My top 5 Favorite Exercises

Hi guys, sorry ive been Mia recently, got a lot of things coming in at the same time.  This week we will talk about exercises.

I recently made up my mind to include more exercises in my daily routine as opposed to just sneaking it in, which includes

running up the stairs when I go to the office (5^th floor),

walking as fast as possible everytime I use my Legs

sitting up straight all the time, Pulling in my belly and Holding for 8-10 seconds, I do this so often, it has become a habit

Read more on how to sneak in exercise into ourbusy Nigeria Lifes,

These little exercises, though has helped a lot, it is suddenly not enough, I need more results!. Now im nt talking about dumbells, or running shoes, infact Driving to the gym for me sometimes can be a lot more work than working out itself, the cost sef fit make person jump off bridge.

Im talking about Bodyweight exercises! Still with the lack of motivation to go to the gym, I searched for gym alternatives and found it. These bodyweight exercises typically do not require the use of outside machines and equipment, meaning that they can be performed at home or in an area without a gym, virtually anywhere and at any time, I even do them at work. Your body becomes the tool, and the best part, you only need 15-30mins to get the same result you would for 2hours in the gym.. Who needs a gym when there’s the living room floor ehn? These gym people sef ?! Now I wake up in the mornings and workout for 15mins or evenings when I get back from work

Check out My Fav exercises

Wall sits

Who needs a chair when there’s a wall? Slowly slide your back down a wall until the thighs are parallel to the ground. Make sure the knees are directly above the ankles and keep the back straight. Go for 60 seconds per set (or however long it takes to turn those legs to jelly). Either this or Just good old Squat. I love this cause I can watch TV while doing it.

 Lunge: Stand with the hands on the hips and feet hip-width apart. Step the right leg forward and slowly lower your body until the right knee is close to or touching the floor and bent at least 90 degrees. Return to the starting position and repeat with the left leg. Try stepping back into the lunge for a different variation. Another front of TV exercise.

Inchworm: Stand up tall with the legs straight,. Keeping the legs straight (but not locked!), slowly lower the torso toward the floor, and then walk the hands forward. Once in a push-up position, start taking tiny steps so the feet meet the hands. Continue bugging out for 4-6 reps.

Bicycle: Lie down with knees bent and hands behind the head. With the knees in toward the chest, straighten the right leg first (just little above the floor, but not resting on it) with the left knee still bent to your chest. Then retract the right leg just as the left leg straightens. Its just like readying a bike horizontally

Sit ups: there is a strong debate for and against sit ups but it remains one of my favs. Lie flat, knee bent, belly in, arms across the chest and pull yourself up to your knee using your stomach muscles, hold for about 2 seconds, then lean back until you are almost touching the ground, hold for 2 seconds, and pull back up, Exhale when coming up into the sit-up position and breathe in on the way back down. If you still haven’t mastered doing it by yourselves, you can find something to hold your legs.

Honestly, these exercises aren’t the easiest, but you can do it. Start small and build up, I started doing just 5-10 of each, now ive got it whipped ;)


dont forget to tell me your thoughts! 

The right way to climb Stairs!

 You probably didn’t know there was a right way and a wrong way to climb stairs

  

Most of us go out of our way to avoid stairs, so first, I will give you reasons why you should go out of your way to look for stairs, then I will tell you how to climb.

·        It is totally free and just about all of us can get access to a set of stairs.

·        It leverages gravity and the heavier we are, the harder we're forced to work and the more calories we burn.

·        It is a relatively intense exercise that quickly increases our heart rate and in doing so can greatly improve our cardiovascular fitness.

·        It helps strengthen and shape our most common problem areas like calves, thighs, buttocks and tummy.

·        It actually flattens your Belly

·        It is a very efficient way of burning maximum calories and is great for those of us with limited time to exercise.

·        It can easily be mixed with other exercises, like walking, skipping and weight training, to maximize results and stair climbing workouts are easy to build progression into.

·        It can be done by almost anyone, regardless of fitness level.

·        Because it is weight bearing, it helps build bone strength.

·        It is low impact and safe for the knees (providing correct technique is used and a preexisting condition doesn't exist)..

