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How to stretch your neck, shoulders, and hips after a long day of sitting

Sitting takes a toll on your body. The easiest way to counteract the negative effects of sitting is by stretching your neck, shoulders, and hips after a long day of sitting. Stretching improves flexibility and is an easy and quick way to improve your overall health. People who sit for long periods are at a greater risk for blood clots and chronic pain. If you work from a desk environment, many stretches can be done while sitting or working. Here are a few examples of stretches that you can do daily to improve your overall health and wellness.

Standing

Don’t forget to periodically stand up throughout your day. Some individuals prefer standing desks. While this may not offer a substantial benefit in terms of calories burned, standing up throughout your day can mean that there are slightly more calories burned throughout your day when comparing the option of sitting down. Standing is a great way to reduce your risk of developing blood clots in your legs!

Lunges

Lunges are a quick, simple way of being able to stretch your legs and lower body. Simply place one leg on the floor, and extend the other leg forward at a 90-degree angle. This exercise will allow you to gain additional mobility in your hamstring muscles. Experiment with the amount of time that you hold this position for – consider holding this position for 30 to 60 seconds initially, and gradually increase the period of time. Once you have completed this exercise for one leg, be sure to repeat it for the other leg.

Neck Stretches

Long periods of sitting create additional pressure on your spinal cord. As you may know, sitting for long periods can also lead to a stiff neck. Begin by relaxing your left shoulder. Tilt your head toward your left shoulder, and hold this position for approximately 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat this exercise for your other shoulder. This is a quick shoulder exercise that will reduce the inflammation around your shoulder muscles.

Pushups

This is not technically a stretch, however, these can have major benefits which are similar to stretching. Pushups are a great exercise for the upper body. This exercise is also a great way to improve your posture, and burn calories. These exercises are a great way to stabilize your back muscles and protect yourself from injury. They help to build your arm muscles and burn calories at the same time. Pushups are also easy to measure! Challenge yourself to do more pushups than the previous day to make it more fun.

Hand Stretches

This is the most often neglected muscle group in our bodies! Hands are useful for everything! We often forget that our hands have muscles as well, and are also prone to stress injuries. Periodically make a fist and hold it for 20-30 seconds. Making a fist can help with stretching the finger muscles to avoid hand injuries.

Sitting for a long period can result in several health risks. That’s why movement and exercise are important for your overall health. It’s very easy to add movement to your day-to-day routine, even if your daily routine involves sitting for long periods. Be creative, but be safe and find new ways to move your body throughout the day. This will help you avoid injuries and possible negative long-term health effects.

February 25, 2024 by johnc Exercise Tips Health Tips Strength Training Stretching 0

Does planking help you lose weight?

If you’ve ever heard of planking exercises, there’s a good chance you’re asking yourself: Does planking help you lose weight? Are you looking for a whole-body workout that you can do at home that burns calories and strengthens muscles at the same time? Planking is your best bet! Planking is a whole-body workout that’s able to help you sculpt an impressive physique. It’s able to strengthen your core, muscles and arms. What’s also fantastic about planking is that it’s something you can easily do without any equipment, right on your floor.

Does planking help you lose weight – Planking burns calories

The amount of calories burned by planking varies from person to person based on weight. On average, planking exercises help you burn calories at a rate of 2 to 5 per minute. It’s not a lot compared to other cardiovascular exercises such as running which burns 11.4 calories per minute. But, the benefits of planking go beyond burning calories, as planking exercises are demonstrated to provide other benefits besides burning calories for strength.

Planking is great for posture

Planking is a great exercise for improving your posture. You’ll want to keep your spinal column aligned as straight as possible. If you do so, the reason is that planking (with its upright movements) is able to stabilize your spinal column. Therefore, many people see an improved posture with this form of exercise because you’re holding your back straight the entire time.

Does planking help you lose weight – Planking Targets Your Abs / Core

A stronger core is one of the biggest reasons why most consider planking exercises. Planking is a perfect ab exercise. You’re using your core muscles to support your body when you plank. Studies which measure core activation measure EMG (Electrical) activity in your core muscles. Planking has been demonstrated to increase electrical activity in your core muscles. A weaker core is linked to lower back pain, and planking is one of the easiest ways to strengthen your core muscle.

Planking is a safer alternative to sit-ups for your core. Many have suggested that sit-ups have a higher risk for injury. Even the US Military is choosing to phase out sit-ups in favor of planking exercises.

How to Plank

Planking is an extremely simple exercise. The easiest way to do it is to take on a push-up position and hold it for a period of time. The challenge is that this is going to be very uncomfortable at first. You’re going to have to build your tolerance up to this form of exercise. Begin with 30 seconds, go up to a minute and keep making incremental progress on a daily basis. Eventually, you’ll build up endurance to where you can plank for longer! The great thing about planking is that it’s something which you don’t have to do every single day.

Planking is a great exercise for beginners. It’s something you can do at home without any equipment. You’ll have to build up tolerance to this exercise. To begin with, you might only be able to do a few seconds of planking. As you progress in your ability, you’ll be able to gain more strength and therefore more endurance meaning you’ll be able to plank for longer.

