Exercise Anywhere

A few exercises you can get in no matter where you find yourself.

It happens to everyone. You're in a rush to get to the gym when life takes over and you simply can't make it to your workout. Now what? If you keep your eyes open, you'll find all sorts of opportunities to exercise no matter where you are.

Sound like something that would benefit you? Read on to learn about seven simple exercises that will keep the blood flowing through your body when life keeps you from your favorite exercise equipment.

Kegels

These may not improve your visible physique, but kegels are essential to your good health. And they're not just for women. To perform kegels, tighten the muscles that stop your flow of urine and hold for a few seconds. Relax and repeat, and you'll reduce your likelihood of accidental urine leakage. It may not seem glamorous, but it increases your confidence in public, and as Jack Palance said, "Confidence is very sexy." Do this one anywhere and any time you're sitting down.

30-Minute Minimum. Even when you can't get to the gym, aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise each day for optimal health.

Calf Raises

Standing in the grocery line can be a drag. Keep your head up by doing a few sets of calf raises. Stay balanced by holding your cart and then raise yourself up on your toes. Once you hit the peak of your lift, hold for a second and return to the ground. Repeat as many times as you can. And if you're afraid you look strange, pretend to be looking for someone in the distance every time you go up.

Knee Dips

Newbies will want to raise one foot about half a foot from the ground, while balancing on the other leg. Bend at the knee until your lifted foot almost hits the ground. Do this 10 to 20 times and repeat with the other leg in the air. Old timers should lift and bend one leg until the shin is parallel to the ground. Using the same motion as with the partial knee dip, go down until your raised leg almost hits the ground. Perform 10 to 20 reps and repeat with the other leg lifted.

Doorframe Push

Find a sturdy doorframe and stand in it. Place the back of your right forearm on the right side of the frame and the back of your left forearm on the left. Then push out as if trying to make the doorframe fall apart. Do this for 10 to 20 seconds, relax, and repeat.

Side Bends

Grab a water bottle or large phone book with both hands extended over your head. Keeping your arms straight, bend your waist to the left, tightening your abdominal muscles. Bend as far as you can and then return to the starting position and repeat to the right side. Shoot for 10 to 15 repetitions.

Stair Climbing

Ever wondered if you could get up the stairs in less time than it takes to wait for the elevator and ride it to your desired floor? There's only one way to find out. Take the stairs! By walking the stairs on your way up and down, you increase your strength and your balance and you may even get there faster.

Breathing

You do it all the time, but concentrating on your breathing and doing it correctly can add to your physical well-being. For exercise-worthy breathing, sit straight up on the edge of a chair with your hands resting on your thighs or knees. Allow your shoulders to relax and look straight forward as you exhale powerfully out of your mouth. Tighten your abs and bend forward to get all the air out of your lungs. Then relax and inhale through your nose, while returning to your upright sitting position. Once your lungs are approximately half full, exhale through your mouth again. Repeat 10 times.

5 Exercise Goals for Beginners

A handful of things every newbie should put on his or her exercise to-do list.

Just getting started exercising? Congratulations! Your decision is one that will bring you face to face with improved health, looks, energy, and more. While there is a great temptation to swallow the entire gym whole in one bite, it's better to take stock and come up with goals that fit your needs.
Ready to create some gym-worthy goals that will help you reach your destination of a better, healthier life? Get started with the list below.

Goal 1: Find a Time

The first thing you have to do before you work out is figure out when you're going to head to the gym. Sure, you may go to the gym on a whim on occasion, but you can't depend on these spur-of-the-moment trips to help you meet your other fitness goals. Rather, you're going to have to come up with a regular time to get to the gym. Whether it's at 4 a.m., during your lunch hour, or right after work, having a predetermined time to exercise will help you with the next goal.

Goal 2: Stick with It

Once you've figured out when you can work out, it's up to you to make sure you follow through. Though you may think the benefits of exercising are enough to keep you going strong, you may be wrong. To make it a little easier to stick with your routine, give yourself a goal of sticking with your routine three days a week for three months. Once you've been at it for that long, it should be cemented into your schedule, making it easier to stick with exercise for the long haul. If you constantly need another goal, reset your clock for another three months a week or two before completing the initial three months.

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. - Jim Ryun

Goal 3: Trim or Tone

Toning up and trimming down are often the primary purposes for working out. If these are reasons for your new interest in exercise, use them to your advantage. Every day you work out, write down your weight, the most important measurements to you, and the exercises you perform. Over time, you'll be able to see improvements in all three areas. And if you're having trouble in one (it can be difficult to continue losing weight after a certain point), you can be encouraged by other statistics, such as your lowered blood pressure or how much longer you can stay on the treadmill now than when you first began.

Goal 4: Be Honest

When you're first getting into your exercise regimen, it's easy to be forthcoming about your workout routine. After all, you're in the gym three times a day, lifting more weights in a day than you have in the past four years, and running six miles during lunch. But it becomes more difficult to be honest when you've been at it a while. To keep yourself honest, get an exercise partner to hold you accountable. The best way for this to work is to work out with this person every time you go to the gym. This way, your partner knows when you've worked out and can help you work out at the intensity necessary for you to meet your other exercise goals.

Goal 5: Limit Rewards

It's not uncommon for people to feel they deserve rewards for every positive thing they do. If you're one of these people, you may seek a reward for your exercising prowess. But it's important to see the way you feel and look as your reward. Sure, there's nothing wrong with missing a day at the gym or licking an ice cream now and then. However, if you're not careful, your reward system can wind up making it impossible for you to meet your exercise-minded goals.

Pushup Progressions the Right Way

So your short on time, you need a cost effective way to get slabs of lean mass across your chest or just want to pass this years pushup test. Well just like anything else there is a right way and a wrong way to Master something. The right way builds momentum up so that you reach your goals while the wrong way makes you hit plateaus or get you discouraged during your program.

Check out this awesome Pushup Progressions video I found on YouTube by Mark Sisson from marksdailyapple.

Pushup Progression - Primal Blueprint Fitness
Mark Sisson demonstrates all four pushup movements, part of the Primal Blueprint Fitness program. Visit www.marksdailyapple.com to learn more and get the free ebook.


There are hundreds of progressions for pushups if you really wanted to learn them but the ones in the video are a awesome foundation.

If you feel that these are to juvenile for you and want to truly master pushups in general I can not recommend  Paul "coach" Wades book Convict Conditioning enough. It gives you 10 progressions starting out from the wall pushup all the way through the most advanced one arm pushup with insight that will make you a master of your own body.