[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_single_image image=”1515″ border_color=”grey” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]
- Park further out: This one is pretty self explanatory, instead of taking more time out of your day to fight for the “best” parking space park out further. This will help get a bit more exercise into your day and bonus it will keep your car safe from random roll away shopping carts.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator: A quick way to get a cardio burst is to take the stairs instead of the elevator. When starting all you need to do is simply walk up them, but as you get more accustomed pick up the speed. This simple stair climb fires off a large portion of some of the largest muscles in the body, like the quadricep muscles and the gluts. By firing larger muscles you burn more energy, thus fat and build large muscle.
- Stretch before getting out of bed: Take a moment to stretch in bed before you get up, this will give your muscles a chance to wake up after being more dormant at night. This will help prevent injury from something as simple as getting out of bed. Some of the best stretches are spinal twists. The spine is the support rod to the whole body, both in a structural support to our skeleton, and the flow of our nervous system. The brain is like the main circuit board in a computer that runs the entire computer and the spine is that protective cover around all the wiring going to functioning areas, one break in the network of wires can miss fire the entire computer. So take a moment in bed to let your arms T out, bring your knees to your chest and let your legs gently fall to the side on a deep exhale as you also turn your head to the opposite side. Then inhale knees up to center and exhale to opposite side. Also be careful how you get out of bed in the morning. When getting out of bed, roll to the side and as you let your legs drift off the side of the bed use your hand to push yourself up straight, keeping the spine in neutral position.
- Walk don’t run: If you have never truly worked out, or haven’t over an extended period of time, it is important not to jump in whole hog to the fitness world, start off with a lower level of whatever you are interested in. For example start a daily walk routine before you move on to jogging and running.
- Go out dancing: Dancing is a great cardio workout and so much fun! It gets the entire body into motion and the heart beating faster. If you aren’t the clubbing kind or interested in taking a dance class, just turn on some music while cleaning at home. (If you feel so inclined open the drapes so the neighbors get to enjoy the crazy fun antics of your new cleaning style). 😉
- Use a Pilates ball instead of a chair: One of the easiest ways at work to keep active and healthy is to get rid of the chair and replace it with Pilates ball (they come in all sizes). One of my mentors, in Physical Therapy Assistance, said at his PT school they did just that in the classroom, replaced all the chairs. They understood the importance of core stability and the harm that sitting all day, being inactive, can do to the body.
- Get up from your desk every half hour to hour: Even if just for a few seconds to a few minutes stand up, stretch, swing your arms, stretch fingers and wrists if typing, do a small standing yoga back bend, into a forward bend, and follow up with a couple seated twists for your back. We have already mentioned that sitting all day is harmful to the body, so keep healthy with some small breaks when you have to be at a desk all day.
- Go take a bike ride: a great way to start a light and easy cardio is to simply pull out your bicycle. Nothing fancy, we are not asking you to buy a couple thousand dollar pro cycle. Just your everyday bike. On nice days even riding it down to the local grocery store to pick up those couple items you forgot can be beneficial.
- Kick a ball: Ever noticed how much energy and vitality kids have? Simply kicking a ball around the yard with your child, a niece or nephew and running after it is a great way to start up a good sweat and spend quality time together.
- Go play: Another thought along the lines of the previous tip, go to the playground with the kids. Run, slide, swing, take a go across the monkey bars. I remember I was still quite out of shape the first year or so after Tristan was born. The first few times I took him to the playground and played, I was breaking out in a sweat and my heart was pounding. Start out small just play, then as your physical capability grows you can break the play with squats, pushups, crunch reps and more on different playground pieces right along as your kids play. What a great way to show your kids how much you believe in healthy living. (You go you great role model!)
- Join a beginners Yoga class: Yoga is a great tool for anyone! Seriously, there is a level or style of yoga anyone can do! If you like peaceful relaxed yoga to destress, try a restorative yoga, if you want yoga with small bursts of energy and nice rests in between maybe a Sivananda class. Are you a pump it up girl or guy, Ashtanga and power yoga are for you! There is even chair yoga for those who have physical aliments that would keep them from doing other forms of yoga. Just remember whoever you are, start off right, find a good studio with leveled class, start at beginners. Make sure teachers are certified and that they are trained to adjust, when we owned our studio we only hired teachers that were what I called triple threats. A teacher could teach visually (show poses), verbally (explain poses), and physically (they could adjust people physically and were trained to do so).
- Join a Tai Chi class: Tai Chi is another style of exercise anyone can do. It is a Zen form of exercise that allows one to move in soft fluid motion. Soon one finds out moving softly and slowly does not mean you are not getting a work out, try holding a horse stance for a couple minutes. What it does do is create a light impact form of exercise, unlike a lot of it’s martial counterparts like karate, this makes it great for someone at any level of fitness. It also, like yoga, is great for stress relief, and bonus you learn to kick butt. Don’t let it’s softness fool you, I have seen some Tai Chi Masters in my time as a martial artist take other types of seasoned martial artists down without breaking a sweat.
- Water bottle weights: Interested in adding some weight lifting to your routine but never lifted? Try filling water bottles with beans or sand and holding them as you swing your arms on a walk.
- Use points of reference to amp it up: When on a walk, after you have been walking for a few weeks, amp it up by using points of reference like phone polls. Fast walk to the first poll and then slow back down to the next. Also it is a great way to keep motivated as you begin to add distance in your workout. Say you can’t quite do a mile, if you just get to one more phone poll each time, you have succeeded at one upping yourself. You go with your bad self!
- Make sure to stretch before and after a workout: This has been a proven way to prevent injury and keep you flexible when building muscle, which can make you stiff when not stretching in between.
- Buddy up: It is much easier to stay motivated when you either have a friend to go along with or when you have a someone being your cheerleader and coach. But remember don’t give up even pro athletes have bad days or even weeks.
OK are you ready to get fit? How are you beginning and what made you say it was time to finally start? Please share a bit of your story below.
Until next time, enjoy the good life,
Woman on the Journey[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]JTNDcCUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIyc2lnbmF0dXJlJTIyJTNFQW1hbmRhJTIwSmVhbiUzQyUyRnAlM0UlMjA=[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]