Fitness and Exercise Blog
December 2006

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Exercise and Your Health

It seems that almost every time that I watch the news on TV, there is a news story about a research study that focuses on the benefits of exercise or physical activity for your health. This morning I was watching the news and they mentioned that European researchers have found that one hour of vigorous physical activity or two hours of moderate activity per day will reduce your risk of colon cancer.

Do we really need such studies to tell us this when it's a logical conclusion that exercise will benefit your long-term health? I guess we do in order to remind people of the importance of physical activity when it comes to your health. The human body was designed over time to be physically active in order to funtion optimally.

Would you buy a car and just let it sit and rust? No. The human body is no different. Physical activies includes such things as going for a brisk walk, cleaning your house, etc... I know that cleaning your house is not fun. I hate it too. I wish we could create self-cleaning houses, but that's never going to happen in our lifetimes! That's why many people join gyms in order to exercise in a different way and meet some new friends in the process or just get away from problems of every day life.

If you need help when it comes to exercising, you may want to check out the rest of my website or visit the Fast Track to Fat Loss Program.

Also besides exercise, in order to remain healthy, you must also eat properly and try to avoid extreme stress. But these two topics are blog issue for another time.

Posted on: Tuesday December 18, 2006


Exercises at Work

Ever feel tired at work or you have a problem that you cannot solve, why not take a break and refresh your body and mind with some quick and basic exercises. Maybe you will not have time to go to the gym after work, why not spend 10 minutes on these exercises before you leave work? They can be done anywhere with no equipment required.

Here are some exercises from Tom Weede's latest book (see below):

Desk Exercises

Chair Leg Extension - Muscles strengthened: Quadriceps (thighs) 
Press your tailbone firmly against the back of the chair. If the chair is adjustable, move the height so your thighs are parallel to the ground. Lightly grasp the armrests or the edges of the seat pad. Keeping your back straight and looking straight ahead, slowly extend your right leg with your foot flexed toward your shin. At the top of the movement, your leg should be fully extended, but don't forcefully lock out your knee. Slowly return to the starting position. Do 10 repetitions, then repeat with your left leg (this is one set). 

Isometric Hand Press - Muscles strengthened: Biceps, triceps, chest 
Sitting upright in your chair, grasp your hands together in front of your chest, and firmly press them together. Make sure you continue to breathe throughout the exercise. Hold for 10 seconds and then relax for 10 seconds, then repeat four more times. 

Wall Push-Off - Muscles strengthened: Chest, triceps, shoulders 
Stand about three feet from a wall, and place your hands flush against the wall, about shoulder-width apart. Slowly lower your body toward the wall by flexing your elbows. When your elbows are aligned with your torso, push back up. Do 10 repetitions. Make this exercise more challenging by using your desk: Stand several feet away and position your hands on the edge of the desk, shoulder-width apart. Then repeat the raising and lowering of your body by flexing your elbows. 

Overhead Press - Muscles strengthened: Shoulders 
Sitting upright in your chair, flex your elbows so that your left hand is in front of your left shoulder, and your right hand is in front of your right shoulder. Your elbows should be slightly flared out to the sides, just below shoulder-level. Lightly clench your fists with palms facing forward. Next, fully extend your elbows without locking them out, with your hands moving toward the center over your head. Slowly return to the starting position. Complete 10 reps. To make the exercise more difficult, use a book to press overhead. 

Drawing-In Maneuver -  Muscles strengthened: Mid-section 
Sit upright on the edge of your chair, grasping the arm rests or the edges of the seat pad. You can also stand with your hands on your hips, feet shoulder-width apart. Next, pull your stomach up and in as far as possible -- think of pulling your belly button toward your spine. Hold that position for the count of five to ten, then release. Do 5 to 8 repetitions. 

Flexibility Exercises Side Bend - Muscles stretched: Back and sides 
Sit at the edge of your chair with your back straight, and interlace your fingers with your palms facing away from you. Reach your arms straight above your head, then lean to the left from the waist and hold. Next lean to the right and hold. 

Cross Arm - Muscles stretched: Upper back 
Sit upright and bring your right arm across your upper body at about shoulder level. Your elbow should be slightly flexed. With your left hand, grasp under your right arm just above the elbow. Gently pull your right arm across your chest, toward the left, and hold. Don't shrug your shoulders -- keep them relaxed. Repeat with your left arm across your upper body. 

Neck Stretch - Muscles stretched: Neck 
Sit or stand with your head upright. Slowly turn your head to the right as far as comfortably possible and hold, then turn slowly to the left and hold. Next, let your head fall gently toward your chest and hold. Avoid tilting your head backward -- it weighs about 10 pounds, so this can put too much stress on your upper spine.

The following exercises are from a book excerpt from Tom Weede's latest book: The Entrepreneur Diet - The On-the-Go Plan for Fitness, Weight Loss and Healthy Living (December 2006). Published by Entrepreneur Press ; Copyright © 2007 by Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Tom Weede was a former senior editor of Men's Fitness magazine.

Posted on: Tuesday December 5, 2006

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