Most of us have desk jobs. As in, jobs from 8-5 involving sitting for 7 straight hours. Sometimes just that thought alone makes you feel that cottage cheese gathering right under neath you. I know from my own experience at a desk job.
Fortunately there are plenty of ways to get that workout in without having to leave your cubicle space. They will help increase concentration, productivity and efficiency. These little workouts can also enhance circulation, relieve stress, boost energy, improve attitude and for some of us the most important, reduce neck, back and wrist pain.
Don't be embarrassed when someone looks over and your doing push ups against your desk. Just remember your burning the calories......and they are not:).
1. The Squat
How to do it: Stand with your shoulders, hips, and knees in a vertical line. Draw your stomach in as if your making your waistline smaller. Slowly squat down as if you were picking something up. Keep your knees in line with your toes. Both knees should be facing forward. Repeat 5-10 times.
2. Single Leg Calf Raises
How to do it: Stand facing a desk, touching the top for balance. Place your right food behind the heel of your left foot. Raise the heel of your left foot off the floor as high as possible, pressing on the ball of your foot. Repeat the exercise with your left foot behind the heel of your right foot.
3. Leg Lift
How to do it: Try to do this exercise while eating your lunch at your desk. Sit on a chair with your feet on the floor. Lift one foot forward, straightening your knee. Squeeze the front of the upper thigh as you lift your leg and hold it for a few seconds. Lower and repeat with the other leg. Complete 8 repetitions on each leg.
4. Stand Up and Out of Your Chair
How to do it: Lift your body up and down out of your chair several times.
5. Push-Up Off of a Desk
How to do it: Stand facing a desk with your feet together. Keep your back straight. Lean forward and place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart on the desk. Slowly lower your body toward the desk and then push away. Repeat up to 10 times.
6. Tuck in your Knees to Strengthen your Abs
How to do it: Sit in a chair with your hands holding the armrests. Tighten your stomach muscles as you pull each knee in toward your chest. Alternate knees and then pull in both knees.
7. Neck and Shoulders
How to do it: Sitting or standing, allow your arms to hang at your sides. Tilt your head sideways to your shoulder. Hold for 15 seconds. Repeat on the opposite side.
8. Back
How to do it: Standing or sitting, place your hands on your hips. Slowly twist at your waist as if you were looking over your shoulder. Hold for 15 seconds. Repeat on the opposite side.
9. Back and Shoulders
How to do it: Standing or sitting, reach one arm over your head, stretching toward the ceiling. With the opposite arm, reach toward the floor. Hold for 15 seconds. Repeat on the opposite side.
10. Seated Posture
How to do it: Without using the backrest on your chair, sit with your feet flat on the floor. Keep your shoulders back with your palms facing forward. Take four deep breaths from your abdomen. Perform frequently throughout the day.
Source: Select Health, GetFit
Something that I've absolutely grown to love about my profession as a Fitness Instructor, is that you meet some of the best, most motivating people from all over. They all have something different that sets them apart in the industry that add so much.
One of my good friends, Robin, that is a fantastic teacher has running down to an art. And I don't mean just form. I mean motivation, endurance, and making the time for it. She has a fantastic blog that I love reading and motivates me every time I do.
She posted a great article that I want to share with all of you! Normally I would post her words on here with her permission, but I wanted you to check out her blog and read more by going to her actual blog.
So for all you die-hard runners out there, check out her awesome blog Here.
1. Get enough sleep.
This means making sure the kids go to bed early enough so you can. Have an evening routine that is calming for everyone.
2. Eat well.
Yes you know it. Most of you don’t do it. It is just as easy to grab a piece of fruit as a basket of fries. You and your kids will feel better if you eat three good meals a day. Do the shopping, planning and cooking together. This gives you bonding time and teaches the kids good skills to help out around the house.
3. Exercise.
I know you’re exhausted at night and don’t have time in the morning, but if you’re stopping for coffee or vegging out in front of the TV you have time. Do something - anything. It all helps. Better yet - take a class with the kids.
4. Look your best.
Get a great haircut. Wear the best clothes you can afford. When we look good we feel good and we smile more.
5. Smile.
You’ll automatically feel better. Even better - laugh.
6. Count your blessings.
Your mother was right, count your blessings. Make a gratitude list. We all have a multitude of things to be grateful for. Post your list and add to it. Have the kids make one too.
7. Ask for help.
We don’t have to do it all alone. Ask family, friends, co-workers, and organizations for help. From babysitting to yard cleanup to a ride to the store. People love to be needed. (Just don’t use them)
8. Help others.
Nothing feels as good as service. Get the kids involved. Serve others besides your kids. Helping each other makes all our lives easier.
