This Wednesday's Workout is based on a recent reader question:
Do you know a good workout routine for people who may be stuck in an office all day with little opportunity to get up from their chair and move around?
What a great question! Here is FitBritt's suggestions for fitting in a workout while stuck at the office.
When you are stuck in an office all day long you can start to feel very sedentary and what is worse is that you sometimes don’t feel like you have any energy after work to workout. The best thing to do is to try and burn as many extra calories you can in a day even while you are at the office. Remember, to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you consume. Here are a few tips:
1.) Start the day off right by walking or biking to work. If it is feasible and you live close enough, you can walk or bike to work. No need to go at full intensity if you are unable to shower afterwards, a leisurely walk or ride will be sufficient. If you are really motivated, walk or ride home as well.
2.) Not everyone lives close enough to walk or ride to work so if you don’t, try to take the stairs instead of the elevator in your building.
3.) Keep moving once you get to work. Instead of calling or emailing a colleague, walk to their desk to speak with them (this may also be helpful in building a better rapport with your colleagues). If you can take breaks during the day, do so away from your computer. Walk outside and take a quick stroll around the block.
4.) Try to get some exercise at lunch. If you work close by to your gym this is an excellent time to go for a workout. You will feel energized for the remainder of the day if you can get in a midday workout. If you don’t work close to your gym or you don’t have a gym membership, try to go out for a run in a local park. If your building does not provide showers and change rooms then skip the run and try a walk instead. Even just 20-30 minutes of walking at a moderate pace will up your calorie burn and help keep you metabolism going. Plus, it may help you clear you heard for the remainder of the day.
5.) Bring a jump rope to workout and hit the playground at lunch. A jump rope is cheap and portable. See our previous blog on jump rope workouts by clicking here.
6.) If you buy your lunch, don’t get delivery, get up from your desk and go get it.
7.) Workout while sitting down. No, this is not a crazy infomercial. Replace your desk chair with a stability ball. Sitting on a stability ball forces you to engage your core muscles and requires you to maintain good posture in order to stay balanced on the ball. Sitting on a stability ball instead of a desk chair will help you whittle your middle!
8.) If you have an office in which you can close the door or a cubicle that is secluded, try to get in a short workout. Do it at lunch or work through lunch and take some time in the afternoon. Just do it when you have a block of time to spare. You can easily fit in a free yoga workout using yogatoday.com (see yesterday’s blog). You can also bring in your own dvd, such as a pilates or weights dvd and play it on your computer with the sound on low (or just use the visual cues). Otherwise, bring in some dumbbells and keep them at your desk. When you get the time, try doing these exercises: bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, squats and lunges holding the weights, row (bend forward at the wait and allow arms to be straight in front of you with palms facing your body, bend your elbows and draw the weights in towards your chest, lower and repeat), deadlifts (standing and holding weights in front of you with hands at thighs and palms facing in, dip forward at the waist keep legs straight with only a slight bend in the knee, keep the back straight and lower down until palms are at about knee level, squeeze glutes to lift back up and repeat), overhead raises (arms out to the side with elbows bent creating a goal post shape, lift weights overhead and straighten arms, bend elbows to lower back down, repeat), weighted ab curls (place one weight in the center of your chest and perform curls). If you have swapped your chair for a stability ball, don’t be afraid to do some exercises on the stability ball as well.
9.) If you don’t want to try a full workout using dumbbells, try using the equipment you have. If you have not swapped your desk chair, do some squats with the chair. Stand up from you chair and bend your knees to lower down as if you were going to sit back down but about an inch away from the seat, squeeze your glutes and rise back up. Repeat. Try some tricep dips (this works well if you don’t have wheels on your chair, if you do consider anchoring the chair by placing some books against the wheel to act as a stopper). Sit on the chair and place hands down on either side of your hips. Move you butt off the chair but keep your hands where they are. Your feet should be flat on the floor and your knees should be bent. Bend elbows to lower your body closer to the floor. Straighten your arums and repeat. Also do some exercises that do not require equipment like crunches and pushups.
10.) If you can’t get a workout done during the day, don’t rush off at the end of the day. Take advantage of your building’s staircase and do a stair workout. Click here to see our previous blog on stair workouts. Just bring some clothes with you to change into and hit the stairs after work. The best part? There is no need to worry about showering and changing since you are just heading home.
