Tag: exercise

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Workout During Coronavirus

The coronavirus mandatory lockdown has made it difficult for many of us to keep up with our regular workout routine. Gyms and health clubs are closed, but you can still walk or bike around the clock, weather permitting. If neither of these is an option for you, you can still exercise within the four walls of your home. All you need is your body, a pair of dumbbells and your will.

As a type 2 diabetic, it is imperative that you keep up with your physical activity. This will help you lower blood sugar, strengthen your immune system, and improve your mood. These exercises are low intensity and can be done by almost anyone. If you are of a higher fitness level, you can always increase the repetitions. Ready? Clear the floor and let’s go:

  1. Begin by inhaling and exhaling deeply while standing with your feet hip width apart. As you inhale, rise up on your toes; exhale as you go down.
  2. March in place for 30 seconds. For increased intensity, raise your knees as high as you can. Breathe.
  3. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, march in place for 30 seconds.
  4. Still holding the dumbbells, jog in place for 30 seconds. Breathe.
  5. With your back against the wall and arms stretched in front of you, slide down until you are in a sitting position. Go back up to a standing position. Repeat 10 times. For more intensity, hold each seated pose for 5 seconds.
  6. Do 10 push ups (or as many as you can) on the floor, against a table or wall.
  7. March in place for 60 seconds. Breathe.
  8. Sitting on a chair and holding your dumbbells, do 3 sets of biceps curls. One set is 10 repetitions.
  9. Sitting on a chair and holding your dumbbells, do 3 sets of triceps extensions by curling your arms upward then extending them backward as far as you can go. Squeeze the muscle at the back of your arm as you extend it.
  10. Jog in place for 60 seconds. Breathe.
  11. Begin your cool down with 10 side bends on each side. You may hold your dumbbells at your side.
  12. Repeat #1. Roll your shoulders forward, up, back and down. Inhale and exhale deeply.

Hope you enjoy your workout. You may no doubt think of other ways to increase your physical activity. Drop me a line and let me know how you keep up with your exercise while you are on lockdown. God bless

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work out and stay tall

Image by Christine Sponchia from Pixabay

Have you ever wondered if your grandmother was always that short? Chances are, she wasn’t. Maybe she was a tall, statuesque female like you are now, but over the years, she gradually lost height. Research has found that women lose roughly one-half inch every 10 years over age 40.

Osteoporosis and bone loss

Aging, heavier weight and use of corticosteroids can contribute to bone loss, which can lead to height loss. When the discs in the vertebrae dehydrate and compress, the vertebrae collapse, due to loss of bone density (osteoporosis), which can also lead to height loss.


Regular work out can help

Researchers have found that young people who work out strenuously at least three days a week can offset bone loss –and height loss –in later life. https://insights.ovid.com/crossref?an=00042192-201808000-00007

The report also found that exercise can help to improve bone strength and balance in postmenopausal women and so prevent spine fracture and other injuries. So, when you exercise, you are not only doing your muscles a favor, you are increasing bone mass and maintaining your height as well.

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Short Workouts

Recently, I overheard an elderly gentleman at the gym speaking to another man while they worked out on the bike. “If we would exercise ten minutes then watch a little TV then exercise another ten minutes, we would be all right.”

His friend agreed, and so did I.

You don’t need a lot of time to exercise. In fact, you can exercise while watching TV. Experts believe that exercising just ten minutes a day five days a week can produce the same benefits as if you exercised an hour a day four days a week.

Here are some things you can do:

Theraband exercise

As an occupational therapist, I used Therabands a lot with my patients for strengthening and increasing range of motion or for helping them recover from injuries. You can use them  to strengthen and tone upper and lower body.


Pros: They are inexpensive and lightweight and can be taken anywhere. You can use them during your lunch break. They come color-coded for different resistance levels.

Cons: They may break after some usage.

Walking

Walking briskly around the block ten minutes a day can work wonders for your cardiovascular system, improve energy levels, tone and sculpt your body and give you a general sense of well being. Pros: You don’t need any special equipment to do this. Cons: The weather may not always be in your favor.

 

Indoor Cycling

This is a great cardio workout you can do in ten minutes. Just get on your bike and go. This workout burns calories, tones and strengthens your body.

 

Pros: Gives you the convenience of a gym at home.  Can be adjusted to suit your fitness level and fitness goals.

Cons: The cost. Some assembly needed.

Stretching

Athletes know the benefits of stretching during their regular workout, but for us ordinary folk, stretching can substitute on those days when we are not able to get out there and walk or go to the gym.  This promotes flexibility, relaxes your muscles, improves blood flow to your joints and reduces the risk of injury.

Pros: Can be done anywhere, indoors or outdoors.

Cons: Should not be done on cold muscles. You may injure yourself if you stretch incorrectly.

Jump Rope

Long ago, a jump rope was just that – a piece of rope long enough to allow you and your friends to jump in and out and have fun. You can still use a piece of rope and you’ll have fun and burn calories at the same time. But if you are looking for something to increase your speed and endurance, you might want to get a pair of these:

Pros: Inexpensive and can be used indoors or outdoors.

