The push-up. It’s a classic bodyweight exercise that’s been around forever. But in these modern times, with myriad machines and equipment to support and supercharge our workout regimes, the humble push-up is often dismissed.
But that’s a shame, because it’s an incredibly effective and versatile exercise, targeting multiple muscles and allowing you to workout in even the tightest spaces.
So to demonstrate just how much of a flexible all-rounder it really is, we thought we’d share 9 push-up variations which you can use to compliment workout sessions and improve your overall strength and endurance.
Windmill push-up
A challenging movement which is great for targeting the abs and building core stability.
Decline push-up
All you need for this is something to elevate your feet. Great for the upper chest and front of the shoulders.
Spider-man
Do it like Spider Man! A controlled, crawling variation, great for the core and sides of the torso.
Pike push-up
An excellent choice for beginners, the pike variation conditions the upper-body muscles without requiring you to press your full bodyweight.
Wide grip
Just like the original, only with the hands placed further apart. Great for building up the chest.
Medicine ball push-up
If you prefer exercising with equipment, grab a medicine ball and you’re good to go. This one is excellent for building core strength and stability. It’s also good for the pecs.
Incline push-up
Like the decline variation, only the opposite way around.
Exercise ball push-up
If you find medicine balls too small/heavy/hard to handle, this could be the alternative you’re looking for. It’s also a fantastic core stability exercise.
Bodyweight
There are endless ways to workout. But as with many other things in life, when it comes to exercise, variety is the key to success! Combining bodyweight training with weight-lifting, cardio, and machine-based exercises is an excellent way to develop functional and well-rounded fitness.
“I’d love to exercise more, but I just don’t have the time.” To most of us, that’s an all-too-familiar line. Because, let’s face it, people are busy these days. Finding an extra hour amidst our daily commitments to dedicate exclusively to working out is tough. But what if, instead of finding an hour, we just took one that we already used for something else?
Enter the Lunchtime Workout. A simple way to incorporate exercise into our daily lives. It may seem unusual and inconvenient at first, the idea of working out at work. But with the right mindset it can serve as an amazing way to keep fit and healthy without sacrificing valuable leisure/family time.
Here’s how to get more fitness from your lunch hour.
Plan
For both motivational and practical purposes, it’s always important to plan your lunchtime workout sessions in advance.
It helps a lot if you already know what you’ll be doing in advance. After all, you won’t have much time to spare. So the time you do have is best spent simply exercising instead of wondering what exercises you should be doing.
You also need to plan what you’ll be eating. Cold lunches always work best, as you won’t be using up time waiting for the microwave to ping. Salads or sandwiches prepped at home can be eaten post workout, so you don’t have to forgo eating in order to exercise either.
Hit the gym
Of course, the first port of call is the gym itself. If you happen to work within walking distance of a gym, consider signing up and dedicating part of your lunch break every day to a workout session.
The beauty of gyms is their convenience. They provide changing rooms, showers, and an excellent choice of exercise machines. So, if you’re close enough, it’s more than possible to get down, get changed, hit the treadmill for fifteen minutes, and be back at the office in time to eat.
It doesn’t have to be intense
Importantly, a lunchtime workout doesn’t have to consist of heart-pumping cardio exercise. Intense sessions are, after all, intense, and. . . sweaty. And not everyone has access to a shower and changing facilities at work, which makes the idea of vigorous exercise much less appealing.
But there are other, subtler, ways to squeeze your fitness regime into the lunchtime slot. . .
Think walking. The average walking speed is around 3mph. If you get an hour for your lunch, you could easily sneak in a 2 mile walk and still have plenty of time to spare afterwards.
There’s also cycling. If you already ride a bike to work, you could take it out for a quick lunchtime cycle around the block. Or, if neither of the above suit, you could simply do a dynamic stretch routine in the staff room.
But if you can go intense, you should
Obviously, as stated above, this isn’t a requirement. But if you have the time, space, and facilities to get in an intense workout on your lunch break, it’s an option you should consider taking.
This is because the most effective way of making up for time restrictions is by increasing the intensity. So if you only have 10 minutes to spare, turning up the difficulty level is a great way to get the most out of that time.
According to Phil Tyne of the Baylor Tom Landry Fitness Centre, “Research has shown that even just 15 minutes of exercise can net you nearly the same effects as 60 minutes of working out, if you increase the intensity.”
So for short, quick bursts (ie a lunch break), a high intensity session will give you the most fitness bang for your buck. See here for some amazing quick workout ideas.
