The Quick & Dirty Circuit

Try the sample routine below. It will work your entire body. Remember, don’t rest in between exercises – once you’re done with one exercise, move right into the next exercise. Do as many reps as you can for each exericse.

1. Squats (without weight)
2. Pushups
3. Dumbbell shoulder press
4. Dumbbell bicep curls
5. Sit-ups

Once you’ve gone through the circuit, repeat it from the beginning. You can go through it three or four times to make the workout even longer.

It’s essential that you read the Nutrition Facts label of everything you eat. You might be surprised at how many calories you’re taking in.

Also pay attention to the Serving Size listed on the label. Sometimes it can be a little sneaky – for example, you may have a small bottle of soda, but the Serving Size may be only part of the bottle. Drinking the entire bottle may count as two or three servings, and you’ve just added extra calories without even realizing.

You’ll also want to watch the amount of fat and sodium you’re taking in. Generally speaking, the less fat and sodium you get in your diet, the better.

One good tip is to pick a normal day, and write down the caloric amounts of everything you eat during that day. You can also keep track of the fat and sodium in what you’re eating and drinking. This way you’ll know how much you’re taking in during an average day. From there, you can adjust your diet based on this information.

If you’re looking to lose weight, you should limit yourself to between 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day. This will let you lose weight at a safe rate, of about 1 pound per week, and still let you enjoy what you’re eating.

To do pull-ups, you need to be at a pull-up station or bar at the gym, or have a pull-up bar at home. Your local park might have exercise stations that allow you to do pull-ups on them. Some enterprising and fearless individuals have even used the horizontal bars on construction scaffolding and the handrails in subway cars to do pull-ups.

Start by grabbing the bar with your palms facing away from you, and then use your arms to pull yourself up so that your chin is at least level with the bar. Now lower yourself back down. You can lower yourself all the way down so that your arms are fully extended, or if you’re a beginner and don’t have that much strength, lower yourself halfway down and then come back up.

You can do pull-ups by gripping the bar with your palms facing towards you, which will work your biceps more (and are technically called chin-ups). Many people find this easier than doing a true pull-up, but you should practice both grips.

Do as many as you can per set. Never swing your legs or kick when doing a pull-up – that’d be cheating. Focus on good form, even if it means doing only one or two pull-ups. You will eventually get stronger.

If you’re really struggling with pull-ups, try placing one foot on a chair while doing them. This will lessen your bodyweight, allowing you do to the full range of motion. When you get stronger, ditch the chair and start doing real pull-ups without the assist.

Don’t beat yourself up if you can only do one or two pull-ups. Most people struggle with doing pull-ups. Just keep practicing them, and you’ll get better.

To properly do a lunge, start off with your feet shoulder-width apart, then step forward, heel first. Bend your leg until your knee is at a 90-degree angle and your thigh is parallel to the floor. Your back leg can be bent while in the lunge position, but do not let your knee touch the floor.

Now lunge with the opposite leg by standing up, returning to the starting position and extending that leg outward and repeating the steps above. You can perform “walking lunges” this way, if you have enough room.

To make lunges more difficult, you can add weight to the exercise by holding a dumbbell in each hand, or holding a barbell across your shoulders.

Modern Neti Pots are made from plastic, and come in a package with non-iodized salt. Typically, you fill the Neti Pot with warm water and mix in about 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, allowing it to dissolve in the water. Next, you begin irrigating your nasal passages by placing the spout of the Pot in one of your nostrils, tilting your head, and letting the water flow out of the other nostril. You then repeat the process with the other nostril.

It is recommended that a Neti Pot be used three to five times a week. If a person is in a particularly dusty or polluted environment, or suffers from chronic allergies, the process can be done daily.

Using a Neti Pot for the first time can be disconcerting – you may have a sensation similar to that of drowning, or feel uncomfortable due to the pressure of the water rushing in and out of your nose. But given that it may help those suffering from allergies, it might be worth giving it a try.

Neti Pots can be purchased from many supermarkets and drug store chains.

Think About Something You’re Good At

Everyone is good at something. There’s probably something that you’re really good at. No matter how trivial it is, whenever you’re feeling less than confident, think about the thing you’re good at. You could be good at shooting pool, doing crossword puzzles, ice skating, managing a business – it doesn’t matter how important or unimportant it is in the grand scheme of things. Focus on that, and the confident feelings that you have while you’re doing it.

Treat Negative Comments as Jokes

If you approach every negative comment that someone says about you as a joke, it will take the power and sting out of the comment. Jokes are just that – jokes. They aren’t the truth. Let the negative comment roll off of you by dismissing it as a silly joke. Learn to laugh and shrug it off.

But Don’t Let People Put You Down

Of course, there’s a limit to how much you can dismiss and shrug off. If someone is really being rude or disrespectful, don’t stand for it. Be firm. Tell them to stop and that you do not appreciate their negative comments. If they continue to mistreat you, walk away from that person or drop them completely from your life.

Learn to Relax

Sometimes, anxiety and nervousness can spiral out of control, and contribute to your lack of confidence and self-esteem. By learning to relax and calm yourself, you can keep those anxious feelings in check and not let them throw you off. Meditation can help you with this.

