10 exercises you can do anywhere.

                                    10 exercises you can do anywhere

These ten exercises that can be done anywhere with no equipment.  Do these exercises and increase strength and decrease the risk of injury during your active outdoor or daily life.

1# Pushups (chest, triceps, shoulders, core) The push up is a full body exercise requiring core stability and balance as well as strength to perform it correctly.

2# Squats (Gluteus, quadriceps, hamstrings, lower back, core) Squats are a great functional movement targeting all the muscles in the legs. They’re great for strengthening the knee muscles and total body stability.

3# Plank (abdominal, transverse abdominal, lower back, obliques) Plank is a great stabilization exercise that targets the entire body.

4# Side plank (abdominal, obliques, hips, lower back) Side plank is another great stabilization and isometric exercise. Great way to prevent injuries.

5# Lunge (Quadriceps, Gluteas maximus, adductor magnus, soleus) The lunge is one of the best exercises you can do for the lower body.  It engages every muscle in the lower body along with core stabilization muscle. It also is a great exercise for improving balance.

6# Side lunge ( Adductors, Gluteous maxims, Quadriceps.) Side lunge is a great way to strengthen the  legs and core.  They will also strengthen stabilizer muscles of the knee.

7# Pelvic bridge (Lower back, core, glutes) This is one of the best exercises you can do to strengthen your lower back and abdominals.  Having a balanced and strong  core will help protect your back from exercise and daily life injuries.

8# Bicycle crunches (Rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques) This exercise targets all the muscles in the abdominals. Also increases core strength and endurance.

9# Wall sits (Quadriceps, Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, abdominal)  A great alternative to squats and lunges if you have knee problems. Wall sits are an isometric contraction. The benefits are increasing leg strength and endurance without causing pain in the knees.

10# Stair running (Lower body, cardiovascular system) If you don't have stairs use anything secure you can step up on and down off of safely. Stair running trains the lower body along with the bodies cardiovascular system.  A good way to burn calories and increase endurance.

Bonus: If you can perform all these exercises easily and safely with just your own body weight. Add weight start light and increase.  Anything can be used as weight from a frozen water bottle to a backpack full of books. For kayakers, rafters and anyone else who owns a dry bag.  Your dry bag can double as a kettle bell.

Final thought: Resistance exercises are extremely beneficial to the outdoor enthusiast and the non outdoor enthusiast.  Resistance exercises increase strength, endurance, bone density and decrease the risk of injuries. Which in turn means playing harder longer and more often. Even if you don't go to the gym doesn't mean you can’t enjoy the rewards of resistance training. These are only a few basic suggestions and ideas.  Before starting any new exercise program make sure you are cleared by your doctor and get proper instructions by a fitness professional. 

Contact Fitness Expert Outdoor 206-227-8612
Email: Fitnessexpteroutdoor@hotmail.com

Stand up paddle boarding the ultimate work out.

About two years ago I was introduced to stand up paddle boarding or also known as SUP.  Since then my endurance and core strength has never been stronger.  Everyone knows that core conditioning is extremely important but who likes to hold planks for 60 seconds at a time while staring at the ground or doing crunches where it is almost a guarantee you will strain your neck at some point.  Now I’m not saying that these exercises aren't good or important to incorporate into your workout.  I’m just saying that there is a more fun and more effective way.  With stand up paddle boarding you are working every muscle in the body making it a total body workout.  Your legs are the foundation for the power house being your core. You’re using your arms as its extension of the core providing the power which transfers to the paddle. As a bonus you are balancing on a board in water giving it a balance and stability characteristic.  So pretty much it would be like doing wall sits on a bosu while crunching and doing a dumbbell press and row at the same time. If you can do this at the gym for more than 30 seconds or at all I would be very impressed, where as with paddle boarding you can go for hours and enjoy it.
          Now for some reason everyone thinks that stand up paddle boarding can only be done in Hawaii…..why I don't know.  That might be where it originated from but I am pretty sure that we have water in the northwest. Sure we don't have 80 degree weather every day but we do have some of the most beautiful waterways in the world and they do make a thing called a wetsuit.  Which by the way are extremely warm and flexible unlike older models.  By having the right gear you can paddle year round in the Pacific Northwest and love every minute of it.

Final thought: I am a strong believer in resistance training to increase performance and endurance but when it comes to core conditioning or one single exercise that will target all the muscles in the body there isn't one better than stand up paddling boarding. If stand up paddle boarding interests you give me a call or email and I can get you out paddling in no time. Also visit perfectwave.com or stop by the shop for all your SUP needs.

Contact: Fitness expert outdoor at (206)227-8612
Email: Fitnessexpertoutdoor@hotmail.com