Why does my belly hang when I do planking exercise?

November 11, 2022 by johnc Core Exercise Tips Strength Training 1

If Russian Twists are bad for your back why aren’t hanging windshield wipers

Many people doing abdominal muscles often compare the safety risk of one over the other, thinking if russian twists are bad for your back, why aren’t hanging windshield wipers? Fortunately, it’s possible to build your abdominal muscles while avoiding potential back injuries in the future. For that reason, many often compare one form of exercise to another in order to determine safety and efficacy.

What are Russian twists?

Russian twists are a common sitting exercise. While sitting, this is where you lift your feet off the floor and pass a weight from one side of your body to the other. This is not an easy exercise, but it’s not something that’s too difficult to do. You’re moving your body in a twisting motion, which is why it’s called a twist.

What are hanging windshield wipers?

This is a very difficult exercise that you can’t do at home. It requires you to hang vertically from a bar,a nd swing your legs from left to right. Furthermore, this exercise requires you to orient your legs in a way that they are parallel to the floor. Imagine making your legs look like a windshield wiper on an automobile. This is also an advanced exercise that may not be a great idea for beginners due to its high risks of injury. Part of the reason why this exercise carries a lower risk of an injury is because people doing this exercise may have more experience!

Risk of a Back Injury From Russian Twists

Many online writers suggest that Russian twist exercises are dangerous due to a risk of compression. One athletic therapy journal article from 2008 indicates that the Russian Twist exercise is a great advanced core exercise. Another study mentions an older golfer who used russian twists as part of an exercise routine as a way to help improve core strength.

It’s clear that russian twists are a form of exercise which are well-documented to produce great results. However, this doesn’t mean that this form of exercise does not come without the chance of an injury. A trainer was quoted in Men’s Health suggesting that the exercise places a lot of pressure on the spine. It’s certainly true that a rotational position with the exercise is very likely to cause an injury. In most cases, the recommendation is to avoid the exercise due to the spinal pressure. This is especially important to consider if you’re new to exercise.

Alternatives

Ultimately, both Russian twists and hanging windshield wipers are core exercises. They’re designed to target the muscles in your abdomen. Fortunately, you can still work these muscles with a much lower risk of an injury. You might consider planking! This might be a slightly uncomfortable exercise at first, but you’re able to build the same core muscles that you would build with a Russian twist!

Conclusion

There have been studies which have shown the benefits of Russian twist exercises. But, there’s also plenty of evidence which suggests that the exercises are dangerous. Therefore, you may want to reconsider these, especially since there are other great options that are able to work the same muscle groups.

October 22, 2022 by johnc Core Strength Training 0

Sit-Ups Harmful For Your Back – Don’t Waste Your Time With Sit-Ups

Sit-ups are harmful for your spinal cocrd — Sit-ups are harmful for your spinal cord.

Let’s face it: Sit-ups are harmful instead of helpful. One of the most common misconceptions about home exercise that people hold is that Sit-Ups help them gain abdominal strength.

However, this is not entirely true. Many bodies of research have concluded that sit-ups are not beneficial for your core strength and overall health.

Sit-Ups Do Provide Core Strength

Sit-ups are able to strengthen your body’s core. However, they do not provide any additional benefits to any other muscle groups. As you do more of these, what is likely to happen is that you’ll develop a lot of unbalanced muscle mass.

Harmful For Your Back

Aside from being unbalanced, sit-ups can also be harmful for your back. You’re placing a lot of repetitive motion on your spinal cord as you perform these. You’re putting a lot of pressure on your back as you continually press your spinal cord up against a hard, flat surface. Over time, your back will possibly begin to hurt as you

Try Planking or Stretching

Instead of the repetitive motion which comes with performing a lot of sit-ups, consider planking exercises instead. These are designed to use more of your body’s muscle groups, providing a more widely distributed core strength. Aside from that, you’re also not putting a lot of repetitive strain on your back. This means, that in the long run, your body will thank you with less aches and pains.

Even The Military Is Switching

As part of their physical fitness standards, the US Marine Corps is well-known for using sit-ups to assess their personnel. Acknowledging the risk of injury, they have made the decision to replace these sit-ups with planks. The reason is that they see the increased amount of hip flexor muscle strain which is required for the sit-ups to be performed successfully.

February 19, 2022 by johnc Health Tips Strength Training Stretching 0

Keeping Up Training In Hotel Gyms with Lighter Weights – Top 5 Tips

Do you travel often? Do your frequent travels take you to hotel gyms? One of the biggest challenges which you might face when travelling is that you’re going to feel like you’re not able to keep up with your training regimen, making keeping up training in hotel gyms with lighter weights very difficult. You’re not going to have access to the same kinds of weights that you have at home. If you’re accustomed to 50 pound dumbbells, then lifting a 10 pound dumbbell will feel really light in comparison.

Here are our top 5 tips for keeping up training In hotel gyms with lighter weights.

