Six Workout Moves You Can Do With A Chair

I’m not one for buying expensive athletic equipment. I have one pair of dumbbells, which I borrowed from a friend. I have a yoga mat. I have workout clothes and shoes. And I have… well, that’s pretty much it, actually. I’m a big believer that you can get lean and fit just by using your own body weight. You may not become a body builder doing so, but that’s not really what I’m aiming for anyway.

In that spirit, here are six different workout moves you can do with a chair—and that’s it! If you have a yoga mat, it’s helpful to keep the hard ground at bay, but it’s not necessary. Try 10-20 reps of each of these moves:

1. Step-Ups: Stand on the ground beside the chair, with the back parallel to your right leg. Step up on the chair with your right leg and without touching down, bring your left leg up to a high-knee position. Your knee should be about chest height. Take a controlled step back down with the left leg and then repeat. You can leave your right leg on the chair. Switch and repeat on the other side. 
2. Knee-Tucks: Place your hands on the ground (or a yoga mat) in front of the chair. Place your feet up on the seat of the chair so that you are in push-up position with your legs elevated. Bring one leg forward, tucking the knee to your chest, then returning it to the chair. Switch legs back and forth.
3. Leg Lifts: Lay on your back in front of the chair, placing your heels on the seat of the chair. Lift your pelvis so that your body is in a straight diagonal line. While keeping your body in the same position, lift one leg off the chair to be perpendicular with the ground and then return to starting position. Switch legs back and forth.
4. Lunge Hops: Stand with your back to the chair. Place one foot on the chair seat and bend your knees until they are at 90-degree angles. Push up with your front foot so that your leg straightens and you hop a few inches off the ground. Make sure your back foot stays on the chair. Repeat with both legs.
5. Triceps Kick Dips: Facing away from the chair, place both hands on the edge of the seat and lower your body so that your legs are bent to about 90-degrees. Alternating sides, lower your body by bending your arms while simultaneously kicking out one leg so that it is straight. Bring the leg back in as you raise back up and straighten your arms.
6. Knee-Raises: You’ll need two chairs for this one. Place them so they are facing each other, with just enough room for you to kneel between them. Place one hand on either chair and straighten your arms so that you are hanging just off the ground. Bring your knees up to your chest and then lower back down while keeping your arms straight and your body off the ground.

For this article, I used a chair workout infographic found on Pinterest (pictured). When I tried to click through to the original website, it had been reported as spam. If anyone knows where this originally came from, please let me know so that I can give due credit!

Try to do 10-20 reps of each move, and if you can, 2-3 sets. Let me know how it goes for you all! Good luck!

Lululemon’s Latest Problem Revealed

While I do love Lululemon, the news this week hasn’t exactly been flattering. After numerous complaints from customers, the yoga clothing line came clean with a not-so-great admission: some of their black Luon women’s pants were made just a tad too sheer. Okay, quite a bit too sheer, actually.

Lululemon makes getting fit fun & communal
Image from nymag.com

Right now, it’s unclear how the mistake came about. But it is clear that women doing yoga in the pants were rather unhappy when they found out their pants were fairly transparent while practicing any number of yoga stretches and positions. The company has recalled the line, pulling the pants from its stores and offering full refunds or exchanges to women who have purchased them.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first issue Lululemon has had with sheerness in the past year. Their stock, which has skyrocketed in the past three years, took a 5% dip on Tuesday when the recall was issued. The recall of the pants will also cause their profits to take a significant dip for the quarter.

Image from lululemon.com

But the main problem here is the potential loss of loyal customers. So many women and men have come to love the brand, which, although a little pricey, has a strong mission and ideals. Hopefully this flub up won’t lose them too many customers.

It’s certainly frustrating that a mistake on this grand of a scale could happen because of what appears to be a lack of proper oversight in its overseas factories. But one thing Lululemon does have going in its favor (besides the large customer base) is its friendly, fun appeal to anyone wanting to live a healthy lifestyle.

What makes it so? It’s in everything from the company’s many inspiring phrases found on its website, bags and more (“run against the grain, take the road less travelled,” “Breathe deeply,” “Friends are more important than money”) to its colorful and exciting lines of exercise clothes.

Lululemon's inspiring manifesto
Image from lululemon.com

Lululemon makes it fashionable to be fit and living a healthy life, and it makes people feel connected to each other—just like I feel connected to all of the other fitness and health bloggers I find on social media sites. Lululemon offers free yoga classes in its stores, connects customers with qualified yoga instructors, and generally cultivates a sense of community.

