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Article Series: Exercise & Fitness
What Are The Most Effective Ways
To Exercise & Get Into Shape?
5
Simple Exercises For A Busy Body With No Spare Time
With your hectic daily routine - getting ready
for work, getting the kids ready for school, making sure your
socks aren't floating in the dog's water bowl, a busy day at
work, coming home and fixing dinner, cleaning up the house
and getting everyone, including yourself, to sleep - exercise
is usually the last thing on your mind!
Stress levels and obesity are at an all time high and health
concerns are making themselves a priority in many people's
lives.
However, exercise is the one thing that can energize you to
handle such a busy lifestyle with flying colors! Exercising
reduces stress, helps you sleep better, and keeps health concerns
at bay, while also boosting your self-confidence.
No More Excuses Allowed
It's a good thing the human body is made the way it is, because
there are many exercises you can do anywhere, at any time.
All you need are a couple of makeshift weights you can find
around the house and the physical weight of your body.
When exercising, remember to get a good warm-up and finish
off with a slow cool-down. This is important to prevent injury
and is easy to accomplish no matter where you are. Walking
works well for both your warm-up and cool-down routine.
Here are 5 simple exercises you can do anywhere:
1.
Tricep Dips.
Sit on the edge of a chair or bench
with your hands next to your thighs. Lift your body out
just in front
of the chair, with your feet flat on the floor and your knees
bent. Lower yourself down so your elbows bend no more than
90 degrees and push yourself back up.
- Start
off with a few small sets and build up from there.
- Straightening
your legs increases the workout.
- Avoid
this exercise if you have wrist or shoulder problems.
2.
Pushups.
Everyone knows the standard pushup position,
so let's try some things to change it up a bit.
- You
can do pushups with your hands wider than shoulder width
to get more of a shoulder and chest workout.
- If
you bring your hands together into a diamond shape near
the center
of your chest you will work more of the triceps
and shoulders.
- Working
half pushups - either going only half way down and then
back up, or starting from the floor
and only
pushing up
half way and then going back down - will intensify
your pushup workout.
3.
Crunches.
Crunches
are great for your abs if you do them correctly. Done incorrectly,
they can put undue stress on your
neck and back. To avoid injury, be sure to use the correct
techniques.
- The
biggest risk is if you jerk your neck to give you the force
to crunch. While doing crunches, keep
your hands behind
your head and your elbows back while using your stomach
muscles to lift your head and chin towards the ceiling.
- Once
you've mastered this technique, try lifting your legs
off the ground or assuming a bicycle position with one
leg bent and the other straight off of the ground.
4.
Squats.
Body
weight squats are a great exercise you can do anywhere and
a fantastic way to learn proper technique.
Start off your squat workouts by lowering yourself only a
foot or so. Then work up to deeper squats as your muscles
become
accustomed to the exercise.
- If
you're feeling a bit advanced and in need of a more intense
workout, grab two 2-liter bottles filled
with sand and try
performing squats while holding one in each hand.
5.
Calf Raises.
Calf
raises can be done wherever there is a raised surface, such
as a stairway. If you need balance,
hold onto the railing. Facing the stairs, stand with only
your toes on the stair and your feet extending out past it.
Standing
straight up, lower your body down below the level of the
stair and then back up onto your toes.
- Even
though it seems as if this is an ankle exercise, it also
works out your calf muscles.
- The
biggest emphasis on this exercise is the ability to go from
an extreme negative position with ankle below toes
to an extreme positive position, ankle fully raised.
With these five exercises, you have a full body workout. Remember
to pay attention to your body and take it easy at first. Soreness
is a good thing, but pain means you need to stop. Try these
exercises out today and feel the healthy difference of fitness
on the run.
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SolveYourProblem.com
: 2009
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