Finally, a good way to get fit at the office is to get others involved. Find a buddy who wants to workout with you at lunch or talk to your boss and see if you can organize an office-wide fitness regime. For example, set up a competition or a race that will motivate everyone to train. Or see if you can get a fitness instructor to come in one day a week to the office at lunch or immediately following work. If enough people are interested and willing to chip in a few bucks, you may be able to get a local personal trainer to come in and lead the group through some exercises. Since employers are now required to provide healthcare to employees, they are interested in keeping costs down by having healthy employees. Therefore, they should be willing to listen to your suggestions and assist you in setting up healthy activities that will benefit everyone.
Readers, do you have any comments or suggestions on staying fit at work or getting your employer to assist you in creating a more fit office?
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Tuesday's Tone Up
This Tuesday's Tone Up is another great way to enjoy *free* yoga! Yogatoday.com offers streaming video of free yoga classes on a weekly basis. The classes are one hour in length and can be watched on your computer in full-screen mode just like a dvd. Each class usually has a focus, which is a great way to help you learn new yoga moves. For example, last week's free class introduced headstands and shoulder stands as part of the one hour class. This week's free class focuses on sun salutations. Other classes might focus on core strength, stretching your hamstrings, alleviating knee, neck or back pain or even on yoga for a specific purpose like sports or jet lag. The classes are also broken down by level from beginner to guru (advanced), so these classes are suitable for everyone! Another great bonus is that most classes have reviews by other users so you can find out if the class is right for you or what other people thought of the class before selecting the class.
Yogatoday has three instructors; Sarah Kline, Adi Amar, and Neesha Zollinger. Each instructor has her own style and type of practice. The types of yoga featured are usually Anusara, Ashtanga, Hatha Blend, Kundalini or Vinyasa. (For more information on any of these types of yoga click on the links provided.)
If you decide that you like one of the classes you have watched, you can own the class by purchasing it for $3.99. This means the class will be saved to your computer and you can watch it anytime. Or, if you prefer to have access to the entire library of yoga classes, you can join for $9.99 a month for unlimited access or use Yogatoday's special promotion of 25% off and join for one full year for $89.99. This is a particularly great way to get used to practicing yoga if you are too nervous to go to a live class since you can do it in the privacy of your own home. Another bonus? You can take it with you wherever you go! So get your downward dog on today!
Yogatoday has three instructors; Sarah Kline, Adi Amar, and Neesha Zollinger. Each instructor has her own style and type of practice. The types of yoga featured are usually Anusara, Ashtanga, Hatha Blend, Kundalini or Vinyasa. (For more information on any of these types of yoga click on the links provided.)
If you decide that you like one of the classes you have watched, you can own the class by purchasing it for $3.99. This means the class will be saved to your computer and you can watch it anytime. Or, if you prefer to have access to the entire library of yoga classes, you can join for $9.99 a month for unlimited access or use Yogatoday's special promotion of 25% off and join for one full year for $89.99. This is a particularly great way to get used to practicing yoga if you are too nervous to go to a live class since you can do it in the privacy of your own home. Another bonus? You can take it with you wherever you go! So get your downward dog on today!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Monday's Retail Madness
Here's the dilemma: you want great fitting/good quality workout clothes/equipment but you don't want to pay a lot of money. Solution- eBay! Finding clothes and equipment on eBay is simple and you can get great stuff at a minimum cost. For instance, a recent eBay search for "nike" revealed a great pair of Nike sneakers for only $20.50! Here are a few tips for shopping on ebay:
1.) Remember eBay is a bidding process, which means that during the bidding period (listed with the item) others can attempt to bid higher on the item. This of course means that when you place a bid on an item you will not necessarily get to purchase the item. Sometimes the seller is willing to forgo the bidding process and will list a "Buy It Now" price, which means you can just click on the item and purchase it as you would normally do with an online retailer. Otherwise, if you want to win an item you have to think about strategy. Normally you will be requested to put in the highest bid you are willing to pay for an item. You have to consider what other people might be willing to pay and then try to outbid them. Each time you place a bid, the price of the item goes up incrementally by a dollar but at the end of the bidding process, the person with the highest maximum bid wins the item. Readers, do you have any tips and stragies for how to win an item on ebay without paying too much?
2.) An important consideration when purchasing equipment or clothing on eBay is quality. There are a couple of ways to ensure quality. First, most items are accompanied by a photograph, which gives an indication of the quality and condition of the product. Second, most products also given an indication of the condition of the product, e.g., used, never-been-worn, like-new, etc. But because the seller is inputting these descriptions, its important to ensure that the seller is reputable. eBay offers seller info which provides feedback on the seller by percentage. A seller with 100% positive feedback has a great reputation based on the reviews from purchasers. Additionally, a potential purchaser can read feedback left by previous purchasers from this seller. Finally, the seller's contact details are usually provided so it is possible to contact the seller if you have any questions or require further information about the product.
