City livers lack time for sports and an active lifestyle. But our body is designed for movement: walking, running, cycling. Sitting at work, spending a long time at the computer or smartphone playing casino PlayAmo games or watching YouTube, traffic jams on the roads – all this harms the body. Let’s decide how you can compensate for the lack of exercise and what exercises to do, even if you ride the subway.
Table of Contents
What Lack of Exercise Leads to
The modern human body is lazy. One of the main causes of laziness is public and personal transportation. Now we do not need to spend a lot of time and energy to cover a long distance. Even young people take the bus or use the car to go two stops. But you can easily do it on foot and do it in a healthy way.
Despite the maximum comfort that transport gives, it leads to inactivity of the muscular system. And the lack of activity and movement entails a number of negative consequences:
- Disruption of blood flow and lymph flow.
- Slowing down metabolic processes.
- Loss of tone in the muscles. They become flabby, weak.
- The appearance of cellulite and being overweight.
- The formation of improper posture from prolonged sitting.
- Deterioration of vision.
- The appearance of problems related to the work of the cardiovascular system and digestion.
- Irritability, nervous disorders.
The lack of loads can be compensated by proper rest. Free time is better to devote to a walk in the park, riding a bicycle or going to the gym. But not everyone has that opportunity. To partially compensate for the inactivity of the muscular system, it’s necessary to do exercises every free minute, even when you are sitting at your work computer or in a confined space among other passengers.
Exercises for those who often sit behind the wheel in traffic and ride the subway
You can exercise while driving in traffic or during a long subway ride. The exercise program has been designed with sitting and limited space in mind.
There is no need to be afraid that you will attract the attention of other passengers. You can do this exercise anywhere and without attracting other people’s attention.
Simple exercises will give your muscles the necessary strain, make them work, develop and maintain tone. You will also burn the extra calories that you accumulated during lunch and long sitting.
What to Include in Your Exercise Program
Upper Body Warm-up
To stretch your arms well, squeeze your fists for 1-2 minutes. The number of squeezes is at least 60. It is possible to use a hand expander in the form of a rubber ring or a ball.
Sitting in an armchair or on a chair you can pump the biceps-triceps tendon. To do this, put your palms together in front of your chest. One hand is on top and the other on the bottom. The upper arm is pushing down by means of triceps efforts, and the lower one is pushing against, and the biceps are involved. The number of repetitions is 15 for each arm (swap places).
For the shoulder girdle excellent exercise is shrug. Hands are placed on the knees or on the wheel. From the starting position the shoulders are slowly lifted up to the ears. Hold in the upper point for 2-3 seconds and maximally strain the trapezius muscle. After lowering the shoulders with straining the chest muscles. The number of repetitions is 30.
Head bends can also safely be included in gymnastics. It’s necessary to bend the head to the right and put a hand of the same name on it, pressing slightly. In this position sit for 10-12 seconds. After lowering the chin and touching the right side of the collarbone, hold for 10 seconds. Do the same manipulation with the left side.
Back Exercises
A good way to stretch the back is to do twists. The starting position is straight back with the shoulder blades together. Slowly turn the body to the left. The right hand should be involved, which rests against the seat. With a turn to the right, the left hand rests on the seat. The number of repetitions is 7 times for each side.
The upper back can be stretched with the exercise “rowing”. The main movement is a continuous connection and separation of the shoulder blades. To enhance the effect, tense the chest muscles at the moment of shoulder blades separation. Watch the position of the back. It should be straight, with a natural bend in the lumbar spine. Hands are placed on the knees or on the handlebars. The number of active reps is 30-40.
Warm-up for the Lower Part of the Body
The exercises start with the gymnastics of the feet. The feet are placed on the floor and the socks are lifted without taking off the heels. The movement is done with maximal effort. Lifts are repeated 50-60 times.
After the toes are lifted heels, not leaving the floor. The movement is also done 50-60 times.
The third exercise is called “bumps”. Its action is aimed at pumping the gluteal muscles. It’s necessary to alternately tense and relax the buttocks. At the moment of tension pause for 3 seconds. The number of repetitions is 15 for each buttock.
Pumping the Abs
To activate the abs, retract the abdomen and tense its muscles with maximum effort. After slowly exhale the air, but keep the tension for 3-4 seconds. The exercise is repeated up to 15-20 times.
It’s forbidden to do exercises on the activation of abdominal muscles, when you are driving. At the moment of tension of abdominal muscles, there is an active supply of oxygen, a pressure drop, which often leads to dizziness. If you drive a car, there is a great chance of getting into an accident.
Press activation is a workout for those who sit at the computer or stay in public transport for a long time, but don’t drive a car in any way.
The gymnastics can be completed by sipping. To do this, the fingers of the hands are intertwined into a lock and pulled forward with the palms of their hands. At this moment, the back is rounded, and the muscles in the shoulder blade area are stretched. Hold in this position for 15 seconds. After that, the chin is placed on the chest and the hands slightly press on the head. In this position, hold for 15 seconds.
The above exercises can be done in order for each individual zone or randomly, depending on the situation and your location.