Contract Worker - Freelancing Experiences

Basic Exercises You Can Do at Home and Don’t Require Expensive Gym Equipment

by Rico on September 3rd, 2007

Another Monday, another work week. For this dose of Monday Madness, here are some basic exercises you can do at home every morning. Before you start working and get some things done.

Stretching. Before you even think about exercise, you need to stretch. Hope you’ve paid attention during your gym classes, as the stretches your gym coach put you through surprisingly affect almost every part of your body. Stretching after exercise also helps your body cool down, and reduces the pain suffered from reaching your physical limits.

Push-ups. By far the most macho of exercises, push-ups isolate your triceps, pectorals, and abdominal muscles. Push-ups aren’t only for the men, the bigger pecs also translates into a more significant chest for women. And the appreciation of a flat stomach is unisexual in nature. If you’re having difficulty doing push-ups, rest on your knees instead of your toes.

Crunches. Isolates the stomach. Again, the flat stomach looks great, and is actually healthy. A strong stomach places less strain on your back, since it does the work of supporting your upper body. And, you’ll have an easier time surviving punches to the gut.

Squats. Works the legs. Instead of going up and down as fast as possible like a jackhammer on steroids, do it slowly, so that you’ll really feel the burn. Doing this regularly also improves your balance, as you make your body used to sudden changes in orientation. Walking up and down stairs also becomes an easier experience.

Jogging or Jumping Jacks. Aside from strength, we all need to build stamina. These two activities help you build this, and you should pick one that suits your preferences. Jogging if you have a quiet and clean near your house to run around in, or jumping jacks if you prefer to stay at home.

Aside from the weird benefits listed here, these basic exercises help your keep your body moving. As we spend all day in front of our computers, it’s a given that we start ignoring the physical requirements of living. Once we give our own bodies the activity it so desperately needs, it will reward us in kind, with improved energy reserves and resistance to stress. Which of course translates into improved productivity. Check out About.com’s exercise section for more details, as well as the proper technique needed to avoid injury.

Have a great work week dear readers!

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POSTED IN: Living as a Freelancer, Monday Madness