Indoor Exercises

Machineless Workouts

Squats – Make sure your feet are hip distance apart and you get down low and keep your back straight.  Add dumbbells for extra toning. The more muscles you work at once, the better the results and more calories burned.

Lunges – If no one is in the studio that would be a perfect place to walk a straight line across the room and lunge. If not just do it while staying in place.  Make sure you don’t step out too far and keep low with a straight back.  Lunge and bring your knee up while using dumbbells for a more vigorous workout.

Step-ups – Find an elevated platform, step up onto it with dumbbells and bend your arms then push them up straight.  Switch it up by bringing your arms up to a T-formation shoulder height.  Then do the same with an L-formation (one arm up, one to the side)

Sitting Bicep Curls – Sit downat the end of a bench with a dumbbell in your hand and rest it on your knee on that same side.  Curl up for a rep and then switch sides.

Back-flys – Stand up in a slight squat, have your arms together with dumbbells in the center and then bring them out and upward

Medicine Ball Chest Flys – Lie your back on a medicine ball with your head also against it.  Raise your arms to the side shoulder height and raise them upward with dumbbells, weights facing each other.  Then do the same but with the ends of the weights facing inward.

Dumbbell Skull Crusher (Triceps) – Lie on medicine ball and extend both arms overhead, a weight in each hand. (A) Bend your elbows so your forearms are parallel to the floor. (B) Slowly straighten your arms, then lower them to the starting position.

Plank – hold a plank with your hands like a push-up position, or rest your forearms on the mat.  To switch it up, stay in position but alternate legs back and forth (called the mountain climber – look it up for an accurate description)

Bridge – Lie on mat with knees bent and raise your but off the ground and hold. For a more vigorous workout, use medicine ball and balance your feet on it in the same position

Burpees – Plank into a jump

Water for Hunger

Let me make this post short and to the point: Drink more water!

I cannot stress it enough

Too many people don't "like"water or can go hours without drinking much.

Truth is, plenty of times when I think I'm hungry, I fill up my glass with some cold water, down it, and feel less hungry.

Most times you're hungry, you're really just thirsty.

I'm sure you've heard that before. Just reiterating it.

I was in that situation today. Went downstairs and was about to open the fridge. Then took a step back, grabbed a cup, and drank. I still had a bite to eat, but not nearly as much as I would have eaten had I not had some water.

Another thing I've done before.. ate food while I was hungry. I ended up eating faster and enjoying it less because I knew my body needed to be hydrated.

Hydrate your body. Drinking water is essential and it really effects your health!

Check this out: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/6-reasons-to-drink-water

Ban that Bread!

Bread comes with every meal it seems, whether you're going out to a restaurant and they serve you bread with the menu, or you're ordering a burger or a sandwich.  Wraps are no better - most contain food dye (spinach wrap? more like green dye!) and are high in calories and contain minimum nutritional value.

You can enjoy a burger and a frank without the buns.  Especially if you want cheese on your burger, you are already adding extra calories and fat, so just ditch the bun.  If you wanna start by having half a bun, do that, and then gradually take away the whole thing. They sell whole grain buns out there if you really need one to complete the meal.

A sandwich is okay every now and then, but if you aren't making it yourself, don't expect the bread they use elsewhere to be healthy. Once slice of wheat bread can 130 calories.  If you are having 2 slices, thats 260 calories right there! Not worth it.

Salads are great. People should like them. But sometimes you just aren't in the mood.

While alternatives to bread could be lettuce, cucumber, tomato, or other vegetable-based substitutes. When I'm in the mod for bread - I'm not in the mood for a vegetable as a bread. I'm just not.

I need something like bread or a wrap, and that's where these come in:

 

Joseph's Wraps & Pitas - they have a large variety! Check them out: https://www.josephsbakery.com/shop/flax-oat-bran-and-whole-wheat.html

Kim's Magic Pop, a light and crunchy popped grain snack! Check them out: http://www.deliceglobal.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=76&Itemid=150

Sleepy Time

Best thing ever: going to bed, especially at a late hour after an exhausting day
Worst thing ever: waking up early in the morning

We set loud, startling alarm sounds in the morning to wake us up immediately (okay, maybe we press snooze once.. twice.. or three times), but eventually, that blaring noise gets us on our feet.

