to do is raise your arms above your head or to the sides. Do it with a full water bottle in hand to make it a bit more challenging. This simple move will not only help tone your arms but will also help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.

This guest post is contributed by Kitty Holman, who writes on the topics of nursing colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Five Minute Fixes to Better Health and Fitness

Tired of feeling like the path to health and wellness is a long, drawn out path? Then start small! Use these quick five minute fixes to boost your health and to reach your goals one step at a time!

Wear a pedometer to determine the distance you walk each day. Shoot for 10,000 steps per day. If you aren't reaching that goal, add an extra mile to your routine or take the steps instead of the escalator whenever possible.

Spend the extra money to purchase good work out necessities : clothing, shoes, bras, supports, etc. Purchasing the better brands versus going the cheaper route will ensure that you use them and that they are the best for your workout.

Try some quick cardio. According to 5minutesformom.com, running up and down the stairs or a minute or two of jumping jacks will get your heart rate elevated and give you a quick burst of energy.

Don't be a creature of habit. Switch up your routines, walking routes, gym machines and even what days you do specific workouts. Change is good when it comes to exercise and fitness.

Consider the other ways that you can lose weight without really trying : clean the house and burn 200 calories or work in the garden and burn 272 calories.

Even if you have to travel or spend all day in a car or on a plane, still try to fit in physical activity. Take advantage of bathroom breaks by stretching and doing some light exercise. Walk briskly through the airport in between flights if traveling by plane.

Build better bones and as much bone density as you can by doing weight-bearing activities like running or jumping as much as you can in your twenties and thirties.

• Turn ordinary tasks into fitness opportunities! With each handful of laundry that you shove in the washing machine, perform the perfect squat by making sure that your knees are in line with your toes and squeeze your glutes. Try doing lunges around the kitchen, to the bathroom or while you're outside playing with your kids. If you find yourself on the floor cleaning up a spill do as many pushups as you can while you're down there.

Yoga has many healthy benefits for your body and your mind. Even if you are a novice, take a class and try something different.

Work out with your significant other or a friend or family member. This allows you to be a spotting partner for one another or just spend some quality time together working out.

One more suggestion from 5minutesformom.com includes putting on some groovy tunes and having a five minute dance party with your family- fun and fitness for everyone!

Keep in mind that even just five minutes is better than nothing. We all live busy lives, so keep these five minute fixes in mind and get moving to better health and fitness!

Cue the Music! Listening to Music Aides Workouts

If you are new to the “gym scene” then you may have noticed that nearly everyone has their ear buds in synced up to their iPods while they are working out. Believe it or not, these gym-goers aren't being antisocial. Instead they have learned what many experts are now saying ,that listening to your favorite music while working out can boost performance by up to 20 percent.

According to a study done by Dr Costas Karageorghis, of Brunel University on news.bbc.co.uk, "music does have an impact on physical performance by blocking fatigue and helping you keep pace by synchronizing your movements.” The study finds that while listening to music on the treadmill or elliptical can actually boost your calorie burn, too.

Dr, Karageorghis found that listening to the right songs before and during training boosts performance. He recommends fast tempo music for high intensity exercise and slower tracks to help with the warm up and cool down. It's the speed of the music that plays a key role.

To get the most out of your workout he suggests creating your own play list according to your own personal music tastes and preferences as well as keeping in mind the intensity of activity in which you will be engaging. Loud, up-beat music can be used as a stimulant while soft music may calm pre-performance nerves.

As exercise begins, music tempo can be synchronized to help regulate movement and prolong performance. It can also help to narrow attention and divert your mind from sensations of fatigue. People who listen to fast tempo music can typically exercise longer and they typically feel that the exercise is easier (even though it's the same exercise) and not as tiring, as when they don't listen to music.

Karageorghis found an 18% improvement in adherence to exercise regimes with the help of the right music.

Six Outdoor Exercise Tips to Keep in Mind When Heading Outdoors this Winter

The dark days of winter are upon us and one way to beat the winter blues is to get outside event if it is cold. It's important to get outdoors and get your exercise in especially during the winter. Experts say that while this is a healthy decision, there are a few things that you should keep in mind before you head outdoors this winter:

1. Remember to warm up first- Just like you were working out indoors, warming up first before you get started working out outdoors is definitely important. Colder temperatures can cause your muscles to tighten up, so a proper warm up session will help prevent injury.

2. Dress in layers- According to Mayoclinic.com, one of the biggest mistakes you can make while exercising in cold weather is to dress too warmly. Exercise generates a lot of heat and sweat but once that sweat starts to dry you can get chilled. So dress in layers that you can remove as you start to sweat and then put back on as needed.

3. Drink up- Working out outdoors is no different than indoors when it comes to hydration. Drink even when you do not feel thirsty.

4. Protect your hands, feet and ears- When it's cold outside your blood flow is concentrated in your body's core, leaving your extremities like hands, feet and ears vulnerable to frostbite. Consider a thin pair of gloves under heavier gloves and adjust to your body's temperature, wear thermal socks and don't forget your hat or headband to protect your ears.

5. Don't strip down when you come back inside- Give your body time to adjust from your outdoor workout. Post-exercise hypothermia is possible, so be sure to let your body adjust before taking off all of those layers.

6. Choose appropriate gear- If it's dark when you're exercising outside, wear reflective clothing. Also choose shoes with plenty of traction to prevent falls and consider chemical heats packs to keep hands and feet warm

By keeping these tips in mind you're sure to have an effective and pleasant winter outdoor exercise experience.