How to Climb

You probably didn’t know there was a right way and a wrong way to climb stairs, did you?  Typically you just put one foot on the step in front of you, lean forward on your toes, and lift the other foot off the ground to advance to the next step.  WRONG!  You will probably have knee problems if you continue climbing stairs this way.  Instead, stand up straight and push off of your instep – NOT your toes – using the larger hip and thigh muscles to lift you to the next level.  As these muscles become more accustomed to being used, they will become stronger and more supportive, and it will be much easier for you to climb stairs.  Then, skip the elevator, and climb the stairs whenever you can..  You don’t need a stairclimbing machine to get a workout if you learn to climb properly! So get to climbing peeps!

9 Secrets to a Flat Tummy

Following my last post, these are your first steps to getting a flat tummy

     

1) Try not to eat until you tummy is pushing out: we can already the food, Eating till we can see the shape of the food is outlined in your stomach is definitely not the way. Have you noticed your belly is usually flat when you get out of bed in the mornings or when you havent eaten all day. if you try to maintain a belly shape, its only a matter of time before your belly actually assumes the shape.

2)   Replace "WHITE" with "BROWN": this is the first time in a world of racial discrimination that it is generally accepted that "Brown" is better than "white". Here in 9ja, most of our food is full of carbs hence our large and proud bellys. White bread, white rice, flour spaghetti, garri, yam e.t.c are all major culprit in belly fat. While it is almost difficult to eliminate entirely the consumption of these food type, i advice you reduce it, replace it with the healthier version and sometimes alternate. Thankfully we now have brown rice, whole grain spaghetti, whole grain bread, and wheat swallow in Nigeria

3)    Say no to Gas: all gassy/frizzy drinks(coke, fanta, lacasera, etc) contain carbonated water which is directly linked with bloated stomach. Instead, drink water flavored with lemon, lime, or cucumber. Or just reduce the number of fizzy drinks you consume each day and watch your belly deflate.

4)    A little less salt: Salt will not stop weight loss, but it can stall it. Sodium makes your body retain water. When you eat too much salt, you may see the scale go up a few pounds. Conversely, when you significantly reduce salt intake, you'll lose a few pounds as your body expels the water it was retaining. The weight you lose, however, is regained once you resume eating foods with salt. 
  salt really has no direct link to fat loss, however, the water retention in the body making you look bloated. with a consistent consumption of salt, you will eventually be bloated

5)     No alcohol: Drinking too much alcohol can cause your body to burn off 36 percent less fat, lead your body to store more fat from food, and inhibit hormones that help your body burn fat and create muscle. Another vice that contributes to belly fat is smoking. With each extra cigarette you smoke, you are at increased risk of storing abdominal fat as opposed to thigh or hip fat

6)  Eat More Protein. Protein has a higher thermic effect than other foods: your body burns more energy processing proteins than it does processing carbs and fat. That's why high protein diets work great at burning your belly fat.

7)    Eat Healthy: if you eat junk food all day, you won't lose your belly fat. Try eating healthy. Example of healthy food

Proteins. Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, turkey, chicken, milk, beans …

Veggies. Spinach, broccoli, salad, cabbage, pumpkin leaf, garlic, onion, carrot…

Fruits. Banana, orange, apple, pineapple, peers, berries, mango, ...

Fats. Olive oil, fish oil, nuts(groundut, almonds, kolanuts etc)…

Carbs. Brown rice, oats, whole grain pasta, whole …

8)    Exercise: first understand that you cant spot reduce, meaning you cant target a particular spot on your body to lose fat, you can only target to build muscles. So, to lose that layer of belly fat, you have to exercise your entire body. A simple brisk walking, or jogging or skipping will do the trick. I know it is hard to exercise in our 9ja centric environment, but I have found a way to sneak exercise in.......click to find out how

9)    Suck it in: This is perhaps the easiest and most looked over secret. The surest way to get that flat tummy sharp sharp! You can even try this now

     Always stand straight, Suck in your stomach so your belly button is drawn towards your spine. While your stomach is sucked in, do not hold your breath just keep breathing normally. You will know that you are doing this properly when you begin to feel a minor burning sensation in the deep stomach

Do this as often as you walk; it is the way I got my belly flat. So get busy guys!

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