Ideas to Add More Exercise to the Working Day

(Article and photo courtesy Suite101)

Get a better body without leaving your desk. There are ways to fit in some exercise at your desk, even on the busiest days.

With work schedules getting busier and lunch times often being filled with necessary errands, it is sometimes hard to find even a small amount of time to get to the gym or go for a walk. Bob Anderson, in his book Stretching at Your Computer or Desk , explains how stretching is the simplest of all physical activities and the perfect antidote for long periods of physical inactivity. Regular stretching throughout the day will reduce muscle tension, improve circulation, diminish anxiety, stress and fatigue, improve mental alertness, decrease the risk of injury and generally make you feel better. If you are able to squeeze in even a small amount of exercise you will feel happier and be better able to handle the workload of the day.

Ideas to Add More Exercise to the Working Day

Make sure your chair is comfortable and supports your back.

Try to wear comfortable shoes to allow easy movement.

Start and end the journey to work with a walk, even if it means getting off the bus or train one stop earlier.

Use the stairs rather than an elevator.

Walk to talk to others in the office rather than sending an email or making a phone call.

If there is room, pace when making a phone call.

Try stretching regularly, make an effort to get up and move on a regular basis.

Try to have a healthy lunch and snacks and drink plenty of water.

Simple exercises for Office Fitness

With just a few minutes break from work, a few simple exercises can be fit into the work day, such as the following:

• Shoulder Shrugs: Sit straight in your chair with your hands by your side, breath in and raise your shoulder towards your ears, tense your shoulders and neck and then breathe out letting your shoulder sink back down. Repeat this 15 – 20 times a few times several times a day.
• Butt Flex: Remain sitting in your chair and tighten the gluteus muscles while doing your work – repeat 20 – 30 times.
• Knee Bends: Sit in your chair, bend your knees and lift them towards the ceiling, then lower them slowly back down again. This is a good exercise for the abdominal muscles. Repeat 15 – 20 times
• Wall Sit: Sit with your back firmly against a wall in your office with your knees at a 90 degree angle. Place your hands at your side and hold this position for as long as possible or until your legs begin to shake. This will work the gluteus, quads and hamstrings.

While this workout doesn’t take the place of a more traditional exercise plan, it does offer a way to keep moving without leaving the office. It will help to tone and stretch your body while you work and will also help increase productivity.

Related articles

• Iliotibial Band Stretching Exercises (brighthub.com)
• 7 Easy Fat-Burning Exercises (lifescript.com)
• Making More of the Minutes at Work (brighthub.com)

Increase your flexibility with a few simple stretches

Below is a great article found on the Calgary Herald website about flexibility.  Check out the section on doing a simple stretch at your desk.

"How long has it been since you’ve been able to bend over and touch your toes? Don’t blame age for your lack of flexibility. Too much sitting is the primary reason hamstrings tighten over time. Admittedly, some people have a genetic predisposition toward tight hamstrings and men are usually less flexible than women, but most Canadians are guilty of ignoring the importance of keeping this hardworking muscle strong and supple.

Why is the ability to touch your toes such a big deal? Tight hamstrings can lead to back pain and make it tougher than it should be to perform the chores of everyday life like pulling weeds from the garden and picking up something off the floor.

How do you test hamstring flexibility? Lie down on your back and bend both knees. Then lift one foot toward the ceiling, keeping the lifted leg straight and the foot flexed (pull the toes toward the knees) until you feel tension in the back of your thigh.

Ideally, your leg should lift comfortably until it is perpendicular (a 90 degree angle) to the floor. Or, as athletic therapist Peter Levidis explains, “You should be able to rest a glass of water on the foot of the extended leg.”

Most adults fall well short of this measure. Lack of flexibility can pull the pelvis out of alignment, shortens your stride, decreases your range of motion when swinging a golf club or racket and increases the risk of pulling a “hammy” on the ice, soccer pitch, baseball field or tennis court.

If you flunked the hamstring flexibility test as outlined above, here are some exercises selected by Levidis and performed by athletic therapist Melanie Scrase to lengthen tight hamstrings and improve the day-to-day function of your lower body movement.

Hold each stretch for 10 to 20 seconds and repeat three to five times several times a week, with the exception of the desk stretch which should be performed several times a day.

If you have sciatica, avoid the stretches and loosen up your hamstrings with the foam roller. Too much tugging on your hamstrings can further irritate an already inflamed sciatic nerve.

Continue to improve your hamstring flexibility until you can lift your leg toward the ceiling with ease. Then try touching your toes. Bending over never felt so good, or so easy.

Desk stretch

Start position: Sit up straight and slide your hips to the edge of your office chair. Keeping legs slightly apart extend one leg out in front of your body.

Action: Keeping your head in line with your spine and bending from the hips, lower your chest to your knee until you feel tension in the hamstrings. (Change the position of your legs and repeat.) Tip: Use the reminder feature in your email program and set your alarm for every 60 minutes, performing three to five reps every hour.

