March 28, 2024

Get Moving While You Wait

Fit Body:

Stop wasting time! Get moving while stuck in line.

Stuck waiting in line or waiting for an appointment? Do a few exercises to make use of the time.

Toe Raises. Lift your toes, then lower. Do 10 reps.

Heel Raises. Lift your heels, then lower. Do 10 reps.

Stand on one leg. Hold for 10 seconds.

Standing weight shifting. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Lean to the left and then the right. Do 10 total reps.

Standing Knee Raises. Alternate lifting your knees as if climbing stairs.

 

Tone up your arms and posture muscles

Fit Body:

Tricep Kickback

Tone up your arms and posture muscles with this one exercise. Begin by holding a weight in each hand. Bend forward slightly from your hips, keeping your back straight. Bend both knees. Hold your elbows into your waist. Next, extend both arms straight back. Pause for one second. Then, bend both elbows again, keeping your upper arms in place. Repeat for 10-12 reps.

*Consult your physician before performing exercise.

Fitness Opportunities

Fit Body:

Look for fitness opportunities around you!

Exercise does not always have to be structured to count toward your fitness. There are fitness opportunities all around you- LOOK! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

While waiting in line: Toe Raises/Heel Raises.

While shopping: Carry what you can. Skip the cart.

While waiting for an appointment: Abdominal bracing. Sit up tall. Pull your belly button in toward your spine. Hold for 10 second intervals.

While watching your kids soccer game: Stand! Don’t sit.

While stuck in traffic: Inhale/Pull your shoulders up. Exhale/Pull your shoulders down and back.

While on the phone: March in place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Health Inventory

Healthy Mind:

Take a health inventory

Your number on the scale is merely one component of your health and fitness. Your clothing size is also simply one component, that many would argue isn’t relevant to gauging health at all. Instead of focusing on being thin, focus on your total physical, mental and emotional health. Here’s your new checklist:

How do you feel during your day? Do you have energy?

How do you function during your day? Can you lift and carry everything you need to? Can you bend and reach easily?

How is your emotional state most of the time? We’re not talking about the every so often sadness, frustration or anger. Is there an emotional trend you notice?

Do you experience any systemic or bodily malfunctions? For example, regular digestive distress, regular aches or pains?

If any of your answers make you uneasy or aren’t what you want, need or expect, time to visit your physician.

 

 

 

Creative Abs

Fit Body:

Creative Abs

Get creative with your ab exercises. Your abs and core work during all of your daily activities. Sometimes your core works to bend and twist. Other times, your core works to stabilize against movement by preventing bending and twisting of your torso. Your core is a multi-layered, multi-functional group of muscles.  Here’s how to get creative with your abs: Begin by choosing your base-move, for example a crunch or a plank. Once basic form is mastered, add a moving challenge. A moving challenging is moving an arm or leg in any pattern (forward/backward, side/center, up/down, in/out) to challenge core stability. Adding a creative touch into your ab workout will keep motivation high and results coming.

 

Lying Hip Stretch

Fit Body:

Lying Hip Stretch

The lying hip stretch is a great stretch after your cardio workout. You’ll stretch your hips, glutes and thighs all in one move. Begin by lying on your back on the floor. Cross your right ankle over your left knee. Hold your left thigh, and pull both legs up toward your chest. Hold for 10-30 seconds, then release. Next cross your left ankle over your right knee. Hold your right thigh and pull both legs up into toward your chest. Hold for 10-30 seconds, then release. Be sure to keep your shoulders down on the floor and your neck relaxed.

 

*Consult your physician before performing stretch.

 

Moving Warm Up Stretch

Fit Body:

Moving Warm Up

A proper workout warm up means moving your muscles continuously for 8-10 minutes. The purpose of a warm up is to do exactly that, prepare your body for the work of an upcoming workout. Any activity that circulates your blood, increases heart rate and breathing, and moves several muscles qualifies. Try this moving single knee to chest warm up stretch before your next walk or run. Begin by taking a step with your right foot, then bring your left knee up hugging it to your chest for one second. Lower your left knee and take a step with your left foot. Then, bring your right knee up and hug it to your chest. Lower, and step forward. Repeat walking forward and lifting your knee.

 

 

Master Your Squat

Fit Body:

Master Your Squat… First

The Squat exercise is a foundation exercise for countless moves. Once you master proper form, adding in weight combo exercises, balance and agility challenges and even flexibility moves, will keep workout boredom away. Master your squat form first though to prevent injuries and increase exercise effectiveness.

Begin standing with your feet hip-width apart. Bending from your knees and hips, lower your body until your hips are just about level with your knees. To allow the sit-back angle, bring both arms forward to counter-balance your weight. Both feet should be flat on the floor. Both knees should be lined up over your ankles. Your hips should be back. Both shoulders should be down and back with your spine lined up (your spine should not be vertical, but should be in proper alignment.) Your chin should be slightly down toward your chest further insuring proper spinal alignment, which includes the cervical spine of your neck.

Crunch-less Abs

Fit Body:

V Sit Abdominal Exercise

Strengthen your abs and core with this crunch-less ab exercise. Begin sitting on the floor, with both legs out straight in front of you. Bend both knees, lean back slightly and place both hands on the floor for support. Pull your belly button in and keep your torso in proper alignment. In one motion, lift both feet up off the floor. Hold for a count of 20 seconds, and then release. Begin with 5 reps.

 

*Consult your physician before performing exercise.

 

 

Strong Shoulders and Core

Fit Body:

Kneeling Arm Raise for Strong Shoulders and Core

Do this all in one exercise to strengthen your shoulders and core. Here are your form pointers for the Kneeling Arm Raise exercise: Begin on your hands and knees on the floor. Hold a weight in each hand. Make sure each hand and weight is securely placed on the floor. Keeping your torso still, lift your right arm straight out the side of your body about six inches. Do 10 reps, then release. Next, lift your left arm straight up out to the side of your body. Do 10 reps. Be sure to keep your shoulders pulled down into your body and your back straight during the entire range of motion.

 

*Consult your physician before performing exercise.