1. Does The Gym Have A Pull-Up Bar?

Pull ups are great exercises because they can strengthen your back muscles as well as your arm muscles. Lifting regular weights often doesn’t offer a complete full body exercise. Pull-up bars can help you strengthen back, arm, and other muscles in ways that other forms of exercise cannot do.

2. Try Other Exercises that Don’t Require Equipment

As you know, there are plenty of great exercises which don’t require any equipment at all. Push-ups and sit-ups are great choices because they can exercise both your core (sit-ups) and upper body (push-ups). However, there is debate on whether or not sit-ups are an effective form of exercise and do nothing more than to produce strain. If you are interested in only focusing on your upper body strength, focus on doing push-ups as you are lifting your entire body weight off the ground when you do them.

3. Remember The Benefits

When you’re lifting lighter weights, you are building up endurance. This means that your muscles are able to do work for a longer period of time. Building up endurance means that you are able to build additional strength as you gradually increase the amount of weight that you lift. You’re also less likely to be injured when you are lifting lighter weights.

4. Jump Rope

Jumping rope is a great exercise which is able to help you strengthen your leg muscles as well as improving your coordination. A jump rope is something that you can easily pack with you when you travel, and you can likely find a space outdoors or in the hallway in order to do this type of exercise.

5. Planks

Planks are a core exercise which are fantastic for your back and are something which you can easily do on your own. Planking is also a great exercise to alleviate back pain. There are several different positions which you can assume for this – the most common is to rest your elbows on the floor, use your arms to prop your body weight upward and support your body weight with your arms.

Travelling can make it seem as if you don’t have any time to maintain a normal exercise routine. Between flights, checking into hotels, and the common time-draws of travel – It’s not that you don’t have time to exercise, it’s just that you need to be more creative in your approach when you want to keep up training in hotel gyms with lighter weights. Consider your future self, and get as much exercise as you can when you are able to get it.

November 23, 2021 by johnc Endurance Health Tips Strength Training 0

Best Home Exercises For Improving Your Mood – Is A Better Mood After 15 min of Morning Exercise Possible?

A little bit of exercise can go a long way to providing a mood boost. Fortunately, there are many common home exercises for improving your mood that are easy to do and don’t require a gym membership.

The reason for this is exercise releases endorphins in your brain. These are little “happy chemicals” that give you a quick boost of energy. Endorphins are the body’s natural pain reliever.

Following exercise, most people feel more relaxed and calm. If you’re feeling depressed, then you should think about adding a bit of exercise to your morning routine.

Running

Beginning your day with a quick 15 minute run before you take a shower can reduce your risk for developing major depression by 26% according to one Harvard study. A quick, easy run is able to break up your daily routine and give you a feeling of a mental boost.

2. Walking

If you don’t necessarily feel like running, walking can have the same effect. It will put your body into motion, which is the main cause behind the mood boost that you experience after exercise.

3. Dancing

Dancing by yourself to a favorite song for 15 minutes can definitely improve your mood. You’re getting a double hit of endorphins from both the physical activity as well as hearing your favorite song. This will definitely put you in a great mood.

3. Stretching

Stretching is one of those exercises which is easy to do and beneficial at the same time.

Don’t be afraid to try one of these home exercises for improving your mood. They can really go a long way in terms of your mood and your health. Don’t underestimate the value that it has to your future self and your self today!

November 13, 2021 by johnc Exercise Tips Health Tips Resources Strength Training 1

No Room For Bulky Gym Equipment – Use Exercise Stretch Bands Instead

Photo by **Angela Roma** from **Pexels** – Women Using Exercise Stretch Bands

An exercise stretch band is a medium between lifting weights and stretching. These are perfect for those whom don’t have the space or budget for gym equipment at home. Consider using these to make the most of every workout.

Why Use Exercise Stretch Bands

Explained in simple terms, you will get a much better workout after using them. You could stretch as you normally would, but this won’t have the same impact as using a stretch band. The bands place tension on your muscle, while stretching the muscle at the same time.

Stretch bands are a part of a whole body workout, especially if you are exercising at home. Here are some suggestions for using exercise stretch bands based on the targeted muscle group.

1. Legs and Hamstrings

Legs and hamstrings can benefit from stretching by resistance stretch bands. The typical exercises using stretch bands are where people walk with the band attached to their feet, or squat with the bands wrapped around their knees. Either exercise is able to promote the extension of the leg and hamstring muscles.

2. Arms and Upper Body

Resistance bands are also perfect for upper body exercises. Just hold each end of the resistance band in your hand, and open and close your arms in a butterfly motion. This will put a little bit of additional pressure on your biceps, allowing you to stretch this muscle group out further.

3. Whole Body

Resistance bands can also be used as a great whole body exercise. Just loop the bands around a steady object, hold on to each end of the band, and twist your torso while using the resistance bands to support your weight. This is a great “whole body” workout.

Resistance bands are a great item to have because they are portable, easy to use, and affordable. They are also fantastic because they allow you to be able to get more exercise than you would be able to without using similar equipment.

October 1, 2021 by johnc Health Tips Resources Strength Training Stretching 0