Common Error: Don’t lower your head and curve the spine toward your knee. Instead, lengthen the spine and bend over from the hips.

Traditional static stretch

Start Position: Lie on back with both knees bent.

Action: Lift one leg off the floor and wrap a strap or towel around the ball of your foot. Extend the leg toward the ceiling and pull on the strap to gently coax your foot toward your chest and to support your lifted leg. Hold when you feel tension in the hamstring.

Tip: Allow a slight bend in the knee if you feel too much tension in your lower back or hamstring.

Common error: Don’t flatten the lower back into the floor as you pull the leg toward your chest. Instead, keep the natural curve in your lower back through all phases of the exercise.

Dynamic stretch

Start Position: Crouch into a sprinter’s track start with one foot in front of the other and both hands on the floor in front of your body.

Action: Keeping your hands on the floor and your eyes looking downward, lift your hips toward the ceiling until you feel tension in the hamstrings. Lower your hips to the starting position. Repeat.

Tip: Work through your full range of motion without pausing at top or bottom part of the movement.

Common error: Don’t look forward as you raise your hips. Instead, keep your head in line with the spine through all phases of the exercise.

Foam roller

Start Position: Sit on the floor and position the foam roller where the hamstrings meet your butt. Place your hands behind your body for support and lift your hips off the floor. Lift one leg off the floor and extend it out in front of the body.

Action: Roll the foam roller toward the knee, stopping before you roll it under the kneecap. Roll back to the starting position. Repeat.

Tip: Increase the massage effect of the roller by crossing one leg over the other at the ankles."  (Read more / Photo Credit)

Related articles

• Stretching Exercises for the Back (brighthub.com)
• Bend and Stretch those Hamstrings (findmeacure.com)
• How to Warm Up for Exercise (fitness.suite101.com)
• Office Fitness (fitness.suite101.com)

Green Goddess Salad From EatingWell.com

Try out this great salad found on EatingWell.com!


INGREDIENTS
1/2 avocado, peeled and pitted
3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as tarragon, sorrel and/or chives
2 teaspoons tarragon vinegar, or white-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon anchovy paste, or minced anchovy fillet
8 cups bite-size pieces green leaf lettuce
12 ounces peeled and deveined cooked shrimp, (21-25 per pound; see Ingredient note)
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed
1 cup rinsed and chopped canned artichoke hearts
1/2 cup chopped celery

PREPARATION
Puree avocado, buttermilk, herbs, vinegar and anchovy in a blender until smooth.
Divide lettuce among 4 plates. Top with shrimp, cucumber, tomatoes, chickpeas, artichoke hearts and celery. Drizzle the dressing over the salads.

TIPS & NOTES
Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the dressing (Step 1) for up to 1 day.
Ingredient note: Shrimp is usually sold by the number needed to make one pound. For example, “21-25 count” means there will be 21 to 25 shrimp in a pound. Size names, such as “large” or “extra large,” are not standardized, so to be sure you're getting the size you want, order by the count (or number) per pound. Both wild-caught and farm-raised shrimp can damage the surrounding ecosystems when not managed properly. Fortunately, it is possible to buy shrimp that have been raised or caught with sound environmental practices. Look for fresh or frozen shrimp certified by an independent agency, such as Wild American Shrimp or Marine Stewardship Council. If you can't find certified shrimp, choose wild-caught shrimp from North America—it's more likely to be sustainably caught.

NUTRITION
Per serving: 292 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 134 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 28 g protein; 9 g fiber; 790 mg sodium; 843 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (90% daily value), Vitamin C (45% dv), Folate (40% dv), Potassium (24% dv), Magnesium (20% dv).

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 vegetable, 3 lean meat

Green Goddess Salad

Incorporate Physical Activity into Your Work Breaks for Better Health

Your after work exercise isn't enough to counteract an entire day spent sitting at the office as far as your body is concerned. Incorporate micro-bursts of activity throughout your day to counter the effects of extended sitting.

Many people who sit at an office all day do an admirable job squeezing in some workout time before or after work. We applaud them but we've got some bad news. After work activity doesn't necessarily counter all-day sitting. According to research done by the University of South Carolina and highlighted in the New York Times, a game of tennis and a jog after work every day doesn't undo sitting at your terminal for 8 hours. (Read More/Photo Credit)

Food Network Chicken Tandoori Recipe

This recipe is available courtesy of the Food Network Website
(Food Network Website Link)

Ingredients

• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
  
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 small red onion, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 3/4 teaspoons hot paprika
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

Directions

Preheat the broiler. Make shallow cuts in the chicken thighs with a sharp knife. Toss the chicken with the lemon juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl.

Pulse 2 tablespoons yogurt, the vegetable oil, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, coriander, cumin, 11/2 teaspoons paprika and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor to make a paste. Toss the chicken in the mixture and let marinate 15 minutes.

