Thursday, June 11
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Getting a Leg Up

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
by Jesse Lipscombe

Chances are, you sit in a chair all day. For those whose only exercise is walking to the photocopier, here are a few leg moves to get you going. There’s the mountain climber to keep you light on your feet but quick on your toes. It’s followed by “tuck ins,” to build strength in your legs. Then I’ve added the Alan Wells, a stomach crunch named after the Scottish Olympian. This is one of the best sit-ups you can do.

The exercises won’t take long, so give them your all. If your co-workers gather around you to stare while you build that six-pack, just hum a few lines of the Belle & Sebastian song “I’m a Cuckoo.” The video featured Wells.

To see other exercises you can do at work, visit the Deskercise blog.) U

Jumping Burpies…

Monday, November 2nd, 2009
by Jesse Lipscombe

As the shortest day of the year approaches, it’s easy to fall into a fall funk. This month’s Deskercise offers a few quick moves that will get the blood flowing and perk you up on even the sleepiest day. They happen to be fun, too.

First, rid yourself of inhibitions and take off that suit jacket. If you’re at all shy you might want to close the door to your office. We start with jumping burpies (remind you of kindergarten?) and then move on to jump squats. Both are sure to get you through the short, grey days.

Deskercises For Your Core

Thursday, October 1st, 2009
by Jesse Lipscombe

Strengthening your core is about more than going for washboard abs – though a six-pack doesn’t hurt. Having a strong core reduces the likelihood of other injuries and lower back pain while stabilizing your spine. For this month’s Deskercise, we offer a few quick moves for your core.

Two Deskercises That Don’t Need a Desk

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009
by Jesse Lipscombe

That’s right, you don’t need any equipment to do these two strengthening exercises Stacey demos in this issue’s video.

+ The Up Up, Down Down: A new take on the push up
+ The Wall Sit: Start an office challenge to see who can hold this the longest

Plus, I give a brief tutorial on the good, the bad and the downright nasty in food choices. People ask me a lot how they can eat healthier food. Cheaters, as they say, never prosper. How about rewriting that adage? Cheater’s might still prosper, but they’ll gain weight and will be reaching for a chocolate bar by 3 p.m.

Stability Balls vs. Office Chairs

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
by Jesse Lipscombe

In this episode of Deskercise, a look at how your usual office chair, stability ball and hybrid stability ball/chair stack up.

Plus, we show you a strength-training exercise for your arms. All you need is a large book such as a dictionary (the Oxford Canadian Dictionary is the favourite around Unlimited’s offices). Private school uniform optional.

Upcoming Deskercise Videos

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009
by Craille Maguire Gillies

Jesse Lipscombe and I had a quick chat about upcoming Deskercise videos. I told him that I looked on YouTube last night for a video that would show me how to use a foam roller — if you’re a runner, you probably know what this is — and was surprised how incomplete some of the videos were. Which got us to talking about different exercise questions people might have. Jesse offered to answer your Deskercise question. Want to know how to use that Swiss ball rolling around in the corner of your office? Which exercises are good for back pain induced by cheap office chairs? Ask him: deskercise@unlimitedmagazine.com

Doing the Health Hustle

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009
by joyceb

Guest Blog: This post comes courtesy of UL’s associate publisher, Joyce Byrne, who has a dream — an exercise dream.

The benefits of publishing a monthly web magazine include doing multimedia stories that would never translate to print. Take our new video HD blog series, Deskercise. Each month the expert trainers at P.H.A.T. will bring you a set of movements you can do at your desk, in a short time, each day, that will add much-needed movement to your daily routine.

I have a dream where every day where desk jockeys in offices across Canada will get up off their butts at 10:15 a.m. and move through a Deskercise routine. It brings back memories of institutionalized mass exercise from grade school – except way more fun.

I’d like to issue a cross-Canada challenge: Invert the pyramid. Take two or three minutes most days to try the moves in Deskercise.
And a shout-out to everyone who went to elementary school in Ontario in the 1970s and was forced to do the “Health Hustle.” Good times.

Tone Your Arms on Your Lunch Hour

Monday, June 29th, 2009
by Jesse Lipscombe

De-flabbify your arms with the office desk-dip and other quick exercises from P.H.A.T. Training’s Jesse Lipscombe and Stacey Hogbin.