By Hesham Khalil
If you are a busy working man or woman, there are easily two-dozen things that could completely choke your workout time in any given day. The result? Most working men and women put their fitness and health on the sideline. Your health as a co-income provider, or primary provider, is an extremely valuable asset to you and your family. You need to treat it as such and make small daily investments that will keep your productivity levels up to par day in and day out. Here are some quick, easy, and effective workouts you can do early in the morning before heading out to the office, or in the 20 minutes before bedtime.
Important Tips to Avoid Injuries
- Take 5 to 10 minutes to warm up and cool down properly.
- Plan to start slowly and boost your activity level gradually unless you are already exercising frequently and vigorously.
- Take slow steps and don’t rush. You should be aware of your fitness level and the appropriate intensity level, as well as the approach. If not sure always aim for the lower intensity level to avoid over strain on your ligaments and joints that might cause injuries.
- Listen to your body. Hold off on exercise when you’re sick or feeling very fatigued. Cut back if you cannot finish an exercise session, feel faint after exercise or fatigued during the day, or suffer persistent aches and pains in joints after exercising.
- If you stop exercising for a while, drop back to a lower level of exercise initially. If you’re doing strength training, for example, lift lighter weights or do fewer reps or sets.
- Choose clothes and shoes designed for your type of exercise. Replace shoes every six months as cushioning wears out.
- Never lock your joints while exercising, always keep them in a soft position.
- For strength training, good form is essential. Initially use no weight, or very light weights, when learning the exercises. Never sacrifice good form by hurrying to finish reps or sets, or struggling to lift heavier weights.
- Exercising vigorously in hot, humid conditions can lead to serious overheating and dehydration. Slow your pace when the temperature rises above 21oC. On days when the thermometer is expected to reach 27oC, exercise during cooler morning or evening hours or at an air-conditioned gym. Watch for signs of overheating, such as headache, dizziness, nausea, faintness, cramps, or palpitations.
- One of the very important causes of injury while working out is dehydration. Sufficient water is very important for your muscle health and flexibility.
- Delayed muscle soreness that starts 12 to 24 hours after a workout and gradually is a normal response to taxing your muscles.
- Do it right, try to get the technique right from the beginning, to ensure you are using your muscles correctly.
Work-Outs
- 1. Ten minutes warm up run walk
Walk one minute and then sprint one minute.
- Dumbbell Flye
Reps: 15-20
Lie on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Keep a slight bend in your elbows as you spread your arms wide, lowering the weights until they’re even with your chest. Flex your pectorals and lift the weights back to the starting position.
3.Dumbbells One Arm Row
Reps: 15-20
Stand to the right of your weight bench, holding a dumbbell in your right hand with your palm facing in. Place your left knee and your left hand on top of the bench for support. Let your right arm hang down and a bit forward. Pull your abdominals in and bend forward from the hips so that your back is naturally arched and roughly parallel to the floor, and your right knee is slightly bent.
- Squats with Dumbbells or Without
Reps: 15-20
Take a deep breath, forcing your abs outward, and bend your hips and knees to lower your body as far as you can.
Begin trying to push your feet outward—but don’t actually move them—as if you were going to spread the floor apart. When you’ve squatted as low as you can without losing the arch in your lower back, contract your gluts and thighs and explode back upward to the starting position, exhaling the breath forcefully.
- Plank
Reps: 30 sec.
Get into pushup position and then lower your forearms to the floor.
Brace your abs and hold the position
- 6. Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Reps: 15-20
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with palms facing your sides. Raise the weights up and out 90 degrees until your arms are parallel to the floor.
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- 7. Dumbbell Lunge
Reps: 15-20 (each leg)
Stand with your feet hip width, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Step forward with one leg and lower your body until your rear knee nearly touches the floor and your front thigh is parallel to the floor.
- 8. Burpee
Reps: 15-20
Stand with feet shoulder width and bend down and place your hands on the floor. Now shoot your legs behind you fast so you end up in the top of a pushup position. Jump your legs back up so they land between your hands and then stand up quickly.
- Dumbbells Biceps
Reps: 15-20
Grab one dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward. One arm at a time, raise one dumbbell by curling your elbow and lower it back down after a short pause. Alternate hands after the full motion are completed.
- 10.Lying Dumbbell Skull Crusher
Reps: 15-20
Lie back on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Hold the weights over your chest, palms facing each other. Bend your elbows and lower the weights to the sides of your head
- Crunches
Reps: 15-20
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place your
hands behind your head so your thumbs are behind your ears. Don’t lace your fingers together. Hold your elbows out to the sides but rounded slightly in. Gently pull your abdominals inward.
