1. Take Advantage of Driving Time
If you're like most of us, you spend part of every day sitting in your car. You may be on a long road trip or a daily commute, but either way, all that sitting can negatively impact your muscle tone and raise your stress level. It's possible to use some of that in-car time doing some simple exercises that will refresh and de-stress you, and at the same time, firm and tighten your muscles. Just be sure to keep eyes on the road and drive carefully.
2. Take a Deep Breath and Let Go of Stress
It's easy to turn excess car time into deep breathing mini-breaks, and feel the tension and stress leave your body. Play a game that will help you develop a regular deep breathing habit. For example, take a deep breath every time you see a purple car, or at every stop sign. Next, do a simple red light exercise to release muscle tension. As you grip the steering wheel firmly, squeeze your shoulders to your ears and try to tighten every muscle in your body. Hold the squeeze a few seconds and end with a huge exhale as you feel the tension disappear. Before you know it, deep breathing exercising in the car will become second nature.
3. Tone Those Tummy Muscles
If your commute involves stop and go city driving, time sitting at red lights doesn't have to be time wasted. Use those seconds as an opportunity to squeeze in a couple of simple abdominal toning exercises. Sit up straight and fill your abdomen with a deep breath. Don't exhale, but push the air up into your upper lungs. Exhale, letting the air out slowly. To perform tummy toner number two, begin by exhaling very slowly. Now, inhale normally. Lean forward slightly and exhale, but at the end of the exhale, puff out a little more air very quickly, and sit up before you take another breath. Enjoy the energy boost.
4. Steering Wheel Strength Builders
Before you step out of your car, take a minute to do a couple of simple isometric exercises to firm your upper arm and chest muscles. Begin by holding the steering wheel with both hands, and push as if you're trying to push it through the front of your car. Next, lean forward slightly and pull the steering wheel to the sides and try to stretch it like a rubber band. Hold each stretch for five seconds.
5. Tighten That Butt
You can do glute-tightening exercises safely as you drive down the road. Simply contract the muscles in your right butt cheek for five seconds, then do the same with your left butt cheek. Alternate butt cheeks several times. Then, squeeze both sides together, and hold for five or ten seconds. This not only firms the muscles in your posterior, but will also relieve stiffness and numbness that results from too much drive time.
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