Friday, August 22, 2014

Strength Training

Do you strength train?!  If not….it’s never too late!  Strength training has numerous benefits!!!  As we get older we start to lose muscle mass.  And for females it seems to happen SUPER fast!!!  So we all need to be working out those muscles and increasing (or at least maintaining) our strength!  Here is a great infographic on the reasons we should all be strength training.
 
 
Isn’t that great?!!  Incorporating strength training into your daily life is very easy!  Here are some ways to do it!

Groceries!!!  Carrying bags to your car, from your car to the house and putting everything away can all be used to strengthen your body. Bonus points if you throw in a couple of bicep curls with the milk!!!  Make sure you’re lifting and lowering heavy items the correct way and not straining your back.  Always use your legs for power!

Take the Stairs!!!  Not only does taking the stairs increase muscle strength, it also burns calories, strengthens your heart and sculpts your body. Next time you’re waiting around for the elevator to come, think about how your body would benefit from climbing those floors instead of riding up to them.
 
Housework!!!  When vacuuming try to use your arm, back and abdominal muscles to push the vacuum. When loading the dishwasher, maintain good posture as you do those squats! Scrubbing floors, cleaning the bathtub, gardening, and mowing the lawn are great ways to add in some extra strength training!  And don’t even get me started on raking or shoveling!  That’s a big workout!!!
 
Waiting!!!  There are many moments throughout the day for you to fit in a bit of exercise, even if it's only for a minute or two. Think about how often during the day you are given some extra time:  waiting for water to boil, waiting for the family to come to the table, waiting for someone to email you back, waiting for a young child to finish eating, waiting for the hot water to get hot, waiting for the copier to finish making 100 more copies, waiting for a turn in the bathroom, during TV commercials, talking on the phone…………These are all GREAT times to do a little strength training!  You can easily do some wall sits, counter push-ups, calf raises, planks, even bicep curls with food cans!
 
And of course there are a BILLION ways to strengthen those muscles with dedicated exercises!  So go ahead and lift those weights!!!  Have a great weekend!

 

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