• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie policy (EU)
  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Video
  • Write for us
Today Headline
  • HOME
  • NEWS
    • POLITICS
    • News for today
    • Borisov news
  • FINANCE
    • Business
    • Insurance
  • Video
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • ENTERPRISE
  • LIFESTYLE
    • TRAVEL
    • HEALTH
    • ENTERTAINMENT
  • AUTOMOTIVE
  • SPORTS
  • Travel and Tourism
  • HOME
  • NEWS
    • POLITICS
    • News for today
    • Borisov news
  • FINANCE
    • Business
    • Insurance
  • Video
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • ENTERPRISE
  • LIFESTYLE
    • TRAVEL
    • HEALTH
    • ENTERTAINMENT
  • AUTOMOTIVE