Home Workout Hacks to Help Keep You in Shape

If you’re feeling the effects of social distancing, everything from the loss of your regular workouts at the gym to the continuous stress snacking many of us have succumbed to, then working out at home may just help ease the pain. But with so few people set up to exercise at home, we thought we’d help up with a few home workout hacks!

Water jugs. Don’t have any dumbbells or kettlebells? If you’ve got some jugs of water saved up they can do the trick in a pinch. If you don’t have water you can also use bags of flour, or any other kitchen item with some heft to it.

Tupperware covers. If you don’t mind scratching up your tupperware covers, they can serve as sliders for a variety of different ab exercises, and they’re easy to wash once you’re done!

The kitchen counter. If you’ve got a kitchen counter with a corner to it then you’ve got a perfect platform for a variety of different exercises. Everything from tricep dips to knee raises, and anything else you can come up with.

A staircase. Perfect for cardio, you can use your staircase, even if it’s just a few steps, to get your heart pumping. Try a few steps at a time to build up some strength in those quads and glutes, and you can use the stairs later to help you stretch.

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Quick Form Fixes for an Effective Workout

It’s all too easy to get a bit complacent, maybe even a little lazy when it comes to using proper form at the gym. After all, many of us spend a lot of time on the same exercises, so we think we’ve got it and tend to pay less attention to how we’re moving in the mirror. But bad form can lead to ineffective workouts, and even increase the risk of injury, so next time you’re at the gym keep in mind these common form fixes.

Squat Lower. There’s so much benefit to squatting down to parallel or below, and contrary to popular belief, there isn’t much risk to injuring or damaging the knees while doing it. Squatting lower will make the exercise much more effective, and it’ll have you feeling far more burn.

Pay attention to neck positioning. It’s all too easy to stick out your chin when performing push ups, planks, bent over rows, or even any kind of upright overhead lifting. No matter the exercise, the golden rule is to always try to keep your spine in line. It’ll go a long way towards correcting posture as well!

Retract your shoulders. Posture comes into play once again when it comes to the shoulders, as it’s easy to let them roll forward while doing chin ups, shrugs, biceps, triceps, etc. Pulling back the shoulders and opening up the chest will go a long way towards making your exercise more effective and helping to correct posture at the same time.

Looking for some fitness related reads? Visit our online library at Chosengo for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.

Strange Superstitions of NHL Goalies

Goalies are an odd breed, and here are three stories of superstition from three of the league’s best.

Ken Dryden. Winner of five Vezina Trophies and six Stanley Cups, Dryden would always need to make one final save before leaving the ice. As rumour has it, teammate Larry Robinson picked up on this superstition and would often mess with Dryden, floating easy shots on net if Dryden was having a tough night, or making them a little less easy otherwise.

Patrick Roy. Easily one of the greatest goalies of all time, Patrick Roy had a habit of talking to his goal posts during stops in play, as if they were his friends. When asked about it on one particular game night, he said his posts answered by coming through with two stops in the game.

Glenn Hall. Nicknamed “Mr Goalie,” Glenn Hall would vomit before every game to get himself prepared, feeling that he wasn’t giving the team his all if he didn’t. In Tom Adrahtas book; Glenn Hall: The Man They Call Mr. Goalie, Hall said: “If I weren’t up for a game enough to get sick before it, I felt I wouldn’t play well. It was no big deal. I would have a glass of water and throw it up while it was still cool . . . On game day, I ate only because I had to, and then I’d throw it up at the rink.”

Looking for some great sports content? Visit our online library at www.chosengo.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.

Easily Adopted Habits that Lead to Big Benefits

Aging well is all about the habits you adopt earlier in life, and these three habits come with huge benefits down the road.

Do a full body workout, with weights, 3 times a week. It may be tempting to select a light jog or bike ride as a form of exercise, and if you enjoy those activities, by all means continue to do them! Full body workouts with weights, however, provide the best bang for the buck when it comes to benefit, both short and long-term, physical and cognitive.

