Thursday, April 30, 2015

Video: 5-Minute Lower Body Workout for A Great Butt

Want great glutes to show off in those summer shorts? This 5-minute workout focuses on lifting and toning your butt and thighs. It's bodyweight only - no equipment required, and it's only 5 minutes long so you can even do it on a quick break at work.

Get out of your chair and put that butt to work doing something other than sitting!  :-)   It's good for your health, and will help your behind look good too.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Review: FitDesk 2.0 Folding Exercise Bike With Massage Bar

Home exercise equipment is a growing market. People are growing increasingly concerned about personal health and well-being, and are seeking ways to ensure they get enough exercise. But people are also concerned about the economy and are trying to cut their costs. Home exercise equipment allows people to drop their gym membership and still get a decent workout at home, meaning they save money on expensive gym fees.

This isn’t the only problem people face though. As we've been discussing this month, for many people who spend their time sitting in a chair and getting very little exercise on a daily basis it can be hard to meet the demands of bodily health with work commitments. That’s why products like the FitDesk 2.0 are gaining in popularity. They offer fitness equipment with a built-in work station, meaning you can actually work at your job or desk while you stay healthy.

The FitDesk 2.0 is much like an exercise bike, although it’s not a recumbent device. This allows you to sit upright with a good posture as you work at the built-in work surface. But is this product any good, or does it fall short of its aims? Let’s take a closer look to find out.

Key Features Of The FitDesk 2.0

RRP: $239.99
Dimensions: 28 x 16 x 45 inches
Weight: 45 lbs
Desk Surface Dimensions: 18 X 19 inches
Warranty: 1 year

FitDesk 2.0: The Pros

Be Fit And Stay Productive: The whole point of equipment like the FitDesk is to combine your workspace with fitness equipment. This is perfect for those who work from home and struggle to find the time to keep fit. It’s especially good for those who have jobs that require you to be seated for the majority of the day – such as any computer-based job.

So if you are chained to the desk, it can be really hard to get any exercise at all. Sure you could work out after you’re done for the day, but sometimes that’s not enough, and sometimes you’ll have other commitments. Products like this take away the dilemma.

This machine functions like an exercise bike. You pedal with various resistance settings to improve your cardiovascular health and strengthen your legs. But the big difference is that there’s a work surface built into this machine. So you can sit on it and pedal while you get on with paperwork or place a laptop on the surface and get on with your emails. This allows you to be more efficient with your time and keep up your productivity even as you get fit.

Compact: Another great thing about the FitDesk 2.0 is that it’s very compact. Not only is it’s footprint pretty small, meaning that it can be set up in small places, but it’s also able to fold away. This means it can be stored in small areas and doesn’t have to be left out all the time. If you’re living in a small apartment where space is at a premium, this is a great advantage, and really makes the FitDesk an excellent choice.

Price: At around $300 (less on Amazon.com) the FitDesk 2.0 is pretty affordable. It falls at the lower end of the price range, with many similar products coming in at around $1,000, and a handful coming in slightly cheaper than this. But for the money this is a good solid product. It won’t break the bank so it’s affordable for most, helping you if you’re trying to stick to a budget and keep your costs low.

Massage Rollers: The FitDesk 2.0 has conveniently placed massage rollers. These allow you to relieve strained wrists after extended periods of typing. If you often find your wrists getting tired and uncomfortable, the massage rollers can alleviate the discomfort and help to prevent wrist injury.

Squeeze Grips: This machine also has built-in squeeze grips. These allow you to develop grip strength as you work, and can alleviate stress in a way similar to a stress ball. There are also resistance bands built-in so you can do some upper body resistance exercise whilst sat at the machine.

Quiet: The FitDesk 2.0 runs quietly. Some machines generate a lot of noise which can be distracting and also interfere with others in the house. If you like to watch TV as you exercise this can also be a problem. You won’t have any issues with this machine though.

Sturdy: All machines benefit from being sturdy, but it’s especially important when you’re going to work on a desk that’s attached to the machine. Whether you’re sorting papers, writing or using a laptop it’s important that your work surface remains stable at all times. The FitDesk 2.0 does this nicely.

FitDesk 2.0: The Cons

Weight Limit: The weight limit of the FitDesk is 250 pounds. That will cover most people, but definitely not all. Some home exercise equipment goes up to 300 pounds or even beyond and that’s desirable, especially when the product is targeted at people who have sedentary desk-oriented lifestyles. It’s a shame this machine can’t support heavier users.

Assembly: The assembly of this product isn’t all that tricky in itself, but the instructions that guide you are poor. Good instructions would make this a breeze, but as it is those who aren’t mechanically minded might find the assembly frustrating.

No Bottle Holder: This is a fairly minor issue, but the lack of bottle holder is a disappointment. It would be helpful for those using this while working for extended periods of time who don't want to risk spilling drinks on the desk while working.

Is The FitDesk 2.0 Worth Buying?
There’s very little wrong with the FitDesk 2.0, certainly nothing significant that I've heard about. And it’s reasonably priced too. If you’re on a budget and tight for space in your home this is a great choice for getting more exercise while working, watching TV, writing, or other typically sedentary activities.

