Exercises Throughout The Day To Stay Energized

 Spreading a few exercises here and there throughout the day is never a bad thing. Matter of fact, it's probably better for many than getting one big workout in that takes up some time. Some do like getting in that hour long or so workout either before or after work which is awesome and I applaud you for making that effort, if you enjoy it and it's meaningful to you, keep at it. There are other options though if you need it to save yourself some time.

 Doing a few moves or holds over the course of the day can help you stay strong and fresh for what is thrown at you and getting the most out of it in little bits of time. Even certain exercises that seem basic can be very challenging when done right. One of my favorite exercises believe it or not I like to do for a couple minutes a day along with the other things I do is doing Push-ups either on my fists, palms or using my handles and I would hold at the top for as long as 30 seconds, then go down to about mid point and hold that for 30 seconds, come back up and hold for 15 seconds, mid point for 15 and repeat that 15/15 one more time for a total of 2 minutes without a rest. It's tough as hell but it gets the job done. Picked up that version of push-ups on youtube but do different variations instead of just one (variety you know). 

 Combining dynamic and isometrics is a great way to keep your strength and condition up and keep things flowing. Do a wall sit for a minute or go bear crawl for 30 seconds to a minute, these will add up as the day progresses and it'll feel like you're getting more done than you thought. Micro Workouts are a key ingredient to successful training and it pits you into a style that can be creative using simple moves and holds. Got a way to do Suspension Training? You can do some assisted pull-ups to build strength and muscle in your back or do rows as you advance. Washing dishes? Every few plates cleaned or so, press down on the countertop for 10-12 seconds and tighten the core muscles. Want to work the legs a bit, if you're going up a couple stairs or so, take a step and press hard with the front leg for 5-10 seconds each leg to build strength in the quads and knees. Sometimes the littlest things can create the biggest impact.

 A great exercise for the lower body is the Amosov Squats which I picked up from Steve Maxwell in the case of doing assisted type squats using a counter space, a door or using a Suspension Strap. Go down as low as you feel comfortable and come back up within control. As you get better, get down a little further and slowly build up speed. This builds great strength in the legs and conditions the entire lower body. Some do this to get the blood flowing as a warm up, others for conditioning purposes and to help with building strength in the knees if they can't do squats unassisted yet.

 Build a foundation and utilize your exercises the best way you can. Don't be afraid to experiment with something and don't think for a second that simple exercises are too easy, when you utilize the right tension and timing, they can be crazy tough to do but yet be as effective if you were doing a long workout. A few seconds can feel like an eternity at times. Making even 5 reps feel like 50-100 is a killer way to train. Have fun with them and keep being amazingly awesome. 

In 30 Minutes Or Less

 Hate to disappoint you people but the title does not mean I’m talking about ordering a pizza. I love pizza as much as the next guy but this is something more important than food. This is about learning to exercise with the little time you have as possible. Training for 30 minutes isn’t always about cardio training or doing one 30 minute workout, why not spread those 30 minutes throughout the day.

 One of the most powerful exercises you can do is Isometrics, more so what some people call Power Postures, meaning holding various positions at odd angles. Think of some of the Yoga Postures like the Downward facing dog or what we call the Hindu Push-up, just holding for time in the three positions can build internal power like you wouldn’t believe. How about holding a horse stance like the Shaolin Monks do, that builds some serious leg strength. These two examples can be used as a foundation to build your body from the inside out.

 Ever watch TV? Of course you do, you have a favorite show or movie you like to watch and take hold of the drama or one-liners that unfold, than the dumbass commercials come on and nobody likes those right except the trailers for upcoming movies. Why not use that time to get in some exercise, remind yourself to exercise a little bit, do a few push-ups or squats during the commercials, hold your leg(s) up in your chair for a few seconds, do jumping jacks, these are all things you can work on while the commercials are going and when your show comes on, take a break. Continue this until your show is over and there you go, you just did a workout within a 30 minute period.

