Shed Off The Pounds! Monday, November 26, 2012 By Thalianna Ounnarath, News Editor Don't forget to read the labels on the foods you consume! - Thalianna Ounnarath Advertising Face it, the temptation of the smell coming from a belly busting Thanksgiving feast got the best of us. So we don’t feel bad about ourselves, here are some ‘old school’ exercise routines to shed off the extra weight gained from Thanksgiving! Stretch – Before you begin your routines, it’s recommended to start off by stretching! If you don’t stretch before you exercise, you could pull a muscle, and we don’t want that! Some good stretches include: Neck stretches, Side stretches, Shoulder stretches, Bicep and Tricep stretches, Lumbar Roll, Standing Quads, Rack Stretch, and many more! The stretches you do should correspond with the routine you are going for. Arms – After doing some good shoulder, bicep, and tricep stretches, I would first start the beginning of my routines with some arm exercises. 15 Push Ups is a great way to begin. The next set of exercises require some weights: Flys require you to lie down on your back and lift up your arms off the ground as if you’re hugging a barrel. If you’ve ever started a lawn mower before, Standing Rows is almost exactly the same thing, just doing it continuously. Add some other arm exercises to complete this routine! Abs – Working your way down, the abs would come next. After good Side and Rack stretches, the Basic Crunch is something simple way to begin this workout. Next I would do some Oblique Crunches; this requires your hand behind the head, using your elbow to touch the knee opposite to the side you are using. Toe Touches could be done after this; feet are in the air and the knees are horizontally bent, the person then reaches for their feet continuously. Of course, add your own ideas for a great workout! Legs – I end my toning exercises with the legs. Making sure you did some Quad stretches, start this routine with some Squats! After that, do some Quad Extensions, this may require a chair for assistance; leaving the thigh in midair, lift up your leg as if your kicking. Next, some Front and Back Lunges are great for toning the thighs. Again, add some other exercises to go with this workout! Cardio – After all of the toning exercises, some cardio will surely melt the excess weight gained away! Doing a good jog or run around the block is a great way to begin. Some dances also have the heart working, and depending on what type of dance, it can also tone the body! Continuously doing these toning and cardio exercises everyday will pay off. Don’t forget to be creative with your exercises so the routine will be fun!

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