And business flub up or not, that makes them one of the few retailers who do.

3 Workout Blogs I Love

I love to work out, but I’m not an expert on creating workout routines and schedules. I can run, stretch, and do some basic exercises on my own, but that’s about it. From there, I rely on the wonderful online community of fitness bloggers. When I want to do a workout for my arms, I search online for a routine. But there are thousands of workouts online, and not all of them are great—so I look to a few sites in specific.

Cassey Ho - Blogilates

1. Blogilates—If you haven’t heard of Cassey Ho, you need to visit her site RIGHT NOW! This fitness guru is incredibly personable and knowledgeable. She posts regularly on her blog, and her website has everything from grocery lists and recipes to workout videos and workout calendars. She even has her own shop full of adorable workout clothing, which she regularly sports for fans. Her workout videos are serious, but she keeps the mood light with cheerful conversation, encouragement, and good music.

Katrina and Karena - Tone It Up!

2. Tone It Up!—Karena and Katrina have a fantastic website. Members of their website can create their own profiles and connect with other women working toward a healthy and fit lifestyle. They’re also on Facebook and Twitter, and have published a workout DVD. And of course, they have a Tone It Up Nutritional plan and new workouts posted to their site every week.

Tatianna - LovingFit

3. LovingFit—This blog is run by Tatianna, who is an ex-professional figure skater. The website includes information on how to create a personalized workout plan and how to categorize yourself—beginner, intermediate, or advanced. She regularly posts workout routines for different muscle groups, and posts food challenges and recipes.

There are some other fantastic workout blogs out there, too. Which ones do you use as your go-to sites? I’d love to hear about your favorite blogs and inspirational fitness figures. Share with me in the comments section, and I’ll be sure to check them out!

Anne Hathaway & Other Celebrities’ Movie Diets

Anne Hathaway lost 25 lbs. for Les Miserables
Image: Vogue

 Before you watch the next movie with a stick-thin actress, consider the following: actresses often go on extreme, unhealthy, diets to prep for roles. Do you remember people complaining that Jennifer Lawrence was “not hungry enough” for her role in The Hunger Games? Or how about Kate Winslet, who was often criticized for being “too fat” for Hollywood? Personally, I’m ecstatic when I see a star that actually looks the size of a normal person. Because, let’s face it—the alternative is much scarier. Let’s look back at some already thin actresses who’ve lost major pounds to better fit into their roles:

1. Anne Hathaway—The actress went on a deprivation diet for her latest role as Fantine in Les Misérables, losing 25 pounds and eating only oatmeal paste. She’s previously also lost weight for roles in The Devil Wears Prada and The Dark Knight Rises.

Natalie Portman got so thin for Black Swan that
her director worried about her eating habits.
Image: Black Swan

2. Rooney Mara—The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo actress looked just as pale and anorexic as the character in the book was described. That’s because she ate little and worked out constantly before and during filming.

3. Natalie Portman—She’s about as tiny as they come already, but somehow managed to lose another 20 pounds for her role in Black Swan. She worked out between five and eight hours a day and became so thin that her director made sure her trailer was constantly stocked with food so she would eat.

4. Beyonce—For her role in Dreamgirls, the singer had to drop about 20 pounds. She lost the weight in only two weeks by doing a Master Cleanse—which means living off of hot water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper for 10 days.

5. Mila Kunis—As Natalie’s co-star in Black Swan, Kunis said she constantly felt hungry during filming. She also lost 20 pounds and participated in the same workouts as Natalie—5-6 hours per day, six days a week.

Emily Blunt was encouraged to lose weight
to look nearly anorexic.
Featureflash / Shutterstock.com 

6. Emily Blunt—In The Devil Wears Prada, her character was nearly anorexic and hardly ate. She was encouraged to lose weight for the role so she would look as stick thin as her character. In The Adjustment Bureau, Emily also had to lose weight, working out for four hours every day leading up to filming.

7. Renée Zellweger—After packing on 30 pounds for her role in Bridget Jones’s Diary, the actress subsequently had to lose it all and more to play her part in Chicago. This back and forth weight loss and gain had critics and specialists seriously concerned.

When I look at regimens like these, it puts things into perspective. It’s easy to watch a movie or an actress and think “I wish I were skinnier,” but the truth is that just because celebrities are subjecting themselves to these intense regimens, it doesn’t mean it’s healthy or good. They look rail-thin because they are rail-thin. There are healthier ways to lose weight, and limits to what we should expect from our bodies.