For most people, the choice to be healthy and active is harder than coping out and hitting a drive-thru on the way home. And after a long day at work, going to gym can seem incredibly daunting. But in addition to those pivotal choices, there are small, simple choices you may not even realize you’re being presented with throughout the day. These little things can add up to make a big difference over time. So here are some ways to grab extra exercise throughout the day.


1. Don’t bring all the groceries in from the car in one trip. Though it’s more efficient, you can get extra steps in bringing the bags in two or three at a time.


2. Don’t take the easy way out when it comes to working outside—choose to use the push mower rather than the ride-on. Wash your car by hand rather than zipping through the car wash.


3. Use the stairs. If you use public transportation, get off a few blocks from work or home and walk the rest of the way.


4. Rather than driving the kids to and from school, commit to walking them there and back. This will get you, the kiddos, and the family dog a little more active.


5. Is hunching over a keyboard all day giving you a sore neck and back? Your muscles will actually adapt to this position which reduces mobility. Give yourself a break periodically: face a wall and rest your forearms against it so you’re elbows are by your ribs. Slide your forearms up to form a Y, then pull them back off the wall. Then do the reverse to the starting position. Repeat 10 times, then get back to work.


6. To loosen up your legs, use your desk for balance and squat until your glutes nearly touch your heals. Hold that position for about 45 seconds before rising again, then repeat a few times.


7. Eat a quick lunch at your desk, then do a couple of laps around the office or outside the building until your break is over. You may find coworkers who are interested in doing the same, giving you a walking buddy.


8. Consider making an exercise jar that includes things you can do in the cubicle at work—pushups, crunches, planks, and lunges can all be done in relative secrecy. Every 45 minutes or so, fish out a slip and do what it says. This will help you get stronger, and it will also keep blood flowing which helps productivity.


9. If you’re meeting friends for dinner or drinks after work, arrange to meet at a restaurant within walking distance from the office.


10. Set something motivating as the lock screen of your phone—a picture of the beach, the salad you’re proud to have brought for lunch, or your kids looking happy outside in the sun. Remind yourself why it’s all worth it and then reach for the exercise jar.

The post 10 Easy Everyday Exercises appeared first on Walk In Health.

Fitness websites commonly claim to know the secret for getting rid of flabby arms. They suggest a cure for getting rid of abdominal fat. These strategies for getting rid of the fat in a problem area appeals to the masses, but it just doesn’t work. Why can’t we use the muscles closest to the fatty deposits to zap them thin? If that doesn’t work, what can we do to shed that stubborn fat?

Fitness gurus claim to be able to show you how to shrink your waist in a few short weeks by doing crunches or other abdominal exercises. It would be great if it worked that way. Everyone with flabby upper arms could simply do arm exercises to remove all the excess fat. Have some extra jiggle around the middle? Do more crunches! Unfortunately, these concentrated, repetitive exercises are possibly the worst exercises to use to shed excess weight in a problem area.

Our bodies do not burn fat in selected sections of the body. When we exercise muscles near a fatty deposit, those muscles do not use the closest fat for fuel. Instead, the body needs to break down fat to release glycerol and fatty acids in the bloodstream. This is a process called lipoysis. Then, the muscles can use these for energy.

The fat that is broken down can be anywhere in the body, not necessarily the fat next to the muscles being used the most. Therefore, the key factor to reducing body fat is to do exercises that burn as many calories as possible. So, those exercises to shrink the problem area just won’t work.

Exercises that are used to target a trouble spot often use small, focused movements that use the muscles in that area of the body. These exercises do not burn a large amount of calories. Since the fat will only be reduced by burning more calories than consumed, the best exercises are those that excel at burning fat such as cardiovascular exercises like aerobics, interval workouts, and swimming.

It really comes down to burning calories to shrink the body’s total fat by exercising and eating fewer calories than burned. While there are no short cuts to target those problem areas, you can reduce the fat there and everywhere else in the body by burning more calories. Aim for a leaner body overall rather than just a thinner waist or smaller hips.

Challenge yourself to get in better shape rather than concentrating on shrinking a certain problem area. Shift your focus to better health overall. Judging one part of your body as a problem and doing exercises to try to force that one area to change has set you up for failure and poor self-image. By exercising more effectively with the goal of better health, you are making positive strides towards a healthier you. You may notice a more positive attitude and higher self-esteem fueled by working towards a fitness goal that is not motivated by fixing a part of your body that you have labeled as a problem area.

The post Why Targeting Stubborn Fat Deposits Just Doesn’t Work appeared first on Walk In Health.