Sleep a full 7-8 hours a week. It’s far too easy to get caught up in a busy schedule, especially when trying to maintain a healthy balance between work life and personal life. That said, the body needs time to recuperate in order to function at peak efficiency, and this is especially true over time as wear and tear accumulates. Making sleep a priority will have enormous lasting benefits that are well worth sacrificing other things for.

Walk for 30 minutes a day. Walking may not provide much in terms of the benefits associated with more strenuous physical activity, but it helps break up a day, clear your head, shift focus, and ensure a proper dose of fresh air, all of which come with numerous physical and cognitive benefits down the road.

Looking for some great content to keep you active? Visit our online library at www.chosengo.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, and available on all your favorite devices.

Strange Superstitions of NHL Goalies

Goalies are an odd breed, and here are three stories of superstition from three of the league’s best.

Ken Dryden. Winner of five Vezina Trophies and six Stanley Cups, Dryden would always need to make one final save before leaving the ice. As rumour has it, teammate Larry Robinson picked up on this superstition and would often mess with Dryden, floating easy shots on net if Dryden was having a tough night, or making them a little less easy otherwise.

Patrick Roy. Easily one of the greatest goalies of all time, Patrick Roy had a habit of talking to his goal posts during stops in play, as if they were his friends. When asked about it on one particular game night, he said his posts answered by coming through with two stops in the game.

Glenn Hall. Nicknamed “Mr Goalie,” Glenn Hall would vomit before every game to get himself prepared, feeling that he wasn’t giving the team his all if he didn’t. In Tom Adrahtas book; Glenn Hall: The Man They Call Mr. Goalie, Hall said: “If I weren’t up for a game enough to get sick before it, I felt I wouldn’t play well. It was no big deal. I would have a glass of water and throw it up while it was still cool . . . On game day, I ate only because I had to, and then I’d throw it up at the rink.”

Looking for some great sports content? Visit our online library at www.chosengo.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.

Strange Superstitions of NHL Goalies

Goalies are an odd breed, and here are three stories of superstition from three of the league’s best.

Ken Dryden. Winner of five Vezina Trophies and six Stanley Cups, Dryden would always need to make one final save before leaving the ice. As rumour has it, teammate Larry Robinson picked up on this superstition and would often mess with Dryden, floating easy shots on net if Dryden was having a tough night, or making them a little less easy otherwise.

Patrick Roy. Easily one of the greatest goalies of all time, Patrick Roy had a habit of talking to his goal posts during stops in play, as if they were his friends. When asked about it on one particular game night, he said his posts answered by coming through with two stops in the game.

Glenn Hall. Nicknamed “Mr Goalie,” Glenn Hall would vomit before every game to get himself prepared, feeling that he wasn’t giving the team his all if he didn’t. In Tom Adrahtas book; Glenn Hall: The Man They Call Mr. Goalie, Hall said: “If I weren’t up for a game enough to get sick before it, I felt I wouldn’t play well. It was no big deal. I would have a glass of water and throw it up while it was still cool . . . On game day, I ate only because I had to, and then I’d throw it up at the rink.”

Looking for some great sports content? Visit our online library at www.chosengo.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.

How to Motivate Yourself to Exercise

By now you know the importance of exercise and all its various benefits, both in terms of physical and mental benefits, so why aren’t you at the gym? Ah, yes, motivation. That’s a tricky one. Fear not! Here are two tips to help motivate yourself to exercise.

Think about the end, not the beginning. The biggest barrier to exercise is usually a mental barrier. The task of making it all the way to the gym, or even starting any other form of exercise, can be a daunting one. Starting to exercise is never pleasant, and your body and mind may be understandably resistant to it. But how good do you feel at the end of a workout? Keep that feeling in mind before heading to the gym to make the task of getting started a whole lot easier!

Positive associations. Some people simply love exercising, from the very idea to each and every activity involved. Some people… Many others don’t think of exercise quite so fondly, and if you’re one of them, a trick to beat the negative associations is to use some positive associations. Is there a band, artist, or genre of music you love? Listen to it/them while exercising. Do you love crossword puzzles or sudoku? Treat yourself to some while on the recumbent bike. Before you know it you’ll start thinking just as positively about the exercise itself.

Looking for some content on the go? Visit our online library at www.chosengo.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices, and sure to get you moving!