 Stop thinking you need to do an hour of this or an hour of that, you don’t have a lot of time. When you wake up in the morning do a few stretches for about 15 minutes to get your day started, you’re at a red light in your car, while you wait push/pull and/or squeeze your steering wheel, and you can get in great shape no matter where you go. The people who tell you have to do cardio and an hour of weights to get in shape are the ones who are stealing everyone’s money and think they have full on expertise on what is good or bad for you in exercise. The less time you can workout, the more you can actually gain, not just physically but mentally and emotionally because you can have more time to do the things you have going on in your life. It’s all about making little effort that can turn into big impacts in a productive way.

 Don’t ever feel you have to go to a gym and use a cardio machine because someone told you to because it gets you in great shape and listen to your iPod or watch TV while on the treadmill, ask them to do 500 Hindu Squats and so how long they last, bet you a few bucks most likely he won’t be able to do it and he’ll be so out of breath he’s going to feel like dying. Real cardio won’t have to be 30 minutes, if you really learned it, it doesn’t need to be more than 15 at best. Cardio is a term that exercising to keep the heart rate at levels that burn fat and build muscle, most cardio methods only diminish muscle and yes you’re burning fat but not the way you really want it too. Doing a few squats for several minutes gets your heart rate up real quick and maximizes fat burning levels faster than anything else with the exception of sprinting which you only need to do for a few seconds at a time. Build your way up and make the best of the exercise time you have and believe me, it’s better to do exercise for a few minutes and feel awesome than doing exercise for a long, long time and feel like crap afterwards.

Making Little Things Count

Have you ever crammed for a test before whether it was in high school, college or studying for a high degree? We all one way or another have done this, you study a little and lay off for a while but just before test day, you have to get everything sorted together all at one time just to even make it there. A lot of people in the fitness world or even going to the gym have done this and where does it really lead them? They have to rush to the gym, change, get their cardio and weights in and that’ll be their workout before they really feel exhausted and out of it when they get home and have no energy. This is not the positive and productive way to exercise.

 No matter what you do throughout the day, you can get a little exercise in here and there using small effective exercises that leave you with energy instead of draining you. Think about it, when you get up in the morning, you can do a few stretches to get your day started, you can even do Isometrics when you’re in the shower getting ready, hell you can work on your grip strength while brushing your teeth. These are things to think about that you don’t need to rush to a gym and get in your workout. Spread your exercises out even at your office, even sitting at this chair at this moment, I’m pressing one arm into the chair and typing with the other; see you can exercise while working without anyone knowing it. You don’t ever have to complicate or compromise your workouts because you feel you have to go to the gym.

 We all get tired at some point during the day, what if we used that little energy we have to do a few exercises and just start bursting with energy instantly? You can even do exercises while sitting at a red light in your car, don’t believe me, test it. You’re at a red light and it’s going take a bit of time and traffic is all over the place, or it’ll take less than a minute for the light to change, grab your steering wheel at the top, bottom or sides and push or pull for a few seconds and switch positions, or squeeze it for no more than seven seconds, you just did an exercise or two that will keep your blood flowing and energy stays up.

 There are no excuses in exercising, if you can grab a cup of coffee at a Starbux, you can do a couple exercises while waiting in line. Learn to make time, your body will thank you for it, if you have a few seconds in the office, use it, if you’re sitting in a restaurant waiting for your food, use that time to do a few seconds of an exercise. There are people who say they’ll make time but never do because of their schedules, hate to break it to you but you can do it, just be willing to use when you can.

 Nobody has time for everything, that’s a fact and it’s understandable, you don’t have time for a half hour of cardio and an hour of weights, besides, unless you’re a gym rat, you won’t want to use that time because you have things on your plate you need to do  especially if you have kids. Spreading out exercises throughout the day can be beneficial to you no matter what kind of schedule you have; you don’t even need to do a ton of reps when you have the time, just do a few. Your body is a machine that needs fuel to keep you strong, like a very beautiful Ferrari, it needs water, gas and oil to keep it running right and all those little parts to keep it from breaking down, your body is the same thing, use that spare time to do something and your body will keep on running until you are ready to sleep. It’s all about looking outside the box and learning certain things that can be of use to YOU!!! Make it count, it’s the little things that make a big impact.