EXERCISES , SPORTS AND STRECHES!

Exercising and playing sports are a great way in order to lose weight. If you're obese then try doing these workouts slowly then gradually build up in order to get a healthy and fit body.

Jogging

Jogging is an easy and great way to lose a few pounds. If you're an obese person start off with a 100 meters, the gradually go up and soon you'll be able to a Kilometer! Jogging helps strengthen your quadriceps, calf muscles. WHen running, your heart sends more blood to your legs. Jogging is an exercise where it increases your heart rate and strengthen your leg muscles. Although even with Jogging there is a specific time to do it. It's best if you take a jog early in the morning. This has many benefits. You get more oxygen for your lungs, it's much cooler in the morning rather than the afternoon and evening. (We wouldn't like being to sticky and sweaty! EW!) Did you know that in the morning, you burn your fat instead of calories? The reason for this is that we use our calories while we're sleeping.

Benefits of jogging

• Burning fat
• Strengthen bones and muscles
• Increases heart rate
• Improves cardiovascular fitness

Squats

Squats are a great way to strengthen your leg muscles and your bum muscles. It also helps with the blood circulation throughout your body. They help with your digestion as well, it helps you remove waste from your body. The squatting action helps improve your flow of fluids and eases your bowel movements. They also help build your muscles throughout your body and don't have much impact on your back, so your back won't be aching by the time you finish. Squats also improve your posture, when doing squats it can help you walk straight and tall. Of course it also helps burn your fat off and they keep your knees in shape and flexible and they also tone the entire leg. A person should do fifteen squats a day with high intensity. For obese people try doing 5 a day with low intensity, then slowly go up to fifteen with the same amount intensity. WHen you feel confident that you can do it at a higher level, start from 5 again but the intensity should be at a medium range, then again go up to fifteen. Then gradually follow the pattern until a high intensity.

Jumping jacks/ star jumps

Jumping jacks or star jumps may be or seem easy, and you probably think that it doesn't do much for your body. Well you dear reader are WRONG! Jumping jacks have many benefits to the body and those benefits are :

• Aerobic benefits - You breathe deeply when doing them causing more oxygen to go to your bloodstream and muscles. Jumping jacks are also a very affective way to burn fat, for certain amount of weights. If you're 130lbs, you would burn 427 calories in an hour, if you're 155lbs you burn 563 calories per hour, if you're 180lbs you burn 654 calories per hour, if you're 250 lbs you burn 745 calories per hour.
• Strengthening benefits - Jumping jacks are a full body work out! They strengthen your core and abdominal muscles. You can also tweak your jumping jacks a bit, to make it a bit more challenging for you. When you jump, instead of returning to a standing position, try doing deep squats so it can benefit your thigh, calf and abdominal muscles.
• Relaxation benefits - If you are a woman, these jumping jacks help you with your mensuration, a chemical affect where your body releases endorphins, which are natural pain relievers, they give you a sense of well being.

Burpees

Burpees are another effective way in order to lose weight. The steps on how to do a burpee is :

1. Stand straight and squat down
2. Push your legs so that you are on all fours
3. Do a press up
4. Bring your legs in
5. Then quickly jump up

How burpees benefit you are that:

• They use your whole body, unlike lifting weights or doing push ups and sit ups which only use certain parts of the body, burpees use the entire thing! Your legs, your arms, you're core and you're abdomen
• You can literally do them ANYWHERE! Burpees don't require any equipment, just your body.
• They make you stronger! When you keep doing burpees, they can help you with everyday things. Carrying your luggage and groceries are easier
• It boosts your endurance, (You won't even need a treadmill!) If you a preparing for a race or a marathon, you won't even need the treadmill anymore because burpees do all the work for you!

A normal person would probably do 3 sets of 8 on burpees. If you are obese try doing one set for 2 weeks, then gradually go on to 2 sets and then 3. Remember to take it slow at firs or else you might strain your muscles. (Trust me, I've been there)

Effective sports

Playing sports are also a great way to lose weight and get your muscles working. If you like these sports then you're in luck! Just make sure you actually like DOING these sports instead of WATCHING them yeah? Anyways ONTO THE BENEFITS!

Football (soccer)

Football (soccer) is another great way to get into shape. The benefits are :

• Increases your aerobic capacity and cardiovascular health
• Lowers body fat, and improves muscle tone
• Builds strength, endurance and flexibility
• Increases muscle and bone strength

Basketball

Basketball is another sport where it benefits your body. The benefits are :

• Burns calories, an hour of basketball burns around 630-750 calories
• Build up your endurance
• Build up your muscles
• Improve your balance and coordination
• Develop your concentration and self discipline

Tennis

Tennis, another awesome sport that can help you shape up. The benefits of tennis are :

• Aerobic fitness - It helps with our cardiovascular fitness and keeps us on high energy levels
• Speed - Staying on your toes and running to hit the tennis ball
• Leg strength - Tennis has hundreds of starts and stops which help strengthen your leg muscles

• Anaerobic fitness - Tennis having short and intense bursts of activity

• Netball

  Netball is another sport that also benefits you to get into shape. The benefits are :

  • Benefits of running - In netball you run around the court a lot to catch up with the ball and steal it away from someone.
  • Hand and eye coordination - When using the different techniques for passing in netball, it requires a good hand and eye coordination in order to pass the ball to your team mate.
  • Flexibility - Netball requires stretching in order to block your opponent
  

  STRECHING TIME!