Set yourself up for the rest of the day
It’s easy to assume that exercising at lunchtime might leave you feeling tired and drained for the rest of the day. In reality, it’s the opposite way around. Exercise gets the blood flowing to your muscles, increases your oxygen levels, and leaves you feeling more alert and awake.
So a midday workout could in fact be the perfect antidote to the post-lunch slump that many of us experience in our working days. What’s really great about this is that it gives an extra dimension to the idea of working out at lunchtime. There’s the added motivation of being more productive and energised for the rest of the workday!
Have a happy and healthy work life
The importance of regular exercise can never be understated. And it’s even more important for those of us who work full-time jobs, especially desk jobs.
Exercise can improve our mood, lower our risk of disease, and promote better sleep. But often the hardest thing is simply finding the time to do it. Establishing a lunchtime workout routine is a really excellent way of fitting exercise into an otherwise busy work/life schedule.
Often when we think of weightlifting we picture bulky power lifters with huge, vein-bulging biceps and barrel thighs. But you don’t need to be the next Arnold Schwarzenegger to benefit from lifting weights.
To prove it, here are 5 benefits of weightlifting that go beyond muscle mass!
Weightlifting may combat osteoporosis
As we age, our muscles and bones lose mass and gradually weaken. According to some, lifting weights could help to slow down the process of osteoporosis.
The way it works is that, just like our muscles, our bones respond to the stress of weightlifting by growing stronger. Ultimately this helps to prevent bone loss.
Improves functional strength and movement
By engaging in proper weight training, we’re training our bodies to adapt to physical stress. This means that outside the gym we’ll be more equipped to deal with the physical activities of our daily lives. Which, in turn, will help us to work harder for longer in a more effective manner.
Lifting weights may also enhance our mobility by improving our body awareness. So when we stand up out of a seat, climb the stairs, or get out of a car, our bodies know which muscles to use for maximum safety and efficiency.
Reduces risk of disease
Just like swimming, running, and walking, lifting weights may help to reduce your risk of disease. One interesting study found that men who lifted weights for 150 minutes every week had a 34% lower risk of developing diabetes. Side note: the study also found that the addition of regular cardio exercise reduced the risk by a whopping 59%!
It’s also believed that the kind of muscle fibres our bodies build whilst lifting weights (type II), improve our whole-body metabolism. Which could lead to a reduction in body fat and serve towards preventing obesity and obesity-related illnesses.
May help relieve back pain
We’ve talked elsewhere on the blog about the importance of regular exercise for office workers. But if you’re one of the many people working a desk job, then weightlifting could serve as a great antidote to sitting down all day. Especially if you suffer with lower back pain.
Lifting weights may help to strengthen the core, and the core muscles are the ones that support our spines. But if you do suffer from back pain, just remember to exercise responsibly and be aware of the potentially negative effects weightlifting can have on the back.
Provides a better quality of life
The good news is that not only can lifting weights make us look great, but it could make us feel great too. With persistence and discipline, weightlifting can help us tone up and manage our weight, which may contribute to increased body confidence.
This increase in confidence could then trigger elevations in mood. And just like with other forms of regular exercise, it could help to regulate stress and anxiety and stabilise our emotions.
Lift, lift, lift!
Need one more push before hitting the free weights? Here’s how to motivate yourself to workout. Or if you’re just starting out and feel apprehensive about approaching weightlifting without any support, why not look into hiring a personal trainer. They can start you off in the right direction and provide all the guidance you’ll need to get lifting!
Exercise is one of the most important things we can do for our mental and physical health. No matter what our age, keeping fit and active can steer us away from disease and add years to our lives.
And though some people find exercise routines harder to maintain as they get older, keeping active in later life is a crucial component of a happy and healthy retirement.
So let’s take a look at some of the reasons why exercising at 65 and beyond is one of the best things we can do for ourselves.
(Please note: if you’re thinking about increasing your exercise levels significantly, remember to consult your GP first.)
The basics
Ideally, everyone should be doing two types of exercise per week: aerobic and strength.
According to Age UK, people aged 65 and over who are generally fit, with no mobility-limiting health conditions, should try to do at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week.
The NHS add to this, recommending additional strength training on two separate days. They also advise that you can swap out the 150 minutes of moderate exercise for 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, if you’d prefer.
Some moderate aerobic exercises include:
– Walking.
– Water aerobics.
– Ballroom and line dancing.
– Riding a bike (on level ground).
– Pushing a lawn mower.
Some vigorous aerobic exercises include:
– Jogging or running.
– Swimming fast.
– Energetic dancing.
– Martial arts.
– Hiking uphill.
