Exercise on
the go!
5 simple
exercises you can do anywhere
With our
hectic daily routines – getting ready for work, getting the kids ready for
school, 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!
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.
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.
• You can do pushups with your hands wider
than shoulder width to get more of a shoulder and chest workout.
2. Pushups. Everyone knows the standard pushup
position, so let’s try some things to change it up a bit.
• 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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