Cipunce Health Tips

Archive for September, 2009

The Jumping exercises for the hips and legs stretch and nourish your spine, hips, shoulders, neck, thighs, calves, knees, ankles, wrists, elbows, triceps, biceps and the muscles of your back.

You start doing this pose from a standing position.

The best time to do this pose is early in the morning on an empty stomach before having your bed tea or breakfast.

Unless you are doing this exercise at a gym, the best place to do it is outdoors on a terrace, balcony or a garden. If that is not possible select an airy room and position yourself close to a window with access to fresh air.

~ How to do the Jumping exercises for the hips and legs

Step # 1: Stand erect on a mat your arms by your sides and legs straight down your hips. Breathe easy at this stage and relax before proceeding to do the following steps.

Step # 2: Spread your legs to either side with the distance of about a shoulder’s length between them. Place your palms on your hips.

Step # 3: Jump up and raise your arms above your head as you jump. The sequence is to jump twice with your arms still on your hips and at the third and last jump in the series, lift your arms above your head.

Step # 4: Move to the next series in which you jump twice. With the first jump you move your arms forward and raise them to your shoulder level and with the second jump raise them above your head. Spread your legs and draw them together with every alternate jump.

Step # 5: This sequence is more like a dance step rather than an exercise. This makes it fun to do it while also exercising yourself.

Step # 6: Repeat the above steps for as long as you are comfortable and then exit this exercise.

~ How to exit the Jumping exercises for the hips and legs

Step # 1: Shift to a comfortable sitting position and breathe easy to relax.

Step # 2: Pause for some time before entering this pose again.

~ Benefits of the Jumping exercises for the hips and legs

The main pressure points are your spine, hips, shoulders, neck, thighs, calves, knees, ankles, wrists, elbows, triceps, biceps and the muscles of your back, all of which are stretched and nourished through the secondary pressure.

~ Precautions when doing the Jumping exercises for the hips and legs

Those who suffer from any hip or spine related ailment should consult their doctor and yoga therapist before proceeding to do this pose.

Learn more about this author, Sudheer Birodkar.

Living in today’s society doesn’t make it particularly easy to control your weight or stay healthy, especially because many of us seem to have very little time to ourselves. It might be convenient to overlook the importance of exercise, but when you start piling on the pounds and are constantly coming down with the sniffles, it might be worth trying to get more active. Thus joining the gym could be a sensible move to make, as you have the opportunity to get a workout, away from the commitments of work and home. You can socialise and meet other people with similar goals, and thus find the motivation you need to keep going.

It can be expensive to join a gym and there is little point becoming a member if you’re only going to go a few times a year before giving up, as you have to exercise regularly to get the benefits. Thus, you need to be committed to keeping fit if you join a gym, so that you make time to go there every other day. If you want to stay healthy you should be aiming to workout at least four or five times a week and so it is worth finding a gym that is local to you so that you don’t have to travel miles before even getting there.

Once you’ve found a suitable gym you’ll find that there are plenty of benefits attached to it. Depending on the gym you choose you are likely to find a wide range of equipment which you can use to help you achieve your fitness aims and with such variety you are less likely to get bored and thus quit. You might even be lucky enough to have a sauna and spa you can access after a hard workout. There will be staff to help show you how to use the exercise equipment available and they may even be able to formulate a fitness plan for you so you are able to get the most out of your time spent in the gym.

By joining a gym you will also have a chance to meet other people who have similar goals to you, so that you can exchange experiences and advice. When you’re trying to get fitter, lose weight and improve your overall health it is useful to have motivation. Sometimes it can be difficult to motivate yourself and so having other people around can keep you focused on what you’re trying to achieve. Although the gym isn’t for everyone, it can be a good place to go if you enjoy being in an environment that is dedicated to fitness.

Learn more about this author, Michelle Wilkinson.

With or without any special fitness equipment, you can easily get a good workout right in your home. Here is a simple yet thorough exercise routine that you can do using a chair, a mat and hand weights.

First, set up your space. Mat on one side, chair in the middle, and place your weights on the floor underneath the chair. Make sure you have a clear space on one side of the chair for exercises done standing. If you have music that motivates you, turn it on.
Warm Up

March in place for 30 seconds.

Then, begin to jog lightly for 30 seconds, followed by jumping jacks for another 30 seconds.

Do full squats for one minute, followed by 20 alternating forward lunges.

Stop and stretch your hamstrings, quads, calves and upper body.

Round One

Grab your weights.

Do a set of 20 front raise squats, lifting each weight alternately to shoulder height as you squat.

Follow this with a set of 20 bicep curl/lunges. As you step forward, bring up both weights into a curl, and then back down when you step back to the starting position.

Do a set of 20 back flys. Standing with feet shoulder width apart, upper body tilted slightly forward, open your arms as if you were about to give someone a hug. Open them until you feel your shoulder blades squeeze together, keeping your upper body in the tilted forward position. Slowly return the weights to start position, and then repeat.

Drop weights, and do jumping jacks for 30 seconds, followed by a light jog for another 30 seconds.

Repeat Round One

Round Two

Face your chair from the side. Perform a set of 20 push ups, on your feet or knees, according to your fitness level.

Still facing the chair, get on your knees, arms resting in front of you on the chair. Leaning forward, do a set of 30 bent leg raises each leg.

Standing behind the chair, lightly rest your hands on the back for support, if needed. Keeping your body nice and straight, do 30 heel raises.

Still standing, do alternating knee raises for 30 seconds, pulling both arms down every time you lift a knee. Follow this with some side to side squats for 30 seconds.

Repeat Round Two

Round Three

Go to your mat, and get face down on your hands and knees. Go into a plank position, either full plank or a knee plank, depending on your fitness level. Hold your plank for 30 seconds to one full minute.

After the plank is done, go flat down on your stomach for a set of 20 to 30 Supermans.

Finish this set with some crunches. Sitting on the floor, facing the chair, lay back and fold both legs over the seat of the chair. Hands supporting your head, do anywhere from 30 to 50 crunches, making sure to exhale out every time you crunch up.

Repeat Round Three

Stretch

When doing any of the strength training movements, be sure to breath out on the ‘lift’ or ‘push’ segment of the movement, where you are exerting the most effort and energy. Also, pay attention to your posture and try to keep your abs tucked in so that you are also working your abdominal muscles throughout the entire workout. As you get stronger and more fit, you can increase the reps and time limits for all the different exercises according to your needs.

And that’s it! A thorough, easy to do workout that targets just about all of your muscles, done right in the comfort of your home!

Learn more about this author, Yvonne Bridges.