  Stretches are really good for your muscles, they make them more flexible. Stretches reduce your muscle tension, improve your muscle coordination, make your joints more flexible, Stretches also increase your blood flow and your energy levels. These stretches should make you feel more relaxed and more flexible.

  Neck stretches

  If you constantly have pains in your neck of your neck is stiff try these stretches to make it more comfortable. (I'm pretty sure it hurts right now from all of the reading you're doing) Also just tilting your neck from side to side is NOT! a good idea. This causes the neck to be more uncomfortable and can cause upper back pain

  

  Seated neck stretch

  Directions

  1. Sit on a mat or on the floor cross legged
  2. Place your right hand on your right knee.
  3. Place your left hand above your head and place it on your cheek
  4. Gently pull your head to the to the left
  5. Hold it for 30 seconds then release
  6. Repeat this again on the other side

  This neck stretch is easy you can do it while on a mat, the floor or a chair.

  Seated clasping neck stretch

  Directions

  1. Use your hands to have a more effective stretch in the neck
  2. Sit on a chair or a mat cross legged.
  3. Sit with a straight back and your hips are firmly on your seat
  4. Clasp your hand together, place your palms at the back of your head
  5. Slowly and gently pull your arms to your thighs, placing your chin into your chest
  6. Hold for at least 30 seconds, then release

  This is quite similar to the seated neck stretch but a little more intense

  Behind the back neck stretch

  For this stretch you'll need to be standing up

  Directions

  1. Stand straight, with your feet waist apart
  2. Place your hands behind your back,your left hand holding onto your right wrist and pulling it
  3. For a better stretch in the neck, tilt you head to the right, so your ear is almost at your shoulder
  4. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch to the other side

  Seated heart opener

  This one will be a bit tricky, anyway here are the directions :

  1. Sit on your heels
  2. Place your palms behind you, about 8 or 10 inches away with your fingertips pointing away from you
  Press your hands firmly to the ground, arching your back so your chest is up
  3. For stretching your neck, bend your head to the back to relieve neck
  4. Stay for 30 seconds then lift your torso and head up (If you're obese take it slow)

  Hamstring stretches

  If you don't know what your hamstring muscle is, the muscle is located at the back of your thigh, if you want better hamstrings or if they're tight

  Scissor hamstring stretch

  Directions :

  1. Stand with your feet together
  2. Put your right leg 2 feet behind
  3. Bend forwards from hip joint, placing both arms in front of your left foot
  4. Keep back and legs straight while doing this
  5. Hold for 30 seconds then switch sides

  Standing hamstring stretch

  For this one you'll need an item that is a little lower than your hips the directions are:

  1. Put your left heel on your prop
  2. FLex your foot

  If you would like to increase the stretch, put your hands on you knees and bend forward

  Modified Hurdler stretch

  1. Sit on a mat or on the floor
  2. Straighten your left leg in front of you
  3. Bend your right leg, placing the sole of your foot on the left inner thigh
  4. Place your right hand on your right knee and your left hand on your left knee
  5. Bend forwards to your left leg

  Reclined hamstring stretch

  Directions

  1. Lie flat on your back
  2. Raise your left leg as high as you can, keeping your pelvis on the ground
  3. Hold your lower thigh, slowly and gently pull your leg to your head
  4. Flex your foot to stretch your calf as well
  5. Hold for as long as you can and then switch sides

  Quadriceps stretches

  If you don't know which muscles are your quadriceps, they are the muscle at the back of your thigh. These exercises are sure to make your thighs feel more flexible and stronger

  Lying quad stretch

  1. Lie on your left side
  2. Rest your head on your left hand
  3. Bend your right foot until your bum and hold with your right hand
  4. Bend your left knee if you're having trouble balancing

  Easy quad stretch

  1. Stand straight
  2. Bend your right leg to your bum and hold it with your left hand
  3. Hold a nearby table or chair for balance
  4. Hold for 20 or 30 seconds

  Chest and biceps stretch

  If you are doing a lot of weight lifting or have sore biceps these exercise can help your stretch the muscles which is really important after the work out.

  Moderate: Arm against wall

  Directions :

  1. Place your forehand and biceps against a wall
  2. Exhale and pull your other shoulder back
  3. Keep forehand and biceps firmly on wall
  4. Repeat doing this, raising and lowering the arm on the wall

  Easy : Bicep wall stretch

  Directions :

  1. Place your palm, inner elbow and shoulder of one of your arms on a wall
  2. Keep arm in contact with the wall and slowly turn your body while exhaling
  3. Raise hand higher and lower for better chest and bicep stretch

  Bicep and chest stretch

  Directions

  1. Keep back and neck straight
  2. Place arms behind you, supported by a chair or table
  3. SLowly lower your body till you feel a moderate stretch in your biceps

  This also helps with your chest as you are pulling your biceps

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