Cons: May not suit all fitness levels.

You don’t have to spend a lot of time or money in order to exercise. Using your own body, the wall, the floor or an elastic band can help you get on your path to fitness. If you need help getting started, sign up for my health coaching program and get on your path to wellness today.

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The Benefits of Exercise

I’d like to share this article that I wrote for the Wellness Universe, a group that I’m a part of. The article supports what I’ve been saying about the benefits of exercise since I started this blog. Read and enjoy!

And don’t forget to sign up for my mailing list to receive updates and special offers. Also, if you would like to arrange for a free coaching consultation, please state that in the form below. [contact-form][contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Website” type=”url” /][contact-field label=”Message” type=”textarea” /][/contact-form]

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What to Do If You Feel You’re Getting off Track


Sometimes we have the best intentions but still slip and get off track. Is it a mindset problem? Or was the goal too big? Did you lack support? No matter what the reason, don’t give up! You can return to working on your resolution.
Decide if the goal really means something to you, and if it does, you’ll want to follow this simple process to get back on track.
• Review your plan. Did you set your goal a little too high? For example losing 50 pounds in 3 months? Aim a bit lower. Set your target goal to a more attainable one. So for this example, losing 10 or 15 pounds in 3 months or changing what you eat and scheduling exercises would be a better resolution.
• Break down your goal if your original goal is too large to accomplish easily. If your goal is to lose 50 pounds this year, then break it down into smaller tasks. In this example, 50 pounds a year is less than a pound a week. Then set up an eating and exercise plan to lose a pound a week.
• ¬Focus on one resolution at a time. Choose the most pressing one – losing weight, eating healthy, changing your mindset—and concentrate on it until you achieve it. Trying to change more than one habit at a time can be overwhelming.
• Get an accountability partner. Enlist the help of a friend or professional to keep you accountable who can advise you on what you need to be doing.
• Be flexible and willing to change how you approach your resolution. Lengthen your timeline if necessary.
• Work on smaller goals at a time that lead to your ultimate goal.
• Create new milestones if you feel like you’re just too far off track. Modify your original goal for a new more attainable one that fits in the remaining time. That way, at least you’re making some progress towards your original goal.
• Get more specific if you created a very broad and grand resolution. Maybe your goal was to get healthy. That’s great, but it is without an action plan and specific definition of what healthy means to you. Does it mean eating clean foods? Or exercising three times a week? Does it mean controlling your diabetes?
Just because you find yourself getting off track doesn’t mean you’re going to fail, or you should give up. We all need support and guidance at times. I can help you achieve your goal of making those lifestyle changes in order to achieve optimum health. Just fill in the form below so we can schedule a time to talk. Talk to you again soon.

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Incorporating Exercise Into Your Daily Life cont’d


So, you recognize that exercise is important otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this article, but you are having some difficulty establishing and maintaining a proper exercise routine. In my last post, I spoke about setting your mind to move more and setting aside a specific time each day to exercise.

Here are a few more tips to help you get off that couch:

• Find your favorite exercise. You’ll be more likely to stick to it if you enjoy it. To find one you’ll enjoy, think about what you played as a kid. Did you enjoy team sports? You might be more of a group or class person, so try a spin class or sign up for an adult sports league. Did you enjoy playing alone? Try running, tennis or a marathon. Rent an exercise video to experiment with different types of exercise.
• Vary your routine and activities if you get bored easily. Try cardio three days a week and strength training twice a week and yoga twice a week. Try working out in the morning part of the time and in the evening part of the time.
• Exercise at the right time of day for you. The best time to exercise is whatever works for your schedule. Mornings might be ideal if you’re a busy professional. Fit in a gym session on your lunch hour or after work if that works best for you.
• Have a dog? Then you have a dedicated exercise partner. A 150 – pound person walking Fido one mile for half an hour a day burns 112 calories.
• Have fun –Exercise can be fun. Do you like to dance? Alone or with your partner (more enjoyable), dancing is a great calorie burner. Or maybe you prefer swimming. Whatever your choice, adding movement to your life can help you lead a more healthy lifestyle. Just be consistent.

Want to learn more about how you can lead a more healthy lifestyle? Just fill in the form below.

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How to Incorporate Exercise into Your Daily Lifestyle


Studies have shown that daily exercise can improve not just your appearance but your overall health and well being. However, having a daily exercise routine can be difficult depending on your lifestyle and your state of health. If you are new to exercising or you haven’t done it for a while, the best way to begin incorporating exercise into your life is to begin with small steps.
• Set your mind to the idea of moving more. Remind your body to get more movement every day by standing more or taking the stairs more often. Other ways to get more movement in are to do stretches in your chair, squat to pick something up from the floor or park farther away from the door.

• Move more. Find ways to move more in your regular daily activity.

You don’t have to join a gym or do anything strenuous. Just make sure you increase your physical activity so you burn those calories – if you want to lose weight. The key is to keep it simple.

In my next post, I will show you more ways you can include exercise into your daily lifestyle for optimum health.

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