#GuardYourHealth | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

guardyourhealth · 7 years

Text

Muscle Group Workout

Work out the muscles you want to target by doing these specific exercises. You don’t even need a gym or fancy exercise equipment!

As with any workout:

Stretch before and after you work out to help avoid injury.

Supplement strength training with cardio like running, swimming, biking, or playing ball. Alternate your exercise days and be sure to add in a down day to rest your muscles.

Stay on top of your nutrition—you can’t out-exercise a poor diet. Check out Guard Your Health’s easy and affordable recipes.

Work out your mind, too. Meditating is like doing push-ups for your brain and it can help relieve stress!

Get enough sleep. Shoot for seven to nine hours each night.

Learn more below about the exercises mentioned.

Side Planks: Lay down on the floor, and roll to one side, extending your body fully with your forearm resting on the ground. Fully facing a wall, on your side, lift your hips off the ground so that you are totally flat, using only your bottom foot and forearm to stabilize you.

Horizontal YTWLs: Standing, lean forward so that your upper half is about horizontal to the floor. Using weights or a resistance band, create the letters “Y”, “T”, “W” and “L” with your arms. (Note: the letter “L” should be done by each arm creating a 90-degree angle with your hands away from your body.)

Shoulder Taps: Start in a push-up position with your feet hip-width apart. Plant your hands directly under your shoulders and ground your toes into the floor, squeezing your gluten to stabilize your body. Lightly tap your left shoulder with your right hand, Repeat with the opposite hand and shoulder.

Push-ups: Lay face down on the floor. Tuck hands under shoulders and push up. Lower your body until your chest almost touches the floor, keeping your back flat, and push back up.

Doorway Curls: Standing in a doorway, bring your toes to the doorframe and grip the doorframe with your fingers. Straighten your arms so that a triangle-shape is created between your arms, body, and the doorframe. Pull your body in so that your chest touches the doorframe, hold for two seconds, and return to starting position.

Crab Walks: Sit on the floor, putting your hands behind your back with your fingers facing your body. Lift yourself into a table-position, with your torso straight and your legs creating a 90-degree angle. From that position, walk as far as you can, and if you run out of space turn around and continue.

Reverse Crunches: Lay on your back. Lift your legs with your knees bent so they form a 90-degree angle with the floor, keeping feet together. While inhaling, move your legs towards your chest as you roll your pelvis backwards and raise your hips off the floor. Pause then exhale while moving back to starting position.

Elbow Planks: Lay face down on the floor like you’re going to so a push-up. Lean on your forearms and raise your body, grounding your toes into the floor and resting mainly on your elbows and forearms. Squeeze your abs and glutes and keep your neck and spine aligned, looking at a spot about one foot beyond your hands.

Squats: Stand up straight with feet hip-width apart. Slowly lower your body by pushing hips back and bending knees, sinking your weight into heels. Keep your spine straight and never let your knees go over your toes. Pause and then lift back up in a controlled movement to the starting position.

Star Jumps: Jump to fully extend your body, stretching out your legs and arms. As you bring your limbs back in and slightly bend your knees to absorb the impact through your legs. Quickly jump back to standing position and repeat in-air motions.

Upright Rows: Use weights or a resistance band. From a standing position, hold the weights at your side or grip the resistance band with both hands (the center of the band should be under your feet). Keeping your arms as close to your torso as possible, lift your arms with elbows first until you can’t go any higher. Your elbows should be about as high as your face, hands with weights or resistance band near your shoulders, and your knuckles facing out.

Scapular Squeeze: Standing with your back completely straight, bend your arms to 90-degrees with your upper arms still near your ribs. Pull your elbows backward, squeezing the shoulder blades together and hold for 15 seconds. Return to starting position. (Note: to make this exercise a little harder, either hold a resistance band in your hands and pull, or wrap the resistance band around a pole or other sturdy object at shoulder-height and pull.)

