VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2015
A SLICE OF ORANGE Refreshing Your Health
MOVES FOR THE WOMAN’S BODY • Your workouts • Posing for health
Moves for the woman’s body A HEALTHY LADY IS A FIT ONE. GET YOUR BODY MOVING THIS SUMMER! The good news is, women generally understand more the health benefits of exercise. A study found that women are more likely to exercise for health reasons, and
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men were more likely to exercise to improve their appearance. This is good news because women, in this case, better understand the main benefits of exercise, which is health and fitness.
A SLICE OF ORANGE
VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2015
The bad news is that women are vastly dif-
Exercise for the Pear-shaped Body: Dip and Knee Raise
ferent, with different body types and differ-
POSING FOR HEALTH
ent fitness levels. One exercise regimen cannot fit everyone. Hence, Women’s Health magazine recommends different workouts for different body times. First, you have to classify your body shape into one of four categories, which corresponds to a different workout. The four categories are: • Sit on the edge of a bench. Keep your
Of all the exercises popular to women,
feet flat on the floor. Keep your knees
one exercise stands out for providing
bent 90 degrees.
the most health benefits. This exercise
• Grasp the edge of your seat with both
is yoga. Yoga is traditionally a Hindu
hands on the side of your butt. Make
physical, mental, and spiritual disci-
sure your palms are firmly rested on
the seat.
• Extend your legs a bit. Keeping yourself
supported, push your weight off the seat.
pline that involves controlled breathing, prescribed body positions, and meditation, to attain a state of deep spiritual insight and tranquility. From this discipline came forth the yoga many
Body type
• Slowly dip your butt toward the ground.
PEAR-SHAPED
Do this by lowering your body by bend-
Your hips and thighs are a bit wider
ing your arms at the elbow, keeping
than your upper body.
your elbows pointed to the back.
STRAIGHT
• While dipping, slowly raise your right
You are generally thin with relatively
knee towards your chest, tightening
There are many kinds of yoga, and I
less body curvature.
your abs.
personally believe that you should try
CURVY
• Slowly return to the starting position,
the different kinds, and then choose the
Your busts and hips are larger relative
using mostly your arms to push
one you best prefer.
to your hips.
yourself up.
ATHLETIC
• Repeat using the left knee.
Your shoulders are wide, and your
• Do 10 to 12 repetitions.
hips are narrow.
Exercise for the Straight Body: Plyo Plank
For pear-shaped women, they recommend to tone your arms and shoulders, while tight-
people are familiar with: a set of exercises, mostly stretches and positional exercises, to promote good health, fitness, and control of the mind.
Regardless of type, yoga has many health benefits: • It strengthens the body. • It improves flexibility. • It relieves stress and improves
ening your overall body. For women with
emotional well-being.
• It improves mental strength.
straight bodies, tone your waist and sculpt
• Regular practice can even help you
your butt. For curvy women, overall toning
lose weight, by increasing your
is recommended. Lastly, those with athletic
metabolism, improving your
bodies should tighten their core (abdominals
discipline, and reducing stress.
and lower back), butt, and legs. Because of its gentle nature, anyone,
YOUR WORKOUTS
• Assume a standard pushup position,
The exercises we will feature here are the
with your arms extended, elbows
ones we feel are most beneficial to achieve
slightly bent.
your fitness goals.
• While keeping your hands on the
of any age, fitness level, or weight can benefit from it. So strike a pose and get into yoga.
A SLICE OF ORANGE
VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2015
ground, quickly hop your feet together,
• While lowering your body, lift your
twisting your body to the right, so that
and up towards your right hand.
right leg and foot off the ground as high
your hands point to the right.
You should end up in a crouching
as you can without losing balance.
• Return to start position. Repeat, this time
position, with your feet near your
You should feel your butt contract.
right hand.
• Return to the starting position.
• Hop back to the starting position.
• Repeat using the left leg.
• Repeat to the left side.
• Do 8 to 12 repetitions.
• Do 8 to 12 repetitions
twisting to the left side.
• Do 10 to 12 repetitions. For any body type, end your exercise sessions with a heart-pounding 7-minute cardio
Exercise for the Athletic Body: Swivel squat
Exercise for the Curvy Body: Pushup and Leg Raise
workout. Choose any cardio workout of your choice (e.g., jumping jacks, jogging in place, dancing, etc.). Do your chosen exercise in a vigorous manner for 30 seconds. Then shift to a less intense pace to catch your breath for another 30 seconds. Repeat this cycle 7 times. The goal of all these exercises is to increase your fitness level, boost your body strength,
• Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Ex-
strengthen your heart and lungs, while at the
same time maximizing your shape (perhaps
tend your arms straight out in front of you.
• Assume a standard pushup position,
• Bend your knees and sit back into a
for that bikini you were saving for summer).
with your arms extended, elbows
squat, until your thighs are parallel to
But as with any exercise, stop immediately if
slightly bent.
the ground. You will need to push your
you feel dizzy or experience any chest pain
• Lower your chest towards the floor
butt out to the back to be able to
or difficulty in breathing. If you have any
achieve this.
health concerns, consult your doctor before
by bending your arms, like a standard
pushup.
• Slowly stand back up, at the same time
engaging in any exercise.
ActiveLink is an employee benefits management firm focused on corporate healthcare benefits. Our thrusts are to deliver a cost-efficient HMO plan and to ensure successful implementation through excellent customer service support and the use of our benefits portal (www.benefitsmadebetter.com).
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Looking to enhance your corporate healthcare benefits? E-mail us at benefits@activelinkbenefits.com. The information in this newsletter is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Consult a doctor for all matters relating to your health, particularly for symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. © 2015 ActiveLink
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A Slice of Orange
is a newsletter designed to help clarify basic health information and offer juicy tips on uplifting your health.
Editorial team Alvin Delfin Christine Llenes-Delfin Ivan Olegario, MD