Workplace Workout: TAKE A WALK!

Today's workplace workout is to take a 15-20 minute walk during your lunch break. You can do anything else that I've listed for great workouts at work; however today, my only challenge to you is to actually get up and take a short walk, with whatever shoes you're wearing. You can walk around your building. You can go up and down stairs. You can walk outside. Just do something!



Summertime Activities

Alas, the summertime is upon us. This being said, there is a whole new array of physical activities to do outside that are fun and challenging. Here is a list of some popular exercises (and some of my favorites) that people partake in during the summertime.

Running/Jogging

Although I'm not a big fan of running, I always admire those who can and do run. It's a great form of exercise, cheap, efficient, and convenient.

Why does running have to be boring? Run like Phoebe from Friends and you'll never get bored!

"Come on! That's not running! Let's gooooo!!!"

Or if you're a distance runner, just think of Forrest.

"From that day on, if I was ever going somewhere, I was running!"

Walking

Walking is more what I'm about. It's easy on the joints, it's fun, and it's convenient. Just don't lolly-gag...throw those 'bows!

And remember, if you go for a walk or run, don't forget to take the pup!




Hiking/Camping

Given that I'm such a nature lover and thoroughly enjoy being outdoors, rain or shine, hot or cold, most of you could guess that I LOVE hiking and camping. I love being surrounded by trees and forests, rivers and moutains. And I love hiking either to a campsite or in general, as it provides such an exhilerating cardio workout!

Rock Climbing

Rock climbing and bouldering have both recently become very important and exciting to me. I enjoy either indoor or outdoor climbing. However, it's a good feeling getting outside and climbing up something vertical and massive that is not man-made. And not to mention, the awesome benefits it provides for a little bit of cardio and intense strength training.

If you haven't tried it, maybe this summer is the time for you to have a go at it!

Swimming

Since I can remember, I have always loved swimming. I swam competitively in high school (instead of contact sports because I have no hand/eye coordination), and continue to swim today due to its low-impact effect on my joints and its soothing, yet full body workout.

Other outdoor water sports, such as surfing, wake-boarding, and skiing are also great forms of exercise!

Biking

I used to not be a very big biking fan. I don't like indoor cycling very much, nor do I like to bike for long periods of time outside (cough...I have a tender backside....cough). However, it is nice to have a bike and to use it now and then. I have just completely revamped this old bike that my dad got at a thrift store for $10 into an awesome classic road bike. Now I have no excuse to not bike around these days! Guess I gotta get padded shorts now.

Biking is also really great because of the variety of ways to bike and different kinds of bikes.

Mountain Bike/Biking

Road Bike/Biking

BMX/Competition

Transportation/Leisure

Now it's your turn!

What do you like to do when it comes to physical activity in the summertime?

A Correct & Basic Kettlebell Workout

I love kettlebells. It's true. And I love to spread my kettlebell love to all who encounter me. However, I know there are a lot of people that I talk to about kettlebells who always ask me what is an appropriate, basic workout for them, because they are usually beginners.

Beginner/Intermediate Kettlebell Circuit

(gotta love his company, Bring My Sexy Back...oh yeah!)

This video is for those who are just trying out ketllebells or have never done them before.

The double swing is the most basic kettlebell move.

Pay attention to his hips (which create the momentum to get the weight up...do NOT use your upper body to lift the weight up! you will hurt yourself).

Also notice how rarely his knees go past his toes. Be sure to sit back into the squat, to where you can pretty much bring your toes off the floor.

****I recommend you do this entire circuit 3-4 times****

Another great kettlebell circuit for beginner/intermediate:

****again, 3-4 circuits****

Basically, I'm looking for you to do kettlebells for at least 20 minutes. If you do this 2-3 times a week, you're going to achieve great levels of fitness. And you're pants may start to feel a little loose!

Just don't turn into this guy:

Push hard and have fun!



A Warning For Work-a-holics!

If you've got some time on your hands, and you'd like to read something really interesting and a bit of a reality check, go to this link and read this interesting article in the NY Times.

