Fit Bits: Workplace fitness part II

By: Bill Oberding

November 30th, 2006

Hello everyone, I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving holiday with your family and friends. Last month we discussed some simple upper-body exercises that you could do at your desk or your work area. We also discussed walking or jogging around campus. This month I will give you some simple lower body exercises to try while at your desk or work area, and later I have some places for you to walk during your lunch break.

1) While sitting in your chair, I want you to lift your legs off the floor and open your legs and then close them again. Do this very slowly several times until you can feel a burn in your thighs. Stop and relax but not more than 30 seconds, and repeat the movement. Two or three sets will be fine. This exercise works the thighs, gluts, hips and abs.

2) Now I want you to lift your legs off the floor again while still sitting in your chair and, holding your legs together, bring your legs up to your chest as far as you can and extend them out again. Again, do these until your abs are screaming and repeat two more times. This is a very good exercise for the abs and can be done several times a day every day if you have the desire for the six-pack look. This is a much more difficult move than exercise No. 1.

3) I don’t want to overwhelm you, so I will recommend one more exercise for now, but if you would like to expand on some of these lower-body exercises please email me. On this one, place your legs together, touching the knees, with your feet flat on the floor. At that point exert as much pressure as you can by using your legs and hips to push the knees together. Now, to get the opposite effect, hold your legs together at the knees with your hands and try to open your legs. Do these several times as well. These exercises will work both the inside of the thighs and the outside, including the hips.

So try these simple exercises next time you are sitting at your desk and have a few moments to spare.

Bill Oberding displays 2002 Senior Olympic Medals

The Lunch Walk

As promised I have some suggestions for walking or jogging at lunch.

The most obvious one would be beautiful Manzanita Lake. It is not too challenging and you have a beautiful area to enjoy as you walk or jog.

Another beautiful spot would be the Quad. If you don’t have a lot of time this one is for you.
For those of you who want a challenge and have more time, there is what I call “The Loop.”

The Loop is almost 2 miles with uphill and downhill grades in either direction.

The course is a loop around most of the University. It encompasses Virginia Street south from 15^th at Lawlor Events Center to 9^th which eventually turns into Evans and then up East Stadium Way to Stadium Way down to 15^th and back to Virginia Street.

The nice thing about this course is you can start anywhere on the course and walk or run it in either direction.

I think I have used up more than my allocated space this month, so for now go out and try these walking areas and have some fun. This is your E fitness coach Bill Oberding wishing you and your family a nice holiday and remember: exercise, eat a balanced diet, maintain a positive attitude and be fit for life.

Any questions about this column or fitness can be directed to Bill’s Website or bill@unr.edu.

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