Exercise anywhere!

Exercise anywhere!	3/11/2011


If you find it hard to squeeze in a workout - even though you know the importance of exercise - maybe you haven't considered all your options. Eric Plasker, DC, a chiropractor and author of The 100 Year Lifestyle Workout (GPP Life, 2009) says you don't have to take time out of a busy day to get fit. Instead, try sneaking in a little movement throughout the day. Below are three examples to get you started. But remember: Check with your doctor before starting any new exercise program. Use a seat to get strong: Sitting in the office or while watching TV at home, you can do "triceps dips." Sit in a steady chair and keep your feet flat on the ground. With your hands on the armrests, raise your body up, then lower yourself back into the seat. Or try this: Stand and face the seat area of a steady chair that has arms. With your body bent at the waist, and grasping the chair arms for support, raise and lower your upper body with your arms. You will be doing "standing up push-ups"! Move to the 50/10 rule: Get up and move for 10 minutes after each 50 minutes you sit. This means - especially if you work at a desk or spend a lot of time in your car - that you should stretch and flex your muscles 10 minutes of every hour. Start a stair affair: Walk up and down stairs to tone legs, glutes (your buttock muscles) and core (abdominal) muscles. If you feel up to it, take two steps at a time (it's fine to go slow!) for added benefit. To exercise a wider range of leg muscles, go up sideways. REMINDER: Check your Blood Sugar about a half hour before you plan to exercise and then right before. That way you can determine if your blood sugar is stable and it's safe for you to exercise. Check it again afterward: Hypoglycemia can occur up to five hours after your workout. By Rita Ross of Diabetes - Health Monitor February/March 2011 edition for more information visit www.healthmonitor.com