You are here

OT - Tone-up Tuesday

Aniki-Moderator's picture

Happy Tuesday, STalkers! It's a balmy 16 degrees F in my neck of the woods - feels like 6. We're in for a cold week with a high of 0 degrees F on Friday. Yes, you read that correctly - ZERO. With temps dipping into the negative (especially with the wind chill), and all of the snow we've been getting, plenty of folks prefer staying inside.

So I'm reviving a previous TuT of exercises you can do at your desk.

 

TIGHTEN YOUR ABS

Act like that guy on the beach trying to impress the ladies. SUCK IT IN!! Hold 5 seconds, release, and repeat 10 times. As it gets easier, increase your hold time.

TIGHTEN YOUR ABS ADVANCED

Sit tall on the edge of your chair and cross your arms over your chest. Inhale and squeeze (flex) your abdominal muscles lightly. Without relaxing your stomach muscles, exhale slowly, squeezing your abs in tighter and turning your upper body to the right. Inhale and twist back to center. Then repeat to the left. Work up to 3 sets of 20 alternating reps.

TARGET LOWER ABS

Lift your feet a couple inches off the ground, kick them out and bring them back down. Repeat as many times as you can.

TONE YOUR LEGS 1

Straighten out your legs until they’re parallel to the ground and focus on tightening your quads (the muscles in front of your thighs). Hold a few seconds and slowly lower back down and immediately repeat. For greater resistance, rest one foot over the opposite ankle for added weight as you straighten your leg. Plus, practice rolling up onto the balls of your feet while squeezing your calves. Hold and release as you bring heels back to the floor.

TONE YOUR LEGS 2

Starting with both feet flat on the floor, do leg lifts, starting first with the right leg and then the left. Lift each leg until it touches the underside of your desk. Do ten sets of eight reps to strengthen your thigh muscles and your core.

WORK YOUR CALVES

Give your calf muscles a work out by raising your legs up on the very tips of your toes while remaining seated. Your calf muscles should start to burn after a few seconds. Hold for ten seconds and then repeat eight times.

BUNS OF STEEL (no, we're not talking about stale baked goods!)

Clench your buttocks and hold for ten seconds. Do five sets of eight reps. The beauty of this exercise is that you aren’t getting up and no one knows that you are secretly fitting in a workout.

STRENGTHEN YOUR ANKLES

Rotate your ankles in both directions for five seconds. Do five sets of eight reps in each direction. This exercise can strengthen the flexibility of your ankles and make you less likely to suffer from sprains.

WORK YOUR ARMS

Stretch the muscles in your right arm by reaching as far to the left as you can with your right arm while supporting it in the crook of your left elbow and then hold it there. Feel the stretch for five seconds. Do eight reps before switching over to your left arm.

DO A LITTLE DANCE

If you don’t mind a few odd looks in your direction, this is a fun one. Think of a danceable tune and bob your head, shrug your shoulders and get your groove on. You’ll not only burn calories but it could put you in a better mood!

Comments

morrginme's picture

All I hear is people talking about snow and I'm jealous. My elevation is about 200 ft in Oregon and we rarely get snow. It falls all around us but it's a miracle if it falls where I live (and sticks). 

Thank you for the routine. I'm about to do Zumba and maybe talk myself into powerlifting later. I've been away from it for so long I feel embarassed going to the gym and it's really hard getting started again. I also have to go to a different gym now and I don't like it near as much as the last one and the dumbells are usually being hogged by people who keep them next to them while they are doing something else. I miss my old gym.

Aniki-Moderator's picture

Ugh, those people who hog the equipment. Poopheads. Sorry, but "next to you" doesn't mean you own them.

I haven't had a gym membership in YEARS. I really want a 24/7 one so I can go there in the wee hours and avoid seeing other people.

thinkthrice's picture

and my old ass is still on the machines; not to free weights yet.  Ironically,  I have a lot of gym equipment but no where to use it as Chef's tools and HVAC supplies are thrown all over the upstairs garage (and down) so that I can barely manage to park my car in the garage itself.

I alternate cardio and machines every day so far.  Tomorrow I have a nutritionst appt.  it's about 40-45 minutes away, freezing rain predicted.  I have already missed a couple months of appts with her due to winter weather and then the office not returning my phone call.  So much so that she texted me the other day and asked how I was doing and to set up an appt. with her.  She's about 28 yrs old, I'm older than her mother and weighs probably 105 soaking wet!!

Aniki-Moderator's picture

I need to start doing cardio. This time of year is when I reeeeeally miss being able to swim.

Why can't all nutritionists be people who had at least a LITTLE weight issue in the past? Wink

Cover1W's picture

I've been working from home 1-2 days a week so far this year and LOVE it.  I get 3 HOURS of personal time back to myself a DAY by cutting out the commute.  But since at least 1.5 hours of that was biking, I lost that exercise time.  So I have to think strategy.  I decided to get up early still (but it's still an hour longer than before) and go for a 45-50 min walk right away - heading for the steepest hills.  I have been working up a good sweat.  Then 15 min of stretching/abs/pushups. 

I have to remember to drink water here at home.  I have the habit at work, but it's a little different here being more isolated. 

That said, off to the water!