Vancouver Fitness Training: Keeping Fit at Work

In an office culture, it can be hard to get motivated to stay fit. Exercise is often the last thing on your mind when you spend your day staring at a computer screen and answering phones. And even if you want to get fit, it can seem almost impossible with the long hours you spend at work each day. How can you possibly wake up even earlier to get to the gym? How can you find the time after work, when you’re tired and drained and have to worry about dinner, errands and taking care of the kids? Lunchtime is out, too; how can you fit in exercise, a shower and eating in less than an hour?

It may seem daunting, but keeping fit has numerous benefits in and out of the workplace. For starters, you’re less likely to get sick and miss time at the office. You’ll also have more energy. With fewer sick days and increased energy, you’ll be more productive and get more work done. You’ll also be less stressed, because regular exercise releases the emotional tensions of life. This translates to even more productivity.

So how do you get there? The hardest part is getting started. If you don’t have time at lunch and you’re too tired at the end of the day, give morning workouts a chance. It may seem impossible to get up so early but it will become easier and easier every time, until it becomes a habit. Plus, you’ll be rewarded with a huge boost in energy throughout the rest of the day.

There are ways to sneak fitness in and burn some extra calories while you’re at the office, too. If you can, keep your printer on the other side of the room, or even in a different room. That way, you have to frequently stand and walk throughout the day. You can also go for a walk on your lunch break, and keep a set of dumbbells at your desk to work in some exercises whenever you get a chance.

If you have the option, try sitting in a ball chair. This great chair takes the benefits of the stability ball you use in the gym, and puts them into a chair you can use at work. The ball chair takes the pressure off your spine while you sit, which in turn corrects your posture, releases muscle tension, improves your balance and strengthens your torso. It does this by engaging you in “active sitting,” which means you have to keep moving to maintain balance. As a result, you strengthen your core and burn extra calories while you spend the day sitting, staring at your computer screen. To increase the benefits, there are some simple exercises you can do. One of the easiest is to contract your abs while sitting. Or, you can try doing calf raises. Pull those dumbbells out from under your desk and hold them against your thighs, just above your knees. Sit with your back straight and your feet flat on the floor. Raise your heels slowly so you are on your tip-toes, and hold for approximately two seconds. Then, slowly lower your heels, and repeat.

If you’re able to stand up, there are a few more exercises you can try at work. Try doing butt kicks. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, and squeeze your butt muscles. Without arching your back, jump up and try to touch your heels to your butt. Land softly, and quickly repeat. One last exercise to try is shadow boxing, where you use your arms to spar with an imaginary opponent.

Just because you work long hours in an office, doesn’t mean your health has to suffer. If you make getting fit a priority, you’ll not only look and feel better, you’ll likely become more productive at work.

Vancouver Fitness Training: The hardest part of skipping is getting started!

Skipping isn’t just for kids on a playground. It’s a legitimate form of exercise that is utilized by professional athletes such as boxers, swimmers and football players. It can be a versatile, fun and beneficial way for anyone to exercise, and it’s great for your heart and lungs.

There are endless benefits to skipping. It will help improve your endurance, cardiovascular health and overall fitness, and improve your coordination, flexibility and balance. Furthermore, it burns more calories than many other forms of exercise, making it a great tool for losing weight.

Many people avoid skipping because they become frustrated over the initial clumsy period, but it’s worth the effort it takes to get past that first obstacle. Compared to running or jogging, skipping burns a similar amount of calories (approximately 1000 for every hour), but is easier on your joints and works out both your upper and lower body, instead of just focusing on your lower body. It effectively tones your hips, bottom, calves, thighs, arms, abdominals, chest and shoulders. The jumping motion also increases calcium levels, and thus helps to prevent osteoporosis.

The hardest part of skipping is getting started. To begin, adjust the rope to fit your body. The handles should be about one inch below each armpit when standing on the rope with both feet. Keep your elbows tucked by your side and use your wrists, not your arms, to turn the rope. Try to prevent yourself from leaning forward or skipping too slowly when starting out, as these are common mistakes. The key is to keep your back straight and not to jump too high, only a few inches from the floor. You also want to make sure you keep the rope tight.

After you become comfortable with the basic movement, you can begin to experiment with different movements and foot combinations. Try moving your feet in the jumping jack motion while skipping, try hopping on one foot, or try alternating your feet in a jogging movement while you skip. After you become even more advanced, you can try skipping backwards, criss-crossing the rope, or letting the rope rotate twice with each jump.

Skipping can be used as your main form of cardiovascular exercise, by completing 20 minutes three times weekly. This is an excellent idea, because when performed at a good pace skipping burns 20 calories per minute. It can also be used in interval training, by skipping for two to three minutes in between your strengthening exercises at the gym.

Skipping is an excellent form of exercise that is fun, inexpensive and can be done anywhere. It’s great for people at all fitness levels, and easily allows you to advance as your skill level increases.