The NHS “Physical activity guidelines for older adults” factsheet also says, “Older adults who participate in any amount of physical activity gain some health benefits, including maintenance of good physical and cognitive function. Some physical activity is better than none, and more physical activity provides greater health benefits.”
Independence and quality of life
Regular exercise increases strength and flexibility. This, in turn, improves coordination and balance. Not only can this help us to maintain mobility and independence in later life, but it can also work to prevent injury.
The NHS says that around 1 in 3 adults over 65 who live at home will have at least one fall a year, and half of these will fall more frequently.
According to Age UK, falls “account for more than 50 per cent of hospital admissions for accidental injury. Evidence shows that specific programmes for improving strength and balance can reduce the risk of falls by as much as 55 per cent.”
Adding to this, Michelle Mitchell (who is the Charity Director of Age UK) also said, “Despite costing the NHS over £4.6 million each day, adding up to £1.7 billion per year, the issue of people in later life falling over is all too often dismissed as an inevitable part of the ageing process. The reality is that there are a number of things older people can do help prevent falls, such as exercises to improve strength and balance, and more should be done to promote and support this.”
A research review showed that people who exercise regularly could reduce their risk of developing around 2 dozen health conditions. They could also, it stated, slow down how quickly their bodies age.
Sleep quality
Sleeping disorders can have an incredibly negative impact on our quality of life. And they affect many people in the UK and beyond, especially older adults. WebMD says that nearly half of men and women over 65 say they have at least one sleep problem.
Luckily, however, a remedy for sleep conditions could lie in regular exercise. An article on sleepfoundation.org, commenting on the findings of a study that was conducted on the link between sleep and exercise, says that “150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a week, which is the national guideline, provided a 65 percent improvement in sleep quality. People also said they felt less sleepy during the day, compared to those with less physical activity”.
One thing to bear in mind, however, is that exercise is by no means a quick fix for poor sleep. In one study, it was found that individual exercise sessions had no immediate effect on sleep, and even after two months of regular exercise there were still no significant improvements. After 16 weeks, however, the participants reported a significant increase in both the quality and quantity of their sleep.
This suggests that exercise may be a slow but steady path to improving our sleep in the long term. So don’t despair if your new exercise routine doesn’t reap immediate sleep improvements—you just need to stick at it!
Exercise for life
All said and done, regular exercise can be the key to a happier, healthier, and longer life. And there’s no reason whatsoever why age should be a factor in deterring us from getting up and keeping fit.
Pilates is an exercise system designed to improve and promote flexibility, good posture, balance, and strength. It’s an incredibly popular and effective way to work out, and is beloved by millions of people around the world.
But a common misconception about Pilates is that it’s all about flexibility. On the contrary, many Pilates movements work incredibly hard into the core. And for anyone seeking to improve their overall core strength, Pilates may be one of the best options available.
So to give you a quick flavour of what we’re talking about, we’ve chosen 5 exercises that show just how core-busting a Pilates workout can be!
The Hundred
How to do The Hundred: Lie on your back with your legs in tabletop position. Exhale and bring your head, neck, and shoulders off the floor with your arms by your sides, palms facing down. Begin to pulse your arms, inhaling to a count of 5 and exhaling to a count of 5. Continue for a total count of 100.
Crisscross
How to do the Crisscross: Lie on your back and place your hands behind your ears, elbows pointing out to the sides. Bring your legs into tabletop position, exhale to lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the floor. Inhale and exhale, rotating right elbow to left knee whilst extending your right leg. Inhale back to centre and repeat on the opposite side.
Rolling like a ball
How to do Rolling like a ball: Sit upright, draw your knees in to your chest and wrap your arms around your legs. Rock back slightly so your feet come off the floor. Inhale and, keeping yourself in a ball, roll back to your shoulder blades, then exhale and roll forward to the starting position without placing your feet back down on the mat.
Roll-up
How to do the Roll-up: Lie on your back and lift your arms to the ceiling, fingers pointing in-line with the shoulders. Exhale to roll up to a seated position, reaching your hands towards your feet. On your next exhale, reverse the movement, rolling back down, with control, one vertebrae at a time.
Single Straight-Leg Stretch
How to do the Single Straight-Leg Stretch: Lie on your back with your legs perpendicular to the floor. Lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the floor and bring your right leg as close to your face as possible, holding the calf with both hands. Lower your left leg and hover it slightly above the mat, then pulse your right leg twice towards your face. Lift your left leg back up and swap sides.
More for the core
If you enjoyed this post and would like to know more about Pilates, why not read Why Pilates Is A Fantastic Workout, or, if you want to find out more about our classes, you can visit our Pilates page.