Click Here to Buy the FitDesk 2.0 on Amazon.com

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Video: 5 Simple Daily Anti-Aging Exercises

This short video demonstrates 5 simple, easy exercises you should do every day for mobility and anti-aging benefits. These simple movements mimic movements useful in everyday life, for improved functional fitness. They loosen tight muscles, improve mobility, and help reduce the risk of pain and injury, and they only take 5 minutes.

Do these daily to keep your body flexible and young!


Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Can Daily Exercise Help You Live Longer?

You hear all the time about how important it is to get regular exercise, but is it really? Is exercise overrated? Do you really need to be active to live longer? You probably know someone who lived until their 80's or 90's in relatively good health that never exercised, and ate improperly their whole life. But that does not mean that is the secret recipe for longevity! They are simply the exception to the rule.

Can daily exercise really impact how long you live? Let's turn to the experts for answers.

A Marine of the United States Marine Corps run...
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
•    The American Heart Association says that, "Regular physical activity improves quality of life." That respected health organization also found that regular physical activity "boosts mental wellness" as well as physical fitness levels.

•    The National Institutes of Health in the United States examined information from more than 650,000 adults. Their findings? You can extend your lifespan by as much as 4.5 years when you experience regular physical activity.

•    The National Cancer Institute has published research which shows physical activity, as opposed to a sedentary lifestyle, drastically reduces your risk of developing uterine, lung, and prostate cancers.

•    An important Australian study which was published in PLOS One magazine took information from 8,600 Aussie women and men over a period of 15 years. What was uncovered? Regular "brisk walking" cut 10 year heart disease risk by 50%. Those first participants in the study that walked or worked out daily were 600% less likely to develop any type of heart disease.

•    In the November 14, 2013 issue of Stroke magazine, the results of a study 3,500 men between the ages of 60 and 80 were released. Daily walking, at any pace, for just one or 2 hours a day cut stroke risk by as much as 33%.

Looking At the Other Side Of the Coin

Okay, so regular activity can help you live longer, and daily physical fitness efforts increase your longevity even further. But does inactivity will really harm you to any significant degree? Again, let's check in with the experts.

•    Heart.org is a US-based website dedicated to building healthier lives that are free of stroke and cardiovascular diseases. Their research shows that obese and inactive people die approximately 7 years sooner than their counterparts who are physically active.

•    They also find that sedentary individuals that sit for 4 hours per day elevate their risk of dying from a cardiovascular disease by an incredible 80%.

•    The March 2012 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine published similarly startling information. If you sit 11 hours a day you are immediately 40% more likely to die from any cause than someone who sits less.

•    A HealthPop study revealed that too much sitting, in addition to an overall sedentary lifestyle, contributed to at least 93,000 cases of colon and breast cancer.

The Takeaway?

Stand up and get moving! Doctors, fitness experts and health professionals agree that any form of daily exercise can help you live longer. Spread just 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of exercise throughout your weekly routine. This can be any type of moderate to intense aerobic, cardiovascular or strength training activities.

Walking, bike riding, swimming, hiking and gardening qualify – you don't have to hit the gym.

Bonus Tip! Try not to exceed 5 hours of intense exercise per week, because some research shows that this is the point at which your health benefits level off and begin to decline.

Be sure to check out some of our recent posts and weekly workout videos for some great ideas to help you incorporate more exercise into your daily life - no matter how busy you are!  And visit our website for more fun ways to exercise.



Thursday, April 16, 2015

Video: 10 Exercises for the Office

This short video demonstrates 10 excellent ideas for exercises you can do at the office - no matter how busy you are - to avoid "sitting disease"! Each exercise works different parts of your body, some focus on strength and others on cardio.

If you have a 10-minute break, you can do the whole set in one quick workout, OR, if you're too busy even for that, just do one at a time throughout the day. They each only take one minute, so you can break up your day of sitting with 10 quick exercise breaks.

You'll be amazed how much this little bit of movement throughout the day helps keep you fresh, energized, relieves pain and stiffness, and generally makes you feel better!

Bookmark this one on your work computer for future reference, and do the exercises every day for lots of great health benefits - I know I'll be adding this one to my favorites!



Tuesday, April 14, 2015

How A Standing Desk Could Benefit Your Health

In the modern world, we often find ourselves spending hours sitting at work. As we have discussed earlier this month, those many hours of sitting are not good for your health. At the same time, you probably can’t quit your job to exercise all day. Here’s where a standing desk can really help you.

What Is A Standing Desk?

Stand Steady brand standing desk.
A standing desk is a desk that is built for use while standing. That means, if you have a standing desk at work, you would be standing throughout the day as you use your computer. Of course, you can have a chair nearby to take occasionally sitting breaks, but when you sit the desk is too high to use, so you won’t be using the chair for anything more than breaks. Now you may groan at the thought of standing all day, but just by using a standing desk you can help keep yourself healthy.

Why Is This Healthy?

