| The urban workout
Yes, you read that right. Whether you're in the car or at the supermarket, here are some moves to help you get in shape. Get ready to clinch, flex and stretch
1. Lunge adduction - perform two sets of 15 reps What it does
Move forward with a lunging action bringing the bottles together at the end so that your arms meet in front of you. Control and resist on the way back. Make sure when you lunge forward, your knees travel closely to the floor. Keep your abs in and your back straight. Try performing 15 repetitions using alternative legs. 2. Push and pull - perform 2 sets of 15 reps What it does How to Start performing a rowing action pulling with one arm and pushing with the other. Try linking the mind and muscle connection and really feel your torso work. Perform these two exercises with a little rest in between. Now drink both bottles of water, and walk home. At the office 1. Seated calf raise - two sets of 15-20 reps What it does How to Feel the muscles in your calves contract. Now, push up even more. Control the movement on the way down. What we have is a two-stage contraction. The secret with this exercise is to try and keep your calves moving. After the second set, you should experience a pleasant tightening in your calves.
What it does How to Now with your elbows in and your back straight, curl the bands upwards so that your palms are in line with your shoulders. Squeeze and contract resisting on the way down - feel the burn. In the car 1. Core stabilisation - two sets of 15 reps What it does How to Now, take a deep breath in through your nose, and breathe out through your mouth. As you breathe out, pull your belly button in towards your spine and feel the muscles in your abdomen contract. Focus on the mind and muscle connection and perform your repetitions using controlled breathing. Repeat. 2. Shoulder rotationWhat it does How to As your shoulders warm up, start to increase the range of motion. Cool down by decreasing the range back to small movements. Relax.
At the supermarket 1. Posture How to Perform this power walking technique up every aisle. The trolley will become heavier as you shop, so the workout will then become harder. Your goal is to do more work in the same amount of time you would normally spend at the supermarket.
At the doctor's surgeryNeed to see the doc for a routine check-up? Is your appointment cutting into your gym time? You can make up for those precious lost minutes. 1. Dynamic tension - three to five lots of 20-second static muscular contraction holds What it does How to Raise up on your toes and clasp both hands together with your palms facing inwards, making sure your elbows are bent at 90 degrees. With a force of 70% of your maximum, apply equal body pressure through both hands, squeezing them together. At the same time push up on your toes to contract your calves. Also, focus on your thigh muscles pushing upwards. Hold this overall muscular contraction for 20 seconds, rest for 10 and do it again. As you become stronger, so does the force of that muscular contraction. This effective exercise will help to condition your whole body. Get more tips and support from fellow iVillagers on the Shaping Up message board. Have a look at the live discussions going on right now:
|