9. Connect to your spirituality.
Whatever that is for you. Nature, music, church, gardening. Do something at least once a week that makes you feel whole.
10. Lower your expectations.
Yes - LOWER your expectations. Of yourself and of your kids. You’re not supermom and they aren’t superkids. Cut all of you some slack.
I can't tell you how many times a week I get the question, "what can I do at home for my abs?", or "what is the best exercise for my stomach?". I'm here to tell you the answers to those questions, and fill you in on how to shrink that gut! Dozens of crunches, on their own, are not likely to help you lose the gut. What does work is a full body exercise routine that builds muscle all over. Since muscle burns calories even while you're resting, having more muscle helps to melt fat all over, including the belly. The best plan is regular cardio/aerobic exercise, resistance training, and of course a healthy diet. One of the main things, without fail, have my class focus on during the aerobic exercise is flexing there stomach. Most people don't know that if you're stomach is flexed during a workout, not only does it help stabalize the back and torso, but the stomach ends up getting just the same amount of exercise as the rest of the body. If you are a firm believer in those crunches, I recommend doing them AFTER you get that heart rate up by either cardio, or resistance. For example, if you're a runner, tone your stomach after your run to get better results. Also, you can always help tone that stomach all through out your day. Did you know that flexing your stomach for 5 seconds equals one crunch? Well now you know:). So get in the habit of flexing that stomach all day long, and while your burning those calories those muscles will start to shine. Another way to get rid of bloating (mostly for us women) is fixing that posture so your torso is nice and straight, and take deep breathes. In through the nose, out through the mouth. While you breath out slowly, keep that stomach flexed. Repeat as many times as needed or until your bloating is gone. It helps with stress relief too!
Every one of us hits a point where we've either lost motivation, our drive, or our reason to eat healthy and exercise. If you've never hit that point, will you please leave a comment of your deepest secrets of how to avoid that? Thank you.
For the rest of us, it comes whether we like it or not. We live in a time (and country) where food is everything. Our entertainment, our pleasure, our moods, and every part of our day is revolved around what time it is simply so we can eat. With so much of our lives being surrounded by food it's hard to avoid the good stuff (unhealthy). Little by little, taste by taste, we lose our drive.
Unfortunetely staying motivated is a life long goal. So it's absolutely normal to fall a little behind and need that boost back up. For some of us, it might be every day or every year. No matter how often we lose our motivation, we all go through it.
I have a few tips that have helped me with food and exercise that I'd love to share in hopes that it will help a little:).
2 things to remember before getting started with eating healthier:
1. Take each day meal by meal. Don't ever get motivated and say you're going to eat healthy for the rest of the year, or even month. Promise yourself you're going to eat healthy for the next meal. That's all you need. Meal by meal.
2. The last bite tastes the exact same as the first. Portion control is a never ending battle, but doable. Definitely doable. Something that helps me with dessert is to keep telling myself that no matter how much I eat of this cake, brownie or doughnut, every bite will taste the same. So 1-2 bites is all I really need. After that I'm just making myself sick and that ruins the whole experience for me.
2 tips that help with having the drive to exercise daily:
1. Exercise doesn't have to be 1 hour of sweat and nausea. It simply has to be 20 minutes of getting that heart rate higher. A walk outside, grocery shopping, cleaning, biking, weight lifts between commercials, rollerblading. Next time you feel like you're not in the mood to take 1-2 hours of working your hardest, stop and tell yourself today is a "half an hour of walking" day. It's as simple as that. People that end up skipping an exercise class or their normal routine end up doing nothing that day. It's not all or nothing. It's all or keeping it simple. If today has to be a simple day, then it's a simple day. Don't forget you're body all together just because you're not in the mood to run. Find something more enjoyable and less straining.
2. Do what you love. If you don't love something that keeps you active, then you haven't found it yet. There are more than a million ways to stay active and exercise. If you've decided that the only way to stay active is running or weights..you are very mistaken my friend. Find something, or a routine that you look forward to. If you don't look forward to it, then I can promise you it won't be a part of your life for that long. Trial and error. Go for a hike in the mountains. Don't like it? Try something else. Learn to swim. By a pair of roller blades. Invest in a new stroller that makes it easier to run/walk with your kid. Save up money and buy 10 new songs that you've been wanting for some time. All these small and simple decisions will lead you to more firm habits that are harder to break and a healthier you. Once you find that something that you love, you will know because it won't be something that you dread, it will be something you can't live without.
