Effortless Exercise That Works

For some of us, we don’t need to exercise in order to break out in a hot sweat. Just the thought of exercising, or just the mention of the word, is enough to make us feel we’ve gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson.

For many, exercise means Gyms and strenuous workouts under the guidance of instructors with Adonis like sculptured bodies. Also, Gyms can leave the first-timer with feelings of inadequacy when viewing all the muscular toned figures of fellow members. This however needn’t be the case and if all you require, as most people do, is just a overall regular cardio-vascular workout, then you can do it simply and cheaply yourself.

Of course, if building muscle mass is your passion, weight lifting of some kind will be required and for that it’s best to seek expert advice, but for those of you who just want to feel generally healthier, then perhaps some of my suggestions below will help you out.

Firstly we will dispel the rumor that you need to set aside time in order to exercise. Actually, many types of exercises can be fitted into your day-to-day activities. Let’s take the first – walking. We all walk everyday and it’s one of the best types of exercise you can do. A good brisk walk of 15 or 20 minutes a day does wonders for strengthening your heart and increasing your lung capacity.

If you have a dog, there’s no excuse and you probably walk the dog everyday already. Well how about from tomorrow, you walk a little faster and a little further. I can guarantee that in a relatively short time you’ll begin to feel great, and your dog won’t mind a bit either. Before long you could even try and jog a little with the dog beside you.

Another tip is to make yourself a resolution that from now on, if any journey is 1 kilometer or less in distance (about half a mile), you’ll walk it instead of taking the car. This may be a trip to the local shops or to see a friend. Whatever the reason, if it’s about 1k or less away, put on some comfy shoes and walk. In time you can gradually extend the distance so that in a few weeks/months you’ll be walking to places under 2k or just over a mile away. You could even double the distance and cycle to where you want to go as another way to keep fit.

Secondly when waking in the morning do some stretches straight away before you get distracted with daily things. As soon as you get up, make it a habit to stretch your back, keeping the heels of your feet planted firmly on the ground and with your arms pointing upwards and your eyes looking towards the ceiling. Just hear those shoulders crack!

Hold this position for a count of three before slowly bringing your arms down to your sides whilst lowering your head. Then, without stopping continue to bend slowly down to the floor, keeping your knees straight, until your fingers touch, or almost touch your toes. Hold again for another three seconds and then slowly lift up into a standing position and rest again for a few seconds.

Repeating this ten times each morning is a great pick-me-up and if you do it immediately on rising you don’t have to find the time later in the day. What’s great about this is that it only takes a few minutes but with daily practice, the benefits can be felt all day long.

When at the office or the shops we are often faced with a decision: stairs or the elevator? Well for a change why not choose the stairs. If you work in a tall office-block and your office is on the top floor, then decide to walk part way. You can even make a game of it by timing yourself on each ascent and trying, over time, to reduce how long it takes.

Similarly for stay-at-home parents, the stairs in the house can make for a great workout. Running up the stairs a few times a day will provide you with good exercise and when that gets too easy, try two at a time (or take the dog for a walk).

All in all it doesn’t take expensive gym memberships and the latest Lycra fashions to keep yourself in good shape, yet the benefits can be amazing to your total well-being. Exercising has been shown to improve both the body and the mind. You feel great physically and mentally you’ll be more conscious and alert throughout the day. So why not give some of these simple yet effective daily workouts a try and start exercising effortlessly.

If you have any other simple and effortless exercise routines why not tell us below.

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