Research has shown that it is likely that just one exercise session each day may not be enough to counteract the negative effects of sitting too much (which include obesity, sleep apnea, heart disease, pulmonary embolisms, and so on). Instead, standing and walking throughout the day is a much better approach to exercise. This is one of the wonderful ways a standing desk can help you, since you will be forced to be on your feet.

Besides that, users of standing desks have found that with time, their back muscles as well as other muscles become strengthened, since they are not pressuring those muscles too much with prolonged sitting and lack of activity. Some users also state that using a standing desk has helped them be more social at work, since by standing they have to look at people beyond their cubicle. More interaction at work can reduce stress and help you feel more calm, which is also beneficial to your health.

Do note though that if you are used to sitting at your desk while additionally also being a couch potato at home, you will need some time to get used to a standing desk. As long as you ease into using the desk (such as by spending two hours standing, half an hour sitting, and then standing again, and repeating this process throughout the workday), you will be on your way to a healthier and stronger body. Don’t give up if you find it tough initially; you will not be the first sedentary person to feel that way. With some willpower and effort, you will learn to adjust to your new workstation and you may even find - as many others have - that you love it!

More Standing Desks from Amazon.com:

     

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Video: 10-Minute Do-Anywhere Workout

This short workout includes warmup and cool-down, so you can get a full quick workout in just 10 minutes - no equipment required!  You can do this anywhere, even possibly at the office.

This is a great way to take a quick break and get some exercise in the middle of a busy but largely sedentary day. Work your core, shoulders, butt, back, legs, and more, and get your muscles moving to fight off "sitting disease" with this fast and challenging workout!

Now let's get moving!

10-Minute No-Equipment Home Workout, Full Body Exercise, Class FitSugar
We have excuse-proofed your fitness routine with our latest Class FitSugar. It's 10 minutes long, so you can easily squeeze the workout into your busy day. Plus you don't need to drag out your...



Tuesday, April 7, 2015

How to Fit More Movement Into A Sedentary Lifestyle

As you read this, you’re probably sitting down. In fact, you’ve probably been sitting down for most of the day. Although you’re far from being the only one, it’s important that you try to incorporate more activity into your daily life or - as we discussed last week - your health will suffer. It's easier said that done when you’re so used to inactivity! Here are some tips to help you get started.

Understand the Risks

Although you probably already know that you need to move more, you might not be completely clear on the risks of not moving. And, make no mistake, the risks are big. Humans were designed to be active, we were not designed to sit in a chair for the whole day before retiring to our beds. And, even if you do fit in an hour of exercise, it doesn’t undo the negative effects of sitting down too much.

Research shows that inactive people are more likely to develop conditions such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. You’re also more likely to be overweight, and to suffer from mental health problems. (See last week's post for more on this.)

OK, I Know the Risks! But How Do I Motivate Myself?

English: Exercising outdoors is healthier than...
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Even when you know all the risks, it can still be hard to force yourself to get up and be active. This is especially true if you are overweight, although a good first step in that case can be to visit your doctor and get their recommendations on how to slowly get moving.

One big factor is changing your mindset. Instead of the idea of walking to work or the grocery store as a chore or a waste of time, see it as an opportunity to get moving! Instead of being lazy and always taking the elevator, walk up the stairs (if you live or work high up in a building, even just taking some of the stairs can help!)

You also need to get rid of the idea that you don’t have the time to move more – you do, you just need to incorporate it naturally into your daily life. For example, when socializing with friends you could all agree to meet up for a walk around the local park, rather than sitting in a coffee shop. Or you could move around while you watch your favorite TV show instead of sitting on the couch! Although you might think this won’t work with your life, you’ll be surprised at how many opportunities there are to get active once you shift your mindset and look at things differently.

Next, understand that there are many ways to move beyond exercise. For example, many people are starting to stand up while they work at the computer, by putting together a standing-height desk, or by placing their laptop on a higher surface. (See Dr. James Levine's excellent book, Move a Little, Lose a Lot for more on this type of activity.) Running around with your kids (or dog) or dancing to your favorite music are also great ways to get moving. A thorough house-cleaning or gardening session even counts as great activity! At the very least, simply try getting up and stretching at least once an hour if you sit a lot.

Lastly, realize that old habits take time to change. If you’re used to sitting down for all but an hour every day, then it’s going to be hard to change. Not only will you find it tiring being on your feet more, but you’ll also find that it can be hard to motivate yourself. This is completely normal, which is why you should try to make changes gradually, until they become part of your daily routine.


Thursday, April 2, 2015

Video: 8-Minute Quick Sweat Cardio Workout

This workout is so short you can probably even fit it into a break at work!  It's a great way to break up long periods of sitting, and help avoid some of the risks of "sitting disease" as we discussed on Tuesday.

Only 8 minutes long, this quick cardio workout includes 8 hard-hitting moves done for 45 seconds each, with a 10 second break between each move.

While this won't provide you with all of the exercise you need for the day, it's definitely a nice short one that you can fit in just about anywhere, to help get your blood moving, and your heart pumping.

No equipment is needed, so why not jump up out of your seat and try it right now?

Quick Sweat Cardio Workout