3.) Find out the return policy. Find out if the seller accepts returns if you are dissatisfied with the item.
4.) Have a PayPal Account. Most sellers only accept payment through PayPal so it is necessary to set up a PayPal Account. The good news? Its easy and free!
5.) Check out eBay Buyer Protection. This program will cover the cost of the item and shipping if the item does not arrive or the item is not as described. A few caveats: first, the item has to qualify for this protection so its important to find this out before making the purchase. Second, a buyer must go through a process of contacting the seller first to resolve the issue, then contacting eBay and finally after a seven day period of trying to resolve the problem, eBay will determine if it will cover the item based on the items qualifications.
So if you are looking for some new things for spring... Happy Bidding!
1.) Remember eBay is a bidding process, which means that during the bidding period (listed with the item) others can attempt to bid higher on the item. This of course means that when you place a bid on an item you will not necessarily get to purchase the item. Sometimes the seller is willing to forgo the bidding process and will list a "Buy It Now" price, which means you can just click on the item and purchase it as you would normally do with an online retailer. Otherwise, if you want to win an item you have to think about strategy. Normally you will be requested to put in the highest bid you are willing to pay for an item. You have to consider what other people might be willing to pay and then try to outbid them. Each time you place a bid, the price of the item goes up incrementally by a dollar but at the end of the bidding process, the person with the highest maximum bid wins the item. Readers, do you have any tips and stragies for how to win an item on ebay without paying too much?
2.) An important consideration when purchasing equipment or clothing on eBay is quality. There are a couple of ways to ensure quality. First, most items are accompanied by a photograph, which gives an indication of the quality and condition of the product. Second, most products also given an indication of the condition of the product, e.g., used, never-been-worn, like-new, etc. But because the seller is inputting these descriptions, its important to ensure that the seller is reputable. eBay offers seller info which provides feedback on the seller by percentage. A seller with 100% positive feedback has a great reputation based on the reviews from purchasers. Additionally, a potential purchaser can read feedback left by previous purchasers from this seller. Finally, the seller's contact details are usually provided so it is possible to contact the seller if you have any questions or require further information about the product.
3.) Find out the return policy. Find out if the seller accepts returns if you are dissatisfied with the item.
4.) Have a PayPal Account. Most sellers only accept payment through PayPal so it is necessary to set up a PayPal Account. The good news? Its easy and free!
5.) Check out eBay Buyer Protection. This program will cover the cost of the item and shipping if the item does not arrive or the item is not as described. A few caveats: first, the item has to qualify for this protection so its important to find this out before making the purchase. Second, a buyer must go through a process of contacting the seller first to resolve the issue, then contacting eBay and finally after a seven day period of trying to resolve the problem, eBay will determine if it will cover the item based on the items qualifications.
So if you are looking for some new things for spring... Happy Bidding!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Weekend Activity
After a long week by the time the weekend rolls around, working out may be the last thing you want to do. However, a great way to stay motivated and have a lot of fun while getting a good workout is to join a sports team! Adult sports teams have gained in popularity recently because of the competitive fun they offer, as well as a chance to meet new people (which is great if you have recently moved to a new city or even if you are just looking to branch out your social circle). Common sports offered are soccer, softball, touch football, basketball and kickball. Worried about your lack of experience? Don't worry, most leagues have beginner teams and even if they don't, many will have teams where beginners are welcome. This is a great opportunity to explore a new sport or pick up an old high school sport.
If you are concerned about the time commitment, don't be. The leagues are meant for busy working adults and therefore do not hold practices but instead meet only on the weekends for friendly games. Many leagues are co-ed although there are also usually men's teams and women's teams available. There is, of course, a registration fee; however, the fees are usually not very high and are meant only to cover court or field registration and umpires. An even greater benefit? Often times portions of the registration fees are donated to charity making this option not only great for frugal fitness but also for doing something good.
To find out information about your local sports teams, visit your city government's website and search for their parks and recreation section, which will often have information on local sports leagues. Otherwise, try a Google search!
If you are concerned about the time commitment, don't be. The leagues are meant for busy working adults and therefore do not hold practices but instead meet only on the weekends for friendly games. Many leagues are co-ed although there are also usually men's teams and women's teams available. There is, of course, a registration fee; however, the fees are usually not very high and are meant only to cover court or field registration and umpires. An even greater benefit? Often times portions of the registration fees are donated to charity making this option not only great for frugal fitness but also for doing something good.
