exercise Archives - Page 8 of 11

Try a New Move: Getting Active During a Quarantine

Getting Active During a Quarantine Social distancing and self-quarantine are essential for stopping the spread of COVID-19. While many gyms and fitness facilities have temporarily closed their doors, there are still many ways to continue staying active at home and outdoors. Outdoor Activities Unless you are sick or have been directed by your state or local government to remain indoors, stepping outside for some fresh air is a great way to get active. Be sure to practice social distancing when outdoors. Remain 6 feet away from others and avoid gathering in groups larger than 10 people. Take a walk in your neighborhood or local park. Lace-up your sneakers for a run. If you are new to running, download a running app to help you get started. Go for a bike ride with your family. Take care of the yard work [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, COVID, exercise, fitness|

Try a New Move: Strength Training

Strength Training Many people are familiar with the recommendation to exercise for 30 minutes a day or 150 minutes a week. What many Americans neglect, however, is the importance of resistance (anaerobic or strength) training. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends generally healthy adults engage in muscle-strengthening exercises twice a week for all major muscle groups. Routine strength training has several benefits such as building and maintaining muscle mass, improving quality of life, and supporting strong bones. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, around the age of 40 muscle mass begins to decline due to an age-related condition known as sarcopenia. Incorporating resistance training into your weekly workout routine can help slow and even prevent excess amounts of age-related muscle loss. Weight-bearing exercise also helps build bone mineral density. For most adults, bone loss begins to occur after the [...]

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Stress Less: The Power of Yoga

The Power of Yoga Feeling a little stressed lately but not sure how to tackle it? Give yoga a try! Yoga has been growing in popularity over the years and for good reason. Research has shown that incorporating yoga into your exercise routine can improve your physical health and mental health as well. Benefits of Yoga Improves mood and sleep patterns Increases flexibility and muscle strength Decreases risk factors for chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease Reduces lower back pain Starting a Yoga Routine There are many different types of yoga and each class can vary in length and difficulty. Check out your local gyms and community centers for yoga classes. If you are new to yoga, look for beginner classes and talk to your instructor about any concerns that you may have before class. Love yoga or interested [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, exercise, fitness, stress, yoga|

New Move: Jump Rope

Jump Rope Jumping rope isn’t just for kids. Jumping rope is a simple way to incorporate aerobic (cardio) exercise into your day without going to the gym. Regular aerobic exercise lowers the risk of developing certain diseases including heart disease and diabetes. Three Reasons to Jump Rope Convenient: Going on a business trip or short on time? Pack a jump rope for a quick and efficient workout while on the road. Effective: Jumping rope burns calories similar to other cardio exercises (running, biking, etc.) If you’re new to exercise, jumping rope is a great way to kickstart your exercise routine. Start off slowly and increase your time as your endurance improves. Fun: Want to play with your kids but still workout? Make a game out of it and include your family for a fun activity. Bored with your regular exercise [...]

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Try a New Move: Bob & Weave

Bob & Weave When it comes to getting fit, we most commonly choose exercises that favor forward motion like walking, cycling, and running. We may move backward when doing reverse lunges or a backstroke, but lateral movements become an afterthought. Think about the last time you purposefully moved side-to-side. It might be challenging to recall! When we favor one plane of motion, the same dominant muscles get bigger and stronger, while smaller stabilizer muscles don’t get challenged and stay the same. Don’t get us wrong, forward and backward movements are invaluable, but moving in other directions comes with benefits. For muscles in the lower body, lateral motions even-out strength imbalances by working stabilizing muscles on the inside and outside of the legs. The “bob and weave” is a lateral (sideways) single leg muscle-strengthening exercise that requires heavy use of your [...]

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Try a New Move: Prevent Knee Problems with Step-Ups

Prevent Knee Problems with Step-Ups Many people with knee problems end up avoiding exercise altogether, but many resistance exercises, like step-ups, strengthen lower-body musculature resulting in improved knee function and decreased knee pain. Step-ups (with or without weight) Stand with your feet hip-width apart. If you’re using weight, hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand with your palms facing inward. Step your left foot onto a platform, such as an aerobic stepping box, plyo box, or stair. Keep your torso vertical and align your knee over your toes. Push off your right leg to lift your body onto the platform beside your left foot. Shift your weight onto your left foot and slowly lower your right foot back to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side. Try using bodyweight first, then add weight if it feels too easy. [...]

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Try a New Move: Core Strengthening for Everyone

Core Strengthening for Everyone What are your fitness goals? Some of us want to run hundred-mile races or squat twice our body weight. But most of us have simpler goals like getting to a place where taking the stairs or getting down on the ground feels comfortable, and that’s OK! Wherever you are in your fitness journey, build a foundation that allows you to move how you want. An excellent place to start is building up your core strength, which can protect your spine, ease lower back pain, and improve balance, stability, and posture. We need some degree of core strength and stability in nearly every move our body makes. A weak, tight, or unbalanced core can undermine your ability to comfortably perform everyday activities like bending, lifting, twisting, and carrying. Even sitting and using a computer or taking phone [...]

Tags: abdominal muscles, core strength, corporate wellness, exercise, workout|

Soreness Reducing Dynamic Stretches

Soreness Reducing Dynamic Stretches Almost everyone who’s started an exercise program can tell you about how sore their muscles felt a day or two following their workout. Fitness professionals call exercise-related soreness delayed onset muscle soreness, commonly abbreviated to DOMS. DOMS might catch you by surprise because you feel fine the day you worked out, but very stiff and sore 24 hours later. DOMS is an entirely normal body response to exercise and can last from 48- 72 hours. Doing a workout that you haven’t tried before is most likely to cause muscle soreness. You might also experience DOMS when you do workouts with lots of sets and reps or strengthening exercises that stretch your muscle tissue, like deadlifts or push-ups. If you find that DOMS is mild and goes away in two-to-three days, this can be a sign you’re [...]

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Kettlebells for a Kick’n Workout

Incorporate Kettlebells If you want to switch up your strength training or if you haven’t yet found muscle-strengthening activities you enjoy, find the kettlebells at your gym or health club! Kettlebell exercises are straightforward and faster to learn than many other resistance training techniques. Since a kettlebell’s center of mass is off-center, it offers a unique challenge compared to other types of free weights like dumbbells. The kettlebell is a cannonball-shaped ball of iron with a handle on top that has roots back to the 18th century. First used as a counterweight for weighing crops, people soon realized its potential for building strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance. In the late 19th century, it gained a spot in strength recreation and competition. Today, the versatile kettlebell makes for efficient strength workouts at the gym and at home. Strengthening exercises can be [...]

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Your Brain on Exercise

Your Brain on Exercise If you read the BWS Newsletter even occasionally, it should be no surprise that exercise improves your health. Besides promoting a healthy body weight and helping maintain weight loss, regular exercise may also help reduce risk for chronic disease. For example, increased insulin sensitivity and HDL cholesterol from exercise give you a potent risk reduction for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. And without medication! If you need another reason to start and stick with an exercise routine, do it for your brain! Research shows that regular exercise changes parts of the brain’s structure, which can result in improved thinking and attention span along with a lower risk of cognitive decline. Avid exercisers will happily tell you about their boost in mood and energy levels following a vigorous workout. Exercise reduces stress hormones and increases levels [...]

Tags: brain health, corporate wellness, exercise, MIND, mind diet, physical activity|