Jul
9
At Home Warm-Ups, Part Two
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Tuning up your bod totally need not be the expensive kind of affair at the gym’s you’d have to give an arm and leg for (literally and figuratively). Sometimes, the best kinds of total body warm-ups are those we were taught as kids in gym class, or during little league sports meets. Here are some more total body tune-up tips you won’t have a problem fitting into your sched, wherever you may be:
Jumping Jacks
Best done before brisk walking or cycling, or post-stair machine or treadmill at the gym.
1. Stand with arms hanging loosely at your sides, with feet slightly apart.
2. “Snap” feet apart a bit farther while you raise your arms straight above your hand, clapping hands together.
3. “Snap” back into original position, sweeping your arms back down to your sides while your feet “snap” back into their starting position also. Repeat in a steady rhythm.
Five minutes of this warm-up and you’re good to go.
Shoulder Stretch
Best for pre-golf, rock climbing, swimming laps, or playing racquet sports like tennis or badminton. Also a good warm-up for the gym rowing machine or shoulder press.
1. Clasp your hands together behind your back. Keep your arms straight as you raise them gently.
2. Hold pose for 20 seconds while stretching steadily.
Watch this space for more DIY warm-up tips that are easy as pie!
Jul
7
At Home Warm-Ups, Part One
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The following are just samples of exercises aimed to improve your flexibility and strength to help prep you up for the actual exercises. They’re best as warm-ups and cooling down routines so your muscles get to ease into the more rigorous actions, and not feel your muscles tighten up and cause injuries.
The Hamstring Stretch
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, pointing straight ahead.
Bend forward slowly, arms stretched in front, back flat and with tightened abdominal muscles.
Bend knees slightly, stretching gently and steadily.
Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat.
Best for pre-rowing activities and before elliptical training machine at the gym.
Thigh Stretch
Hold your left foot in your right hand. Slowly pull the heel of your left foot towards the middle of your buttocks, not to the side.
Use your other hand to keep your balance. Stretch gently and steadily without bouncing.
Hold for 20 seconds, then change legs. Repeat.
Best for pre-stairs climbing, cycling, or any sport which involves kicking a ball around. Also for before the stair machine or inclined treadmill at the gym.
Jun
12
So.
Does your arm wiggle long after you’ve stopped waving goodbye to someone? Does the slightest wind make them flap like sails on a boat? Do you have excess flesh in your arms to mold into roughly the same size of a newborn baby?
Flabby arms have become, and pardon my term here—the “butt” of jokes simply because they look so out of place on someone’s body. Even in the most sedentary lifestyles, arms still have their share of workload and must therefore be more toned in comparison to the rest of one’s bod such as, and just to cite randomly here, the legs or abdomen. Everyday we carry things, push doors, lug around bags, exert some effort to our biceps, etc. So a lot of us might find those flabs’ appreance a tad bit unfair.
The answer is embarking on specific toning exercises to really get rid of those fleshy wings. You can either ask your gym instructor to focus on strengthening and toning your arms, or you can do some simple exercises yourself at home if you don’t have a gym membership. If you find that your triceps need extra work (i.e. the part that wiggles most when you wave your arms), do some push-ups. At the same time, you’ll also be working out your chest and shoulder areas, creating a streamlined look in your whole upper torso. For starters, you can go easy and do wall push-ups by placing your hands on a wall and pushing your upper body away from it. You can repeat this fifteen times in a set, and do a number of sets you’re initially comfy with. Once you find your strength increasing, you can graduate on to traditional horizontal push-ups on the floor.
Here’s another DIY (do-it-yourself) tip that could work with what you have at home. Get a couple of 32 oz. bottles, fill them up with water, and grasp one each with your hands. With your belly tucked and your back straightened, bend your knees slightly while keeping your elbows close to your sides, and raise and lower the bottles in a smooth pace. Don’t try to do this modified bicep curls routine quickly for fear of muscle injury or stressing your joints.
Or you can always participate in sports that require a lot of arm work, such as tennis, badminton, rowing, or even boxing!