Although at work I teach aerobics and strength classes, I workout on my lunch break, and I have access to many different types of opportunities to move throughout the day, I am still just as guilty as spending long hours sitting or at a desk or computer, whether it's work or play. And although it's GREAT to exercise and stay active, this article even threw me for a loop saying that exercise may not off-set other illnesses and disorders that come with a constant sedentary work or general lifestyle.

So I challenge you to educate yourself and to really see what happens to the body when all it does is sit, and sit, and then sit some more. How is our physical and mental health effected, and how can we prevent or help our already sedentary lifestyles?

Don't think that you're going to sit back and relax when reading this article; on the contrary, it'll have you fidgeting and hanging on the edge of your seat...like my nephews, Eli and Lazarus.

It's Here...The Moment You Have All Been Waiting For....

THE GROCERY STORE WORKOUT

Haha, I'm sorry, I just had to. I got my inspiration from my dad when he and I were looking for milk and eggs at Kroger a few weeks ago. I was carrying a half gallon of milk in each hand, and...due to slightly being bored (no offense dad)...and antsy...I decided to start doing upper body exercises. In about 2-3 minutes, I was feeling the burn, and the urge to write about it!

I now present to you, a grocery store workout...huzzah!

Upper Body

Can't choose a product? Do you find yourself standing for minutes at a time trying to decide on a kind of soup or cream cheese (my sister, Bethany!)? Grab some milk or soup cans and do 1-2 sets of 8-10 reps of these exercises!

BICEP CURLS

           

(gotta love those shorts and haircut)

OVERHEAD TRICEP EXTENSIONS (using a can of soup or a 1/2 gallon or gallon of milk!)

OVERHEAD SHOULDER MILITARY PRESS

90 DEGREE STANDING CHEST FLY

     

Abdominals

STANDING PELVIC TILTS

Stuck in a long line? Try these easy pelvic tilts!

(try not to flex your glutes, but instead pull your belly button into your spine while breathing out; and you can use your shopping cart for support!)

(this picture just made my day)

Lower Body

Waiting in line or for someone (mom!) to grab that last little thing that they forgot right as you approach the checkout? Work your lower body doing these simple exercises!

STANDING HAMSTRING CURLS

STANDING HIP FLEXION

STANDING HIP ABDUCTION

STANDING HIP EXTENSION

STANDING CALF RAISES

(I mean, you gotta reach for stuff at some point, right?)

Okay! Now it's your turn to put all of these exercises into good use!

Happy Shopping!

Antigravity Yoga

I WANT TO TRY THIS!

As of right now, this awesome form of yoga is only offered in Crunch Fitness Centers located only in New York City, LA, and Miami. 




Antigravity yoga uses a silk hammock suspended from the ceiling to do traditional yoga poses in a weightless fashion. This kind of yoga challenges your body in ways that just plain ole' gravity wouldn't. The creator of Antigravity yoga, Christopher Harrison, designed the movements around dance, Pilates, and yoga poses. Several of the benefits from doing Antigravity yoga are:
-increased agility
-stretching further with less strain
-decompresses tight joints
-aligns the vertebrae in the spine
-encourages better body awareness
-gives the ability to hold yoga poses for a longer amount of time

Check out this video:

Next time I visit NYC, guess what I'm doing!

All Time Favorites, Part 2- Strength

To continue my ideas on my favorite things to do to exercise, here is a list of some of my all time favorites when it comes to strength training and conditioning.

Kettlebells



I know I already listed kettlebells as a great form of exercise when it comes to cardio, but guess what...it's phenomenal for strength as well! It constantly challenges the body when it comes to muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, balance, and core-work. Because of its general nature and balancing challenges, when doing kettlebells, you will also be working your entire core the entire time, whether you realize it or not. It's also fun due to the creative movements and interesting terms. Try it out!

Calisthenics

Calisthenics is also known as "using your body weight to exercise". I love it because it's convenient, it's efficient, and it works! All you need is you and you are set and ready to go. My favorite calisthenic exercises to do these days are push-ups, walking lunges with a kick, side-planks, squats, side-lunges, squat-thrusts, reverse crunches, leg lifts, regular crunches, walking push-ups, and plank oblique squeezes.