Truth is, the loud sound is detrimental to the start of your morning, which can lead to your entire day.
When waking up, you don't want to be waking up startled to the sound of a beeping, loud repeating alarm. It's bad for your body and your heart and brain actually.

Tip: Download the Alarm Clock app, or if you don't have a smartphone (come on now!) buy an alarm clock that enables you to choose your own song to play when you awaken.

The song that plays from the Alarm Clock app is "Just Breathe" by Telepop Musik. What happens is the music starts off low, and gets a bit louder with each second.  This way, it eases your eardrums into the sound, making it A LOT less startling to wake up to. Plus, this song choice is a much more comforting sound to my ears.  It's not a loud BEEEP, but it still does the trick to get me on my feet. You can actually adjust the volume you want. I keep mine pretty loud, but not the maximum.

Let's say you're TERRIBLE at waking up, like myself multiple days.  Set another alarm!

What I do (I know it sounds crazy) is set my actual alarm clock (run on batteries, so I can move it anywhere) on my desk across from my bed.  I set it for 7 minutes later than my iPhone alarm.  I also set my regular alarm clock that comes with the iPhone for about 5 minutes later than my Alarm Clock app.

There have been instances when I needed to get up and turn off my alarm clock on my desk.  Either I pressed snooze 5 too many times on my phone, or I accidentally turned off the phone alarms.  The alarm clocks that are set, other than the one on the app, are a bit louder and they do beep.  Knowing this, I try my best to get up when "Just Breathe" comes on.  I don't want to be woken up by beeps as opposed to a soothing tune.

Not to mention, it's also bad for your health to press snooze.  Your body shouldn't be woken up by a noise more than once, at least not more than twice.  The process of sleep should be smooth.  When it's time to wake up, it's best to just suck it up and get out of bed.  Everyday is a new day - seize the day!  Get up, take a minute to stretch, and don't turn your bright light on just yet.  My lights have dimmers, so I dim them.  But if you don't have those kind of lights, buy a lamp - doesn't have to be big or fancy. Just a simple lamp.  Turn this on first.  After maybe 6 minutes, turn on the brighter light, this way you can see your outfit better in the mirror and be ready for the brighter lights in your work or school environment.

Lesson learned: don't press snooze too many times! And ease your eyes into light by having a dimmer light before turning on the bright one.

Put Down That Damn Phone!

Smartphones, smartphones, smartphones!
Everywhere in sight. Can't say I haven't fallen victim, but there are a few times where you need to put down the damn phone.

Here are some instances you should not be using your phone:

- When someone else is speaking

- In a learning environment and a critical topic is being addressed

- If completing an important task where you can easily lose train of thought

- When you are engaging with a friend, group, or a new environment meeting new people (unless it's very infrequently. You can check your phone, but don't be that person who isn't engaged in conversations with others because you are too busy on your phone. It can wait.)

- On a (especially first) date

- Having a meal, whether it be at home or in a restaurant


And my BIGGEST pet peeve:

- When you are winding down and relaxing (why would you be on your phone when you are having a moment of self relaxation and possibly reflecting on your day? let go of outside communication and electronic devices and clear your mind. just breathe, don't type or talk.)

With this being said, before you go to sleep, you should (try your best, I know it's difficult) clear your mind and get rid of any negative energy. Going to sleep angry or stimulated is not a good idea. If you are already relaxed, falling asleep will come much more naturally.

