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OT - Tone-up Tuesday

Aniki-Moderator's picture

Happy Tuesday, STalkers! It's a blustery Winter day in Aniki Land. Temp is 29F (feels colder) with snow squalls. Temp will be dipping into the single digits overnight (8F) and feel subzero, thanks to that wind. Definintely my kind of weather!!!

I know not everyone is a fan of snow and Winter (ya weirdos!) and are feeling cooped up. Some people asked me to repost the TuT of desk exercises. Here you go!

 

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

Cover1W's picture

My bike is broken and in the shop (I wore it out yet again!) so I'm on my back up bike, shorter rides as a result. Plus the weather is rainy as heck, windy, dark, ugh.  It's the time of year riding is reallllly hard.  So I'm walking more to help.  Cutting back on food intake, upping my ab workout and doing a longer yoga routine.  But not beating myself up because it's only for TWO DAYS.

Good

Aniki-Moderator's picture

Gads, woman, what'dya do to that bike?? 

I luuuuuuuuuv cold, dark, windy weather. Especially if we have snow. *wacko*

Cover1W's picture

I wore out the rear axle - the bearings need repacking and/or replacing.  It's all the wet, wet, wet I ride in.  Plus add in some seawater spray.  Ugh.

thinkthrice's picture

a standing desk and a balance board for when I'm standing at my desk.    At home I just want to stoke the woodstove and flop in my fleece pjs!  I do play with the cats though.  They love their mice and bumblebee on a stick whilst the bengal has a laser pointer and runs on her cat wheel.  Both she and I have some added weight over the past few months!  I'm on call this week.... YUCK!!

Aniki-Moderator's picture

I have fond memories of the deliciousness that came out of my Finnish Grandma's woodstove...