It’s Time To Get Healthy

Let’s Get Healthy Together

Here are quick workouts for everyone – regardless of age, fitness level, or time commitment

Click to jump right to the mix and match exercises.

Reasons For Re-focusing On Good Health

What’s inspiring you to get healthy?

Did you get a Fitbit for Christmas and are shocked at how sedentary you’ve become?

Are you stuck at a desk for most of the day and want to ease into some low-impact workout regime that doesn’t take very long?

Is a new year inspiring you to focus more on your health and wellness?

Benefits of Regular Exercise

Regular exercise will make a significant change in your body. It helps to control your appetite, improves sleep, and boosts your overall mood. Furthermore, it will not only reduce the risk factors of many diseases (arthritis, stroke, heart diseases, depression, etc.) but also prevents you from any deformation that can result from bad posture.

In this era of technology, we’re moving toward a much more sedentary lifestyle. The resulting lack of physical activity is leading to many non-communicable diseases and conditions. We’re talking about significant illnesses and ailments, including heart attacks, cancer, cognitive decline, dementia, increased risk of depression, weight gain, loss of lean muscle mass, and other illnesses in both teenagers and older adults.

It’s time to get healthy!

Gym or No Gym

Some people devote time weekly or even daily to gym workouts or classes like yoga or pilates. However, many of us can’t seem to squeeze in the time needed to develop that kind of regimen. Or, we may be intimidated by classes or group workouts, especially if we haven’t been physically active of late.

Formal exercise programs aren’t the only game in town, though. It’s feasible to ease yourself into a routine that gets your heart pumping, your muscles in motion, and your FitBit giving you thumbs up for your efforts.

Anytime, Anywhere, Anyone

We’ve got some exercises that work for any age, body type, and fitness level. You can do them at home, in your office, or even in the park.

Don’t overwhelm yourself by making a New Year’s resolution to work out an hour a day, knowing that you’re destined to break it in a day or two. Start with just one or two of these mini-exercises and add to your routine daily. The more time that you can devote, the better. But if you’re not participating in any physical activity, then you’re going to feel a positive difference with as little as ten minutes a day.

Ease Into a “Get Healthy” Approach

Another way to approach your new “get healthy” goal is to take a break from work (or whatever you’re intently focused on) every 45 minutes and “work in” these workouts one at a time.

Important Note: It’s always a good idea to consult your doctor before starting any exercise regime, especially if you’ve suffered from injuries or have been sedentary for quite some time. Whether you’re looking to start a low-impact regime or go all out with daily workouts, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

A Mix and Match Exercise Regime

Exercise is the key to healthy aging. For these particular ones, you don’t need a change of clothes, nor do you need a specific location. They can be done anywhere at any time.

These simple and quick exercises will help you to regain your body tone, strength, endurance, and flexibility of your body. They’re beneficial for everyone, but especially so for older adults. These low-impact exercises can improve balance in a simple, yet effective way.

So, let’s kick off our goal to get healthy by starting with these quick and easy exercises to get back in proper shape and feel better for the rest of the day.

Facial Exercises

You may typically hone in on your arms, legs, and abs, but we’re going to start with some facial exercises. You could even do these movements when you’re in your car at a stoplight.

These exercises will firm and tone your facial muscles. Goodbye, double chin!

Fish Face

Suck your cheeks and lips inward and try to replicate like a fish.
Holding your face in that position, try to smile for 15 seconds.
Relax, and then repeat three more times.

Kiss the Sky

Sit on a comfortable chair and tilt your head back as much as you can.
Try to kiss the sky for 15 seconds
Relax, and then repeat it three more times.

The Warm Up

Before starting any exercise, our muscles need to be prepared for the workout. Warm-up activities are essential to reduce muscle soreness after the movements, and to prevent injury.

A few warm-up guidelines:

Warm-ups should be gradual and sufficient enough to increase the core temperature without causing fatigue.
A ten-minute warm-up is recommended.
Activities include walking, cycling, stair climbing, marching, and easy stretches. Pick your favorite, or combine a few.

Do a Circuit Or Mix and Match

Arm Curls

Both Arm Curls and Overhead Arm Raises are simple and easy exercises that will tone up your arms will increase your strength.

Grab some weights, like dumbbells. But if you don’t have any, water bottles or similar, will also do the trick.
Your feet should be shoulder-distance apart, and your abs pulled in. Your head should be up as you start lifting the weights for 15 repetitions.
Relax and repeat it one more time.

Overhead Arm Raise

Start with your arms at a 90-degree angle.
Pull your abs in, as your arms move up and down.
Complete 15- 20 repetitions
Relax

Chair Dips

Sit on a chair and place your hands on either the arm (if sturdy) or the chair itself.
Lift yourself up and then lower your body towards the seat.
Complete ten repetitions, and relax.

Child Pose

We’re tapping into a Yoga class, as this is one of the best. This exercise will alleviate tension from the chest, back, and shoulders. Additionally, it can help to relieve constipation, as well as calm the mind.

Kneel, and sit back on your heels.
Stretch your arms out and slowly lean forward until your head touches the ground
Hold this position for 7-10 seconds and take deep breaths – (deep breathing is key!)
Return to your starting position and repeat 12-15 times.

yoga child pose, stretches to get healthy

Leg Drops

Not only are Leg Drops good for your lower extremities, but they’re great for burning belly fat as well. And, hey, who doesn’t want that, right?

Lie down on your back
Breathe in, and raise your legs to 90 degrees
Breathe out, and slowly lower your legs
Repeat at least ten times. The more that you can do, though, the better.

Bridging Exercise

The Bridging Exercise will help you to strengthen your back and abdominal muscles, as well as improve your body posture

Lie on your back.
Bend your knees, and then plant your feet and your palms on the ground.
Lift the lower back and hips above the ground.
Hold the position for ten seconds, and then slowly come back down.
Repeat a minimum of ten times. You can do it!

Step Ups

We’ll close out the mix and mix options with a bit of low-impact cardio. Step-Ups will positively affect your whole lower limb area – your glutes, thighs, and calves.

Stand in front of a sturdy step or a bench.
Exhale, and step up onto the prop (step or bench) with one leg.
Inhale, and slowly step down.
Do ten rounds with one leg and then repeat it on the other leg.

Cool Down

Getting healthy doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. Ease yourself into better habits and then add to them as the year progresses.

You’ll have a much better chance of success by making changes that feel good and don’t require a time commitment that stresses you out even more.

Be sure to bookmark our City Guides and, specifically, the “Learn Something New” section for more Get Healthy posts and other fun daily living tips.

Oh, and life is meant to be fun, so be sure to check out OTL Seat Fillers, too. Free Tickets and private invitations!

Be a Seat Filler

References

Baum, Elizabeth E, David Jarjoura, Ann E Polen, David Faur, and Gregory Rutecki. “Effectiveness of a Group Exercise Program in a Long-Term Care Facility: A Randomized Pilot Trial.” Journal of the American Medical Directors Association 4, no. 2 (2003): 74-80.
Garner, Roberta, and Gregory M Scott. Doing Qualitative Research: Designs, Methods, and Techniques. Pearson Education, 2013.
Pucher J, Buehler R, Bassett DR, Dannenberg AL. “Walking and Cycling to Health: A Comparative Analysis of City, State, and International Data.” Am J Public Health 100, 10, no.:1986–1992 (2010). https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2009.189324.
Southerland, Jenna Bergen. Fit in 10: Slim & Strong—for Life!: Simple Meals and Easy Exercises for Lasting Weight Loss in Minutes a Day. Rodale, 2017.