Remember Your Accomplishments

You’ve accomplished many positive things in your life. Rather than dwell on failures, why not dwell on your successes? Graduating from college, getting a job you wanted, finishing a marathon, completing a difficult project – think about the things that were tough but you got through and accomplished.

Enjoy The Compliments That People Give You

You may find that it’s hard to accept compliments from people. You may think they’re undeserved, or that they’re insincere – that the person is just saying the compliment for the sake of saying it. But don’t judge or analyze it, just accept the compliment and enjoy it.

Be Irrationally Positive

It’s been said that being irrationally confident is better than being rationally defeatist. Many times, we are negative and worry about things for no reason at all – why not turn that around, and be positive and confident about things for no reason at all? It may seem silly, but isn’t it also silly to beat ourselves down for no reason? Sometimes it pays just to be over the top in your confidence.

Switch it Up

If you train certain body parts on certain days, try switching up your routine. Do your upper body workout on Wednesday instead of Monday, and switch your leg routine to Friday instead of Wednesday. Just breaking out of the same routine can be a refreshing change of pace.

Take Up a Recreational Sport or Activity

Instead of doing an aerobics class, take up inline skating or ice skating.

If you do most of your cardio indoors on a treadmill, get a bike and go for a ride outdoors.

Join your company’s softball team, take tennis lessons, or organize a weekly basketball pickup game with some friends.

If you’re having fun with friends or participating in something exciting, you might even forget you’re doing it for the exercise.

Train for a Marathon or Triathlon

The training required for a marathon or triathlon is probably very different from what you’re doing right now. Putting aside your old regimen for a few weeks or months to get in shape to compete in these kinds of events will definitely give you a new challenge.

You might even look at your old routine with a certain fondness, longing to get back to it, after training for one of these intense athletic events.

Do Something You Said You’d Never Do

Many people shy away from yoga and just want to pump iron or do cardio instead, but taking a yoga class can be beneficial and keep your muscles learning.

Taking up an activity such as swing dancing or salsa dancing will also get your body moving in new ways, and you’ll meet new people in the process.

Rock climbing – indoors or outdoors – is very popular, and will encourage you to use your muscles in an exciting new capacity.

Even if you’re more of a lover than a fighter, a traditional martial art such as karate or judo can offer you the benefits of improved strength, reflexes, and balance.

Always Try New Things

Giving something that you’ve assumed you won’t like or be good at an honest try can open new doors for you in terms of fitness and other aspects of your life.

Keeping Your Environment Clean

It’s a constant battle against dust and other particles to keep allergies at bay. You’ll have to regularly and routinely clean your household. Here are some tips and things to keep in mind:

1. Dust, pollen and pet dander can easily build up in rugs and carpet, so remember to thoroughly vacuum them.
2. Furniture such as upholstered couches and chairs also need to be vacuumed, as dust can accumulate in them.
3. Bed spreads, quilts, pillow cases, and mattresses should be vacuumed as well. Mattresses should be flipped over and vacuumed on both sides.
4. Floors should be mopped or swept regularly to prevent the buildup of allergens.
5. Electronics such as televisions and computer screens are powerful dust magnets. Remember to wipe them down with a soft cloth regularly.
6. Drapes and blinds also attract dust, and can catch pollen. Vacuum any drapes in your house, and wipe down the blinds on your windows. You might be surprised at how much dust accumulates on your window blinds.
7. Air conditioning units, fans, and heaters also trap dust, and when turned on will blow it around the room. Remember to vacuum any unit that hasn’t been used in a while.
8. If you’ve worn clothing out in the summer, it has probably collected pollen. Separate items that you’ve worn outside and wash them as soon as possible. If the item cannot be easily washed, such as a suit jacket or an overcoat, vacuum it.
9. If you’re working often in a dusty environment, or outdoors where you’re exposed to pollen, wear a hat or bandana to keep particles out of your hair. Washing your hair when you’ve returned home is also a good idea.

Relieving an Allergic Reaction

If you’re experiencing a typical allergic reaction to dust, pollen, or dander, you can try taking an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine. The over-the-counter drug Benadryl is a popular example of diphenhydramine, but many generic and store brands also exist and are just as effective.

Keep in mind that this drug will likely make you drowsy, even in its smallest dose, so be cautious if you’re going to be doing an activity that requires you to be fully alert, such as driving.

Decongestants such as Sudafed may also help with symptoms such as a runny nose and congestion.

Most important of all, if you experience a severe allergic reaction and you start to have difficulty breathing, and/or you have hives begin to appear on your body, and/or you feel dizzy or lightheaded, visit an emergency room immediately. Severe allergic reactions can be fatal and should be taken seriously.

Many people do bench presses with a barbell, but you can effectively do the exercise with a pair of dumbbells.

To do bench presses with dumbbells, lie down on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Hold the dumbbells at chest level and then push them upward. Don’t let your arms lock.

Pause for a moment at the height of the motion, then slowly lower the weights back down to your chest. If you have lower back problems, you can keep your knees bent during the exercise, which will help you keep your back flush on the bench, as shown in the photo.

Try doing three sets of 8 to 12 reps with a reasonably heavy pair of dumbbells. As you get stronger, increase the weight you use.