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Working Woman's Workout
by Chris Akard
I hear it all the time: "I'm so busy with work, I just don't have time to
exercise!" Getting ready for work in the morning can take much of your time
and after a long day's work, exercise is often the furthest thing from your
mind. Thus the conflict: "I want to be healthy, I want to get the results
that fitness has to offer, but I just don't seem to have enough time or
energy." It can seem like an impossible task, but have no fear! It is
possible.
Set Up for Success
The first thing to do is plan and prepare. While you may not be motivated to
exercise when you get home at night, you can get prepared to exercise the next
day. Pack your bag and pack a snack. You want to eliminate excuses. For example,
hunger or running home to get your gear can make for a pretty good excuse. That
is, unless you have planned for success. Pack your workout gear, hit your
favorite trail or health club and if you're hungry, eat a light snack before you
go. A small piece of bread or fruit will digest quickly.
Fitness Pack Check List:
- Gym bag
- Exercise clothes
- Exercise shoes
- Towel
- Needed toiletries
- Water
- A light snack
- Comfortable clothes for post-exercise
Now you're set up for exercise.
OK, now I know there will be some days that you don't even have the time to
pack! That's fine. You can still exercise! Here are some great exercises you can
do when you're getting ready for work.
Consult a physician before starting this or any exercise program.
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Brush Your Teeth/Firm Your Legs
It takes time to brush your teeth and you do it every morning. Do some
basic squats and standing calf raises. Keep your back tall and your
abdominals tight. Do reps until it's time to move on to the next stage
of your morning. |
Make Breakfast/Tone Arms and Upper Body
Whether you're making coffee or putting bread in the toaster, you have
another excellent opportunity to get in some exercise. Do some standing counter
push-ups for upper body and arm work. Keep your hips piked, your abdominals
tight and elbows wide. Do these for some reps in between your kitchen doings.
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Pre-shower 5-minute Sweat With 5-pound
Dumbbells
Before you jump in the shower, you can work up a little sweat and get
upper body development going. Oh, come on! It will only take 5 minutes! |
Use this simple movement to stretch, tone and sweat all at the same time. It
will give your day a metabolic boost and will leave you feeling energized. Try
this lateral lunge with arm combination. Five minutes of this and you'll be
ready for the shower.
Bring these concepts into your working lifestyle and watch your body start to
thank you for it!
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