Place the chicken on a foil-lined broiler pan. Broil, turning once, until slightly charred and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 165 degrees F, 5 to 6 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 cup yogurt and 1/4 teaspoon paprika, the cilantro and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Top the chicken with the yogurt sauce and serve with rice, if desired.

Per serving: Calories 237; Fat 9 g (Saturated 2 g); Cholesterol 115 mg; Sodium 1,266 mg; Carbohydrate 8 g; Fiber 2 g; Protein 30 g

Photograph by Antonis Achilleos

Hiking: off the beaten fitness path

If outdoor fitness has been your road not taken, summer may be perfect time to ditch those climate-controlled Pilates classes and take a hike.

"The Green Mountains of Vermont is the gym in our backyard," said Jimmy LeSage, owner of the New Life Hiking Spa in Killington, Vermont. "You get to be in nature. It's more tranquil."

Although the spa offers other activities, its centrepiece is hiking, which can mean anything from a leisurely nature jaunt to an arduous trek up a mountain.

"You get stronger, you lose weight, you de-stress," said LeSage, a former ski bum who has been ushering weight-conscious clients through the Green Mountains for more than 20 years.

Hard economic times may be driving more budget-conscious Americans to move their fun, and their fitness, out of doors. The Outdoor Foundation, a nonprofit association of the outdoor recreation industry, reported that participation in hiking grew by nine percent in 2008.

Traversing hills, especially while carrying a backpack, burns calories, strengthens muscles and can prove addictive enough to uproot even the most stubborn couch potato, according to Dr. Patty Freedson of the American College of Sports Medicine.

"Hiking doesn't take a lot of skills and can be done with group support," she said. "Most important, it's enjoyable. If you can get a sedentary person to do one or two miles and sustain it, that would be great." (Read more / Photo Credit)

Running for fun and good health

(Source and photo credit)

Friends Helly Visser and Roger Davis lift weights together three times a week, cycle once a week and do yoga every morning.

But it is the runs they go on almost every other day that keeps them a young 75 and 74 years old.

"Taking up running has changed my life," says Visser, a Calgary resident and competitive endurance runner. "I just kept going at it and it's become a part of me."

Visser had always kept active while her children were growing up, taking them cycling and camping.

It was only when she hit the big five-O and her children moved away from home that she thought about doing regular exercise.

So the rookie runner strapped on a pair of joggers and hit the pavement.

Twenty-five years later, she's still running.

Davis, her running partner and co-organizer of a group for endurance runners called the Calgary Roadrunners, says they've both kept each other going.

It keeps me healthy," says Davis, who, like Visser, competes internationally in races. "It makes me feel good, keeps the excitement in my life."

He says younger runners give him high-fives when they see someone older than their grandfathers run past them.

Davis says he owes it to maintaining a natural posture while running, which involves evenly distributing how you carry your weight, landing on the middle of your foot and bending your arms so you can swing them during a stride.

"I'm trying to get back to a place when I was a child running, carefree, arms flying all over the place," he laughs. "Of course I won't ever get back completely but I can try."

Cindy Lewis, owner of Absolute Endurance, a Toronto-based training facility, says beginner runners need to take it slow or they'll start hurting, fast.

"The most common mistake when people first start running is putting in too many miles at once," says Lewis, who has run competitively since she was a child. "Or they're running too fast or running in the wrong footwear."

As with starting any new sport, beginners will feel aches and pains, particularly in the knees.

Lewis says these side effects should be gone within two days or you should see your doctor.

A way to prevent some foot pain is to make sure that you have the right shoe.

"Many people have foot problems, structural problems that don't really show up as injuries until they stress their bodies," she says.

"Everyone is different and some people need a neutral or flat shoe, others need lots of cushioning."

The best shoe is not always the most expensive, but a good shoe should cost between $125 to $160, says Lewis.

Runners shouldn't push themselves too hard the first few weeks and should alternate between running and walking.

"Running is one of the best forms of cardiovascular exercise for weight loss," she says.

"The most calories are burned per minute and it's great to build bone health. Anyone can do it too, it's easy. Just one foot in front of the other."

Mark Sutcliffe, the editor of iRun, a national magazine, says that in the past few years, something as simple as going for a run has turned into a lifestyle choice.

"It becomes part of their lifestyle whether it is entering a (running) event, a hobby, or just a form of exercise," he said. "It's not drudgery anymore, not something you have to do it because it's good for you. It's not like eating your vegetables. You enjoy the run itself."

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Five Tips For Running Faster, Better

- Map out a good running route in your neighbourhood before you go.

- Load songs onto your iPod or MP3 player with fast-moving beats. Add some songs with a slower beat for your cool-down period.

- Buy a good pair of running shoes.

- Always carry water with you, and a cellphone or some change just in case you need to call home for a ride.

- Consult your doctor before starting any exercise or if your aches and pains continue for more than two days.