Circuit Training




This kind of strength training incorporates a mixture of strength and cardio moves for a short amount of time by setting up stations. Usually there are about 6-8 stations, starting with a quick 30 second cardio move (aka-jumping jacks, running in place, jumping rope, high knees).  Moving then to the next station, for example, could be bicep curls for 30 seconds, with a station of squats after that for 30 seconds. Finally, doing some kind of ab-work, such as plank or crunches, for 30 seconds. There can and should be more stations in between these, but they were just an example. A great workout is completing all of these stations (1 round) at least 3-4 times.  These exercises can be done with or without equipment.

Yoga



Although I'm not as big of a fan of regular Hatha yoga than say Ashtanga (power) yoga, I'm still a huge advocate of the practice of any kind of yoga. It lengthens the body and encourages flexibility, enhances lung capacity through controlled and intentional deep breaths, and it increases muscular strength and endurance through weight-bearing poses.
There are several types of yoga:

Anusara
Ashtanga (vinyasa)
Bikram
Hatha
Iyengar
Jivamukti
Kripalu
Kundalini
Power
Prenatal
Restorative
Sivananda
Viniyoga
Yin

Check out each one of these types of yoga to see if one of them appeals to you!

Equipment

Bosu balls

I absolutely love these. It can be used in so many different ways for so many different exercises. Some of my favorite things to do on a bosu ball are:

LUNGES



PLANK AND/OR PUSHUPS




BRIDGE



SQUAT BALANCE



BICYCLE BALANCE



OBLIQUE TWIST WITH MEDICINE BALL



Which brings me to another type of equipment...the Medicine Ball



Again, another piece of equipment that I can get really creative with.
Things I love doing with a medicine ball are:

ONE-HANDED PUSH UPS



SQUATS



STANDING OBLIQUE TWISTS WITH A PARTNER




ELEVATED LEGS CRUNCH



SQUAT AND STAND TWIST



CHEST PRESS THROW AND CATCH

               

PARTNER CRUNCH AND THROW






Stability Ball



Stability balls are great because of the height and width that they provide.
Some favorite exercises of mine are:

THE PIKE



WALL SQUATS



CRUNCHES



PUSH UPS



HAMSTRING CURLS



BACK EXTENSIONS


KNEE SQUEEZES WITH REVERSE CRUNCH




Resistance Bands



Resistance bands are fantastic to use 1-2 times a week. You never want to use it on a regular basis due to how deep the exertion of the muscle goes. These awesome bands allow creativity, are convenient, and can be folded up into the size of a pair of socks! So for those of you who use travel as an excuse to not exercise, sorry! Do yourself a favor and buy one of these bad boys to use when on the road.
Some of my favorite exercises are:

BICEP CURLS



SEATED ROWS



STANDING ABDUCTION



CHEST PRESS



SQUAT



STANDING OBLIQUE TWIST




The Kettlebell



I LOVE KETTLEBELLS.

Get ready to get your hands dirty, because doing kettlebells is hard work. It's gritty and raw, but the results are real.
Favorites:

DOUBLE SWING



TURKISH GET UPS




BEAR WALKS



CLEAN AND PRESS



SNATCH



WIND MILL



RUSSIAN TWIST




The TRX Suspension Trainer



This is another great workout gadget on the go. However, I'm not gonna lie...these guys are expensive. So I'll hint that maybe make your own first...after you do some research to see how this TRX works and is made.

Favorites:

MOUNTAIN CLIMBER



ROWS



LUNGE




CHEST PRESS



PIKE



SINGLE LEG SQUAT




Body Bar


I love body bars because they are a softer, shorter version of a barbell. They're easily accessible and are a great resource if you don't feel like using a really big barbell or 2 handweights.

Here are some of my favorite things to do:

SQUAT



SUPINE OBLIQUE TWIST


(who loves this picture?!)


SUPINE TRICEP EXTENSIONS



BENT OVER ROWS



CHEST PRESS



CRUNCHES



SCISSOR LUNGE





Stay tuned for All Time Favorites, Part 3-Core and Abdominal Work