Stimulation before taking a nap or going to sleep is harmful for the body and mind.  Think about it - staring at a screen and reading messages or performing an activity online all gets into your head and kindles a restless mind. Also, the brightness of the screen is not good for your eyes (at least dim your device). You are focused on your online task or a conversation with someone. It is especially harmful if you are arguing with someone before bed whether it be talking on the phone or texting. I can tell you that from experience. First off, your phone/laptop should be turned off/not in use for at least a half hour before bed (trust me, it's hard I know, and even I slip up sometimes, but it helps me a lot when I follow through with this advice). Even start with 15-20 minutes if you can. You'll be happy you did.

Try using pre bed time to meditate; sit with your legs crossed or even on a chair with your legs down. Make sure to practice great posture and sit on a pillow for an aligned spine. It is advised not to lie down while meditating. You don't want to be in a sleeping position. Stay posted for more advice on meditation later on.

Pump Up the Music or Enjoy the Sound of Nature!

What gets me pumped during a workout is music.
Before I made a gym playlist, I used to have to shuffle through songs while on the treadmill.  This slowed me down because every time I had to change a song, I would have to look down at my phone. Now that I made a playlist, I do a lot less of that! I'll only have to look down once in a while if I really want a certain song to play.

Whether you're into rock, hip-hop, EDM, mainstream, indie music, etc., make a playlist! Include up-beat songs and have a mixture of genres you like.  Make sure it gets you amped up and motivates you to workout hard. If you are cooling down, listen to relaxing yoga music or something soft.  Then eventually take the headphones out and have a minute or two of silence to give your ears a rest.

If you decide to take a walk outside or a jog in the neighborhood, bring your headphones, but keep in mind that it is nice to enjoy the sound of nature. Try to find a place where there are not so many cars, if possible. If you live in a congested area, research some trails or places near you that you can venture to. For example, running in NYC is a lot harder than running in the suburbs because you have to deal with people everywhere and traffic all over, along with plenty of congestion. If you have time, go to Central Park or any park that has space to run. It is healthy to get out of your environment and explore.

My neighborhood is a decent area to take a jog (I live in the suburbs), but day after day it can get boring. If I'm feeling spontaneous, I'll find a park or trail to satisfy myself.  If I don't have time for that but still still want to find an area with no cars, I'll go to my High School track and do some intervals like running a straight, jogging a curve, spring a straight, and speed walking a curve. Then I do exercises such as straight leg/touch toe kicks, knee-ups, butt kicks, squats (turning sideways and repeating them while moving with each stride), lunges, side shuffles, and side criss-cross foot shuffle. It is important to walk at least half a lap when cooling down after running the track (I do a full lap). While walking, I'll do arm circles - big, medium, and small, so that I'm cooling down my legs and stretching my arms at the same time. Then I finish up and stretch for 5 minutes.

Ready for some cardio? Here's a tip to get your heart rate up: interval training.

If you're doing any type of cardio, whether it be jogging outside or on a treadmill, on an elliptical, or biking/spinning, try interval training. If you want to take a jog, try jogging, then speed walking, then sprinting for a short amount of time, then running, and repeating the pattern. You should have a goal for what you want your heart rate to get up to. If on a treadmill, raise and lower the incline while jogging, walking, and running. If on an elliptical, do the same thing with the incline and go at a faster pace and slower pace at times, and same goes for the bike, you get what I'm saying.

Interval training is important because it gets your heart rate going, which means you are getting a better workout and burning more fat and calories.


Another thing to be said: Invest in a heart rate monitor! These things are critical and effective because without them, who knows what your heart rate is at?! Not only does it tell you your heart rate (BPM) and include an analog heart rate sensor/personal heart rate sensor, but it tells you the calories you have burned, a workout review, INDIGLO Night-Light, 24 hour time, month and date, and sometimes more.
Popular brands are Polar and Timex. Polar even offers a bluetooth heart rate monitor sensor for your smartphone. I bought a Timex at Target (also sold at Walmart, other retail stores, and online), and a Polar at TJ Maxx because I couldn't resist the sale price. They're both really great. Some are more pricy than others, but they all have the basic functions. I found a Timex for as cheap as $35 online, which is a HUGE steal considering how pricy they can get. It is best to get one with a chest strap for complete accuracy.