January 2007 - Posts
By Gregory Joujon-Roche
This Sunday is the mother of all couch-potato days. On top of the hours in front of the TV with little physical activity other than hoisting beers and pounding your fists into the furniture, there’s the food -- glorious fat-laden, insanely high-calorie food.
But OK, it's just one day of the year. And to make up for all that gluttony and ease your guilt, I've come up with a post-game workout for Super Bowl couch spuds everywhere. So get ready to rumble, football fans -- I'm talking about the sound of your feet hitting the floor!
Surely the sheer athleticism of your favorite players offers some inspiration. Use that motivation to get moving, and try to make a commitment -- even a short one. To get you started, commit to this simple workout three times a week for two weeks. Two weeks. That’s doable, right?
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By Kathy Kaehler
Too cold for your usual outdoor routine? Then heat things up with a workout right in your home! Here are some easy ways to break a sweat without ever leaving the house:
1. Take to the stairs. Climbing stairs is a great way to strengthen your heart and legs. Try these variations:
*Take two stairs at a time for one flight and then one step at a time for the next.
*Turn sideways and go up the stairs one step at a time using the leg that faces the top of the stairs. Switch directions on the next flight.
*Start on one side of the steps and as you step up, step all the way to the other side of the next step up, like a zig-zag. Continue this until you reach the top.
*For a more advanced variation, hop up one step at a time.
These are all fun activities and you can do them one after another or just take a few flights at a time throughout your day.
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By Rob Parr
Short on time but eager for results? Try kicking up your circuit routine.
Like a lot of gym-goers, you may have a series of weight-training machines or stations that you hit one after the other, with a few minutes of rest time in between. This can be a great way to shape up your muscles, but what about your heart?
If you would like to get more of a cardio boost, try doing your circuit routine at a faster clip.
To do so safely, be sure to alternate an upper-body activity with a lower-body one. So, for instance, you could go from the biceps machine to the leg press, or from the lat pull-down to the inner-thigh machine. That way, your upper body and lower body will still get some rest time between bouts of exertion.
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By Jay Blahnik
Last week, I wrote about exercises to get you moving in the morning. This week, I’m going to tell you about some exercises to help you get some ZZZ's.
One of the best ways to decompress the body and mind at night is to use soothing breathing patterns combined with relaxing positions.
These 3 moves can help get you ready to fall asleep:
1. Half Circle Head Roll
Sit on the edge of your bed with your hands loosely at your side. Slowly drop your chin toward your chest and release all the muscles in your neck. Keeping your chin close to your chest, very slowly move your head in a half-circle motion, moving from one shoulder to the other. Take deep breaths in and out with each half circle, and repeat this movement 10 to 20 times.
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By Jay Blahnik
Does it take you a long time to really wake up in the morning? Or do you find yourself not being able to relax before you go to bed at night?
You’re not alone. Many people find themselves struggling to get energized when they first get out of bed, and then can’t seem to clear their head for a good night’s sleep when they hit the pillow. And taking longer to get to sleep at night makes you even more tired in the morning! It can be a vicious cycle that is hard to break.
While there are many people with chronic sleep disorders that might best be treated with some medical or specialized intervention, lots of folks can energize their mornings and relax their evenings by including a few simple exercises designed to provide just the treatment your body and mind need. This week, I’ll give you the exercises for the morning. Next week, we’ll cover the nighttime moves.
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