To find out information about your local sports teams, visit your city government's website and search for their parks and recreation section, which will often have information on local sports leagues. Otherwise, try a Google search!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Friday's Food
Sticking with our theme of staying fit on vacation, finding healthy food while traveling and while on vacation can be difficult. Here are a few tips:
1.) At the airport (or train or bus terminal), finding healthy food can be difficult. A good option is pack your own snacks such as fruit (grapes or apples are good), crackers, cheese wedges, vegetables & hummus or sandwiches. If packing your own snacks sounds like too much work for you, a good idea is to look for fast food places that have healthy options. For example, Starbucks usually has bananas and nuts available and offers nutritional information for its products. Smoothie joints can also be a good option, but again watch how many calories you are consuming. If you are buying a sandwich or a wrap, look for something that contains mustard instead of mayo and includes a lot of vegetables.
2.) Vacation can be a good time to splurge but in order to not completely derail your diet, try to limit the splurging. For example, breakfast is a great time to eat a healthy meal. Think oatmeal, cereal with skim or low-fat milk, fresh fruit and yogurt.
3.) Its possible to sample a lot of great food without going overboard. Try to leave a little bit on the plate to save some calories.
4.) Try to sample some of the great local food- try to incorporate local fruit or vegetables. A good idea is to visit a local farmer's market where you are staying.
5.) Don't obsess. Vacation should be fun and that includes the food. Remember your vacation is short lived and you have plenty of time to think about your diet when you get back!
1.) At the airport (or train or bus terminal), finding healthy food can be difficult. A good option is pack your own snacks such as fruit (grapes or apples are good), crackers, cheese wedges, vegetables & hummus or sandwiches. If packing your own snacks sounds like too much work for you, a good idea is to look for fast food places that have healthy options. For example, Starbucks usually has bananas and nuts available and offers nutritional information for its products. Smoothie joints can also be a good option, but again watch how many calories you are consuming. If you are buying a sandwich or a wrap, look for something that contains mustard instead of mayo and includes a lot of vegetables.
2.) Vacation can be a good time to splurge but in order to not completely derail your diet, try to limit the splurging. For example, breakfast is a great time to eat a healthy meal. Think oatmeal, cereal with skim or low-fat milk, fresh fruit and yogurt.
3.) Its possible to sample a lot of great food without going overboard. Try to leave a little bit on the plate to save some calories.
4.) Try to sample some of the great local food- try to incorporate local fruit or vegetables. A good idea is to visit a local farmer's market where you are staying.
5.) Don't obsess. Vacation should be fun and that includes the food. Remember your vacation is short lived and you have plenty of time to think about your diet when you get back!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Sounds on Thursday
This week's sounds is Fragile by Sting. This is a much slower song that can be used for a yoga or pilates practice or if you are looking for a good cooldown song. Often times people like to skip the cooldown and stretch portions of their workout. A good rule of thumb is to find a song you like and commit to stretching for the entire length of the song.
Fragile is available on iTunes.
Fragile is available on iTunes.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Wednesday's Workout
After a much needed vacation FitBritt is back with more frugal fitness tips.
This Wednesday's Workout is a tip inspired by recent travels. Traveling and vacation can mean difficult maintaining your workout regime. Try this workout to stay fit while on holiday (especially good if you are going to be at the beach!).
In the pool:
If the hotel you are staying at has a pool (indoor or outdoor), try these moves to get in a good workout.
First, you can warm up by swimming some laps or treading water for a few minutes.
Then get some toning exercises in by going to a shallow end of the pool and holding on to the side of the pool. The natural resistance of the water will make these ballet inspired moves even more difficult than on dry land.
Plies- Hold onto the side of the pool with both hands with feet in a wide plie stance (legs out wider than hips and toes pointing to the side), sink down into a squat then squeeze your glutes to rise up. Complete 15-20 repetitions and then hold the last rep and do small pulses for another 15-20 reps.
Releves- Still facing the wall, bring feet in together so they are touching with toes pointing towards the pool wall. Lift heels off the ground and onto the balls of the feet. Lower heels down then lift and repeat. Do 15-20 reps. On the last rep, hold the releve and see if you can balance by letting go of the side of the pool.
