Exercising For Those Who Don't Want to Exercise

With time at a premium, a lot of Americans are turning to creative forms of workout. In a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive for the North American Spine Society, three out of four individuals said they used the stairs instead of the elevator at work, 58 percent said they started parking their cars far away in parking lots and almost half reported walking while on the phone.

At the same time, however, 46 percent of people described themselves as couch potatoes--a major contributing factor to being overweight. Many adults say they have procrastinated working out in order to do other activities, such as watching television, sleeping in, doing household chores or working.

About three in four adults say they would work out more if they can fit it into their everyday routines, however, and most adults say they would exercise more often if they could do it at home. Among non-couch potatoes, 80 percent would like to get more of a workout, but say they do not have the time.

Meanwhile, more than 4 million Americans endure disc problems. One out of four Americans over 30 will have recurring back pain, and one in 14 will seek medical care for back or neck pain this year, totaling almost 14 million visits per year. Back pain is the second most usual reason that individuals visit a physician. Back and neck pain result in more lost workdays than any other condition. Due to absenteeism, medical and other associated expenses, the cost of back injuries exceeds $80 billion each year in the United States. Workout is one means to keep from having back problems.

That's why it's crucial to get time to include exercise into your day to day routine. In addition to things like climbing stairs and parking farther away, there are a number of fun ways to make your day to day tasks chances to workout:

Feet Alphabet. This exercise can be done anywhere you are sitting, except while driving. It should not be hard to find a place. Simply write the alphabet in the air with each of your feet and ankles. You can do the letters in capitals or small letters and, for that matter, in any language you would like. Doing this two or three times on each ankle will begin to strengthen the ankle and maintain or improve motion.

Doing the Dishes Neck Circles. This exercise is simply done while doing the always fun task of washing the dishes. As you are standing there at the sink, slowly rotate your neck in a clockwise position, trying to extend the tip of your head out as far as possible. After three or four rotations, repeat the exercise in a counter-clockwise position. Bear in mind, these rotations should be done slowly and in a pain-free range of motion. Besides increasing the flexibility of the neck, these workouts can pass the time of doing dishes.

Overhead Laundry Toss. Put the laundry basket directly in front of you and have the washer or dryer directly behind you. Grab a piece or two of dirty clothes, reach over your head slowly and drop the laundry into the washer. Again, start with dry clothes, then progress to wet clothes from the washer into the dryer.

Remote Wrist Lifts. This can be done on any Sunday afternoon watching multiple football games. Simply take the remote control (use the biggest one you have from the pile of remotes) and, while sitting seeing your favorite team or movie and with your arm pointing toward the TV, aim the remote at the ceiling, moving your wrist only. Hold it there for 10 seconds, and then aim it at the floor, again only moving the wrist. Repeat this three to four times during every commercial. Be careful not to accidentally shift the channel when doing this exercise or it may irritate individuals who are watching TV with you.

These are just some guidelines from "The Couch Potato Workout: 101 Exercises You Can Do At Home!" by Joel M. Press, M.D., president of the North American Spine Society and medical director of the Spine and Sports Institute at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. "The Couch Potato Exercise" describes numerous practical and functional workouts people can do to build strength, balance and flexibility as part of their normal daily routine.

Here you can find a complete guide to build muscle, which contains essential information on muscle building for skinny guys and proven weight training, diet, and other important aspects of bodybuilding. Checkout upper body workouts

Related Articles - fitness exercise, exercise for everyone,

Email this Article to a Friend! Receive Articles like this one direct to your email box! Subscribe for free today!