Get Fit in Five! (Minutes that is)

By: Gary King

The alarm nags you to bolt out of bed, you rush to get ready,
and race out the door, forgetting to grab that healthy lunch you
worked so hard to pack. Deadlines are looming everywhere at work
or the kids have to be in two places at once, not to mention
that phone that won't stop ringing.

With a day like yours, who has time to think about exercise? Did
you know that getting active, even just for five minutes can
vastly improve your mood and your body at the same time? Do
yourself (and everyone else) a favor and try to squeeze just
five minutes of fitness into your day - you'll be glad you did!

Here are some quick tips for 5 minutes of fitness and a lifetime
of health.

1. Get out! Take a quick break, and get out of your office or
house. Take a brisk walk around the parking lot or down your
street. Getting out of a stressful atmosphere and to a place
where you can think is a huge part of calming your mind and
emotions. Plus, by walking fast, the excess tension in your
system gets worked out so you return to work feeling relaxed and
refreshed.

2. Take the steps. Hop in the elevator and ride to the bottom
floor. Climb the stairs back up to your floor. If your building
is less than four floors, do it again. Don't have steps in your
building? How about getting an inexpensive workout stepper for
the office or home?

3. Squeeze the tension away. Grab a tennis ball in each hand and
squeeze as hard as you can for a count of eight. Release your
grip, relax, and then repeat several times. You'll condition
your forearms and strengthen your hands. You can also use tennis
balls to massage your feet and back - pretty versatile tools for
under three bucks!

4. Use resistance bands. When you feel stressed or irritated,
grab the band with the highest resistance and use it for lateral
raises. Place one end of the band under your foot, and the other
in your hand on the same side (at about waist high against your
hip). Lift straight out to the side, stretching the band for
resistance and releasing your stress along the way.

5. Find some competition. Challenge a co-worker to a daily
parking lot speed-walking event. Start the competition by
walking down the stairs (vs. riding the elevator) and see who
can walk the parking lot (or other course) the fastest - no
running allowed! This is great exercise, and is almost certain
to bring a laugh or two.

6. Don't be a dumbbell! Just use them! Grab a set of dumbbells
you can keep at the office. These little babies are available
just about everywhere in small sets with four or five weights up
to 10 pounds. Use them for building arm or back strength, and
for those really frustrating times, grab the heaviest one and do
as many bicep curls as you can stand. It just might prevent you
from blowing your top at some unfortunate co-worker.

7. Reach for the sky. Remember to stretch. Doing so will prove
to be a tremendous tool for releasing tension and stiffness, and
can even boost your energy levels. Keep a yoga mat or blanket in
your office and you can even do prone stretching (but keep your
door closed!).

8. Lean on me. OK, not me, but how about the wall? Try this:
stand about eighteen inches away from the wall (or a door), then
place your hands on the surface at about shoulder height, and do
vertical push-ups. For a more challenging exercise, move away
from the wall or try changing hand positions. When you feel
confident, try one-handed push-ups - you may find yourself doing
the real ones sooner than you think!



Copyright 2005, easyfitnessinfo.com. All rights reserved. Always
consult your physician before beginning any exercise or fitness
program. This article may be freely distributed as long as it is
not edited in any way.

About the author:
The author, Gary King has worked to find simple ways for busy
people to stay healthy and improve their fitness. Find more
helpful fitness tips, fitness ideas and fitness resources at:
http://www.easyfitnessinfo.com