Tendus- Stand with the left hand holding the side of the pool and left side of the body facing the wall of the pool with feet and legs together. Bring right foot in front of the body with toe pointed but keeping the foot on the ground of the pool. Then bring it back in to meet the left. Repeat 10 times. Then do the same move but this time bringing the right leg out to the side. Repeat 10 times. Finally, repeat the move but this time bringing the right leg behind the body to the back. Repeat 10 times. Then turn around to face the other direction and repeat the entire exercise on the left side.
Grand Battement- This exercise is the same as tendus, however, this time when you bring the right foot in front, lift the foot off the ground so that the leg is about hip height (but still under the water). Repeat to the side and back ten times each and then switch sides to work the left leg.
Donkey Kicks- Face the pool wall and hold on with both hands. Feet are together with toes pointing forward. Lift the right foot off the ground to the back and bend the right knee to make a 90 degree angle. Start to pulse the right foot to the back with the toe pointed. Try to keep the right thigh in line with the left thigh so it is just a small movement of the foot and you feel the work in the right glute.
Arm Circles- Step away from the pool wall so you have enough room. Raise the arms out to the sides to shoulder height but keeping the arms under the water. Start to make slow circles forward with the arms. Do this 30-40 times, then circle the arms backwards.
Rows- Start with arms straight down by sides. Bend elbows to a 90 degree angle out to the side, causing the arms to rise away from the sides. Lower and repeat 15-20 times.
Bicep Curls- Start with arms down by sides. Curl hands up 1/2 to 3/4 of the way to the top to perform a bicep curl (make sure your hands stay under the water). Release down but keep the contraction in the biceps by not releasing the arms all the way to sides but almost all the way and then immediately go back into the curl.
Once you have completed all of the moves, you can do a second set or to get some cardio, swim some more laps or tread water again.
This Wednesday's Workout is a tip inspired by recent travels. Traveling and vacation can mean difficult maintaining your workout regime. Try this workout to stay fit while on holiday (especially good if you are going to be at the beach!).
In the pool:
If the hotel you are staying at has a pool (indoor or outdoor), try these moves to get in a good workout.
First, you can warm up by swimming some laps or treading water for a few minutes.
Then get some toning exercises in by going to a shallow end of the pool and holding on to the side of the pool. The natural resistance of the water will make these ballet inspired moves even more difficult than on dry land.
Plies- Hold onto the side of the pool with both hands with feet in a wide plie stance (legs out wider than hips and toes pointing to the side), sink down into a squat then squeeze your glutes to rise up. Complete 15-20 repetitions and then hold the last rep and do small pulses for another 15-20 reps.
Releves- Still facing the wall, bring feet in together so they are touching with toes pointing towards the pool wall. Lift heels off the ground and onto the balls of the feet. Lower heels down then lift and repeat. Do 15-20 reps. On the last rep, hold the releve and see if you can balance by letting go of the side of the pool.
Tendus- Stand with the left hand holding the side of the pool and left side of the body facing the wall of the pool with feet and legs together. Bring right foot in front of the body with toe pointed but keeping the foot on the ground of the pool. Then bring it back in to meet the left. Repeat 10 times. Then do the same move but this time bringing the right leg out to the side. Repeat 10 times. Finally, repeat the move but this time bringing the right leg behind the body to the back. Repeat 10 times. Then turn around to face the other direction and repeat the entire exercise on the left side.
Grand Battement- This exercise is the same as tendus, however, this time when you bring the right foot in front, lift the foot off the ground so that the leg is about hip height (but still under the water). Repeat to the side and back ten times each and then switch sides to work the left leg.
Donkey Kicks- Face the pool wall and hold on with both hands. Feet are together with toes pointing forward. Lift the right foot off the ground to the back and bend the right knee to make a 90 degree angle. Start to pulse the right foot to the back with the toe pointed. Try to keep the right thigh in line with the left thigh so it is just a small movement of the foot and you feel the work in the right glute.
Arm Circles- Step away from the pool wall so you have enough room. Raise the arms out to the sides to shoulder height but keeping the arms under the water. Start to make slow circles forward with the arms. Do this 30-40 times, then circle the arms backwards.
Rows- Start with arms straight down by sides. Bend elbows to a 90 degree angle out to the side, causing the arms to rise away from the sides. Lower and repeat 15-20 times.
Bicep Curls- Start with arms down by sides. Curl hands up 1/2 to 3/4 of the way to the top to perform a bicep curl (make sure your hands stay under the water). Release down but keep the contraction in the biceps by not releasing the arms all the way to sides but almost all the way and then immediately go back into the curl.
Once you have completed all of the moves, you can do a second set or to get some cardio, swim some more laps or tread water again.
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