Diamond Push-ups: Lay face down on the floor. Tuck hands under shoulders, bringing your hands together and forming a diamond shape with our index fingers and thumbs, and push up. Lower your body until your chest almost touches the floor, keeping your back flat, and push back up.

Chair Dips: Hold onto chair edge. Slide your butt off the seat and hold yourself up with your arms straight. Bend your elbows as you lower your body for two seconds. Push up, straightening your arms for two seconds.

Superman Raises: Lie face down on the floor with your arms stretched over your head and your palms facing down or fisted. Your legs should be straight with toes pointed. Raise your arms, legs, and chest off the floor at the same time and hold for two seconds.

Bicycle Crunches: Lie with your back pressed into the ground. Place your hands lightly on either side of your head, but do not lock your fingers or pull your head up. Bend your legs up at a 90-degree angle and begin making a bicycle pedal motion with your legs. Alternately touch your elbows to the opposite knee, twisting back and forth, tightening your core.

Glute Bridge: Lay on your back, knees in the air and feet planted on the floor. Slowly raise your hops into the air as high as you can and squeeze your glutes, then come back down.

Lunges: From a standing position, step forward with one leg, lowering hips until bother knees are at a 90-degree angle. Be sure your front knee is directly above your ankle and the other knee isn’t touching the floor. Push back up to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

Inchworms: From a standing position, stretch down and bring your hands to your feet. Slowly walk your hands out until you are in a push-up position. Slowly walk your feet to your hands.

High Knees: From a standing position, quickly jump from one foot to the other, lifting each knee to hip height, like a running motion.

Calf Raises: Stand up straight on the edge of a step with your core pulled in and your heels hanging over the edge. Rest your hands against a wall or a sturdy object for balance. Raise your heels with a few inches above the edge of the step so that you’re on your tiptoes. Hold the position for a second, and then lower your heels below the step, feeling a stretch in your calf muscles. Return to the starting position.

Mountain Climbers: Start in a push-up position. Lift your right foot off the floor and raise your knee as close to your chest as you can, keeping your back straight. Return to the starting position and repeat with your left leg, almost like you’re running on the floor.

#workout #workouts #muscles #GYH #GuardYourHealth #fitness #fit #fittips

7 notes · View notes

guardyourhealth · 7 years

Text

Rethink Your Drink

Graphic via http://giphy.com/

Before you reach for that soda, juice, or sports drink, think about it for a minute. How much sugar does it contain? Check out this sugar calculator to see how much sugar you’re drinking each day.

Shape Your Future wants to help you make healthier choices when it comes to what you drink.

Did you know your body is 60 percent water? Water is your healthiest (and most cost effective) option as a Soldier. Drinking water helps you:

Maintain a healthy weight

Keep your digestive system running smoothly

Stay hydrated during workouts

Prevent headaches

Relieve joint pain

Boost your energy level

Uplift your mood

Save you money—water is free at home and at restaurants

To find out how much water you should be drinking every day, use this hydration calculator.

Think water is too boring? Try infusing your water with:

Flavored ice cubes. Freeze fruit in an ice tray with some water and add the cubes to your water for a flavorful addition.

Fresh fruit. Slice and drop fresh strawberries, lemons, oranges, or cucumbers into your water glass for a fruity kick and electrolytes boost.

Herbs and flavor extracts. Infuse warm water with mint leaves or vanilla extract, then pour over ice for a delicious drink.

Crushed ice. The texture can make all the difference.

Make a pitcher of your favorite infused water at night and stick in the fridge so it’s cold and ready to go the next morning. Fill up your reusable water bottle so you’re ready to go!

Shape Your Future is a statewide health initiative funded by the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) and the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH).

#healthhacks #water #refresh #rethinkyourdrink #GYH #GuardYourHealth #ARNG #armynationalguard #nationalguard #drink #drinking #ice #infusedwater #healthy #hydrated #hydration #H20

0 notes