Small Steps, Big Gains: Incorporating Desk Micromovements for a Healthier Workday

If you don’t have enough time for exercise throughout the day, incorporating desk micromovements can help. Every time you tap your foot or even twiddle your thumbs, you’re burning calories! These are great examples of micromovements that can help you incorporate more physical activity throughout your day. Here are some great examples of micromovement exercises that you can incorporate into your day for more physical activity!

Tap Your Toes

One of the biggest risks to sitting for long periods of time is Deep Vein Thrombosis. Tapping your toes is a great way to increase circulation in your legs, and burn calories at the same time. Tapping your toes is a great way to help mitigate the effects of sitting for long periods of time and reduce your risk for Deep Vein Thrombosis. These small incremental activities can add up to a lot of calories burned over time!

Breathe In and Breathe Out

Simple deep breathing exercises are also great for burning calories. A study conducted at a hospital over 26 days, featuring 20 obese patients on a low-calorie diet showed improvements in exercise capacity. Comparing the experimental group with the control group, the experimental group patients performed better on a 6-minute walking assessment. Breathing does burn a tiny amount of calories. However, deep breathing exercises are very beneficial because they promote a healthier overall appearance. Deep breathing exercises are also very beneficial for your mood. A deep breathing exercise can take as little as a minute. Just take a deep breath for 20 seconds, hold it for 20 seconds, and exhale for 20 seconds.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20805830/

Shoulder Rolls

Do you feel a lot of tension in your shoulders? These are easy exercises which you can do while sitting in a stationary position. Shoulder roll exercises are designed to stretch your trapezoid muscles. If you feel a lot of tension on your back and neck, shoulder rolls are a great way to relieve some of the tension. This form of exercise can also improve your ability to lift weights or perform other more intense exercises that rely upon your back and shoulders. However, you’ll have to be very careful when performing these exercises. It’s best to avoid forward and backward motions, and strictly perform an up and down motion while doing shoulder roll exercises.

What Muscles Do Shoulder Shrugs Work? | livestrong

Shoulder Shrugs: Muscles Worked, Benefits, and How To (healthline.com)

Head Nodding

Did you know that nodding your head can have benefits to your physical health? Neck strength is an important part of your body. Head nodding can help strengthen the muscles in your neck. Head nods are cited as a potential exercise that can help alleviate neck pain. If this is something which you experience as a result of a job which requires long periods of sitting, head nodding exercises can help.

Recent Advances In Therapeutic Exercise For The Neck: Implications For Patients With Head And Neck Pain – BPhty – 2003 – Australian Endodontic Journal – Wiley Online Library

Incorporating motion and movement in your day-to-day activities is a great way to be able to improve your overall health and fitness. Although micromovement exercises may not always burn a ton of calories or lead to significant improvement in strength, these exercises have many clear benefits. Therefore, it’s a great idea to incorporate micromovements into your daily exercise routine.

August 31, 2023 by johnc Exercise Tips Health Tips Resources Stretching 0

How Can We Calculate BMI (body mass index) with Height and Weight

how can we measure bmi (body mass index) with height and weight

Curious on how we can calculate BMI (body mass index) with height and weight, as well as what it’s useful for? Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measurement which uses a person’s height and weight in order to determine the amount of body fat the person has. The idea is that a taller person that is heavier will have less body fat than a shorter person who is heavier.

Limitations of Using BMI – and How Can We Calculate BMI (body mass index) with Height and Weight

One of the most widely-known limitations of body mass index is that it does not take body composition into account. Suppose you have two people, one of them is named Jake and the other person is Ryan. Jake and Ryan are both 5 Feet, 8 Inches tall. However, Jake is heavier (at 190 pounds) than Ryan (at 170 pounds) although both have the same 30 inch waist size and height.

The reason behind Jake’s heavier body weight is that he has a different body composition from Ryan with more lean muscle mass. Ryan’s BMI would be 24.9, while Jake’s BMI would be at nearly 29. BMI measurements would classify Ryan as being of a normal body weight, while Jake would be considered Overweight. However, the reality is that Jake has more muscle mass than Ryan which is not accounted for in BMI.

Furthermore, BMI does not adjust for other factors that create explainable differences between body weight and height. Age and Gender are often common contributing factors as to why two people of the same height and even similar body composition would have different BMI indexes based on weight.

How To Calculate BMI (body mass index) with height and weight

BMI Is relatively easy to calculate with a simple formula. If you’re in the US and you are measuring in inches and pounds, do the following:

Multiply your weight in pounds by 703. If you weigh 170 pounds, 170 x 703 = 119510
Using your height in inches (remember, 1 foot is 12 inches), find the square of this number by multiplying it by itself. If you are 5 feet, 8 inches tall, you would use the number 68 and multiply it by itself = 68 x 68 = 4624
Divide the first number by the second, and you will get the number 25.84

Here’s how to interpret your BMI:

Less than 18.5 is considered underweight
18.5 to 24.9 is normal weight
Overweight is 25 to 29.9
Obese is anything over 29.9

What Can It Be Used For?

BMI can be a great measurement which allows you to more accurately determine whether or not you’re overweight or obese. It’s not an entirely accurate measurement of your level of health and overall fitness, but it’s a great starting point. You may want to assess your BMI in combination with your body fat level to make a more accurate determination as to whether or not you’re at a healthy body weight.

Conclusion

Don’t rely on BMI by itself to determine whether or not you’re overweight. Use it in combination with self-assessments of your own health.

August 18, 2022 by johnc Health Tips obesity Resources 0

What is a good yoga routine for beginners?

Finding a good yoga routine for beginners is very difficult, especially if you are not naturally flexible. The great thing about Yoga is that it’s an exercise that can be done without any equipment. To get started in yoga, all you need is a mat. Much of what’s important to yoga is knowledge of what to do. The challenge to yoga is that if you’re not careful, you can easily injure yourself in the process. It’s better to start off simple and gradually advance your level of difficulty over time as you grow in your skillset.

What Is Yoga?

Yoga is based on a series of poses. The idea is that you’re holding your body in a stretch position for a specific period of time. Many people do yoga because they find it to be beneficial for their flexibility. Others enjoy yoga because they like the relaxation that yoga provides. The idea is to live in union with nature.

How Long Should My Sessions Last?

Generally speaking, you should practice it for as long as you feel comfortable with doing it. Some people may only feel comfortable doing it for 20 minutes, others may be able to do yoga for an hour or more. If you begin to feel uncomfortable during your yoga session, then if you try to push yourself too hard you risk an injury. A busy schedule can also make it very difficult for you to do any form of exercise. Remember that any amount of physical exercise can have a significant benefit to your overall health and wellbeing.

Good Yoga Routine For Beginners – #1 – Tadasana

The Tadasana pose is a great pose because it is simply focused on stretching your body in a standing position. It’s relaxing, and a great way to gain additional focus and relax various muscles in your body. The objective is keeping your body in alignment, and it’s relatively painless.

Good Yoga Routine For Beginners – #2 – Vrikshasana

This pose is great for improving balance, although it’s slightly more difficult than the Tadasana pose. Through the Vrikshasana pose, you’re balancing your body weight on a single foot.

Good Yoga Routine For Beginners – #3 – Hasta Padasana

Hasta Padasana is a great pose because it’s a simple stretching exercise. All you need to do is to bend forward and place your hands in front of you. This one is great for improving flexibility.

Over time, you’ll find that you will be able to do more complex yoga poses. However, it’s best to start off with simpler poses and give yourself a chance to improve your skills. Yoga is a great way to relax, and is a positive stress relief tool. It’s a great outlet for your creativity, and is also an opportunity to connect with other like-minded people if you choose to join in a group setting.

August 11, 2022 by johnc Health Tips Motivation Resources Stretching Yoga 0

Is Exercise or Nutrition More Important For Losing Weight?

exercise or nutrition more important for weight loss

The great news for you is that even just a moderate amount of daily exercise can help you lose weight. If your curious as to whether or not exercise or nutrition is more important for losing weight, the short answer is both are critical. According to a study by the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) indicates that 250 to 350 minutes of exercise per week is able to produce moderate weight loss. This is certainly true in obese adults.

There is a “sweet spot” for weight loss. Combined with moderate dietary restrictions, 150-250 minutes per week is shown to produce moderate weight loss. Because this combines moderate amounts of physical exercise with moderate diet restrictions, it’s able to demonstrate that you’re able to achieve your weight loss goals without making extreme sacrifices.

It’s often very hard to find time to exercise as our lives are busy with multiple responsibilities. If you average the 150-250 minutes to a 7 day week, you’ll only need to find 21-35 minutes out of your busy schedule to exercise. If your mornings are busy, then you can split this time up throughout the day.

What Is Considered “Moderate” Exercise?

Moderate exercise is considered a medium-intensity physical activity. Moderate exercise can also be enjoyable, and even a part of your regular routine.

The most common form of moderate exercise is taking a brisk walk around the block. But, moderate exercise can also include vacuuming, dancing, swimming, or other similar activities where you are moving around.

Aside from weight loss, moderate intensity exercise is able to have additional benefits. Moderate intensity exercise also has an impact on other areas of your health. It’s shown to give your immune system a boost.

Aerobic Exercise Combined With Eating Less

Aerobic exercise is the exercise that “gets your blood pumping.” It’s jogging or running, dancing or hiking. Combining this with eating fewer calories will help you lose weight much faster. Even if it’s moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, combine this with eating less and you’ll be able to lose weight.

How Many Calories Should I Reduce My Diet By?

Remember that 1 pound of fat is 3500 calories. So, you need to create a calorie deficit of 3500 calories per week in order to lose 1 lb of fat per week. Most experts generally agree that it’s safe to lose approximately 1 to 2 lbs per week. Furthermore, people losing weight at this rate are more likely to be successful.

Wrap-Up

Exercise and nutrition are equally important for losing weight. A combination of both is critical for losing weight at a sustainable weight. Try to avoid making drastic cutbacks, and you’ll be able to be successful in your goals.

August 3, 2022 by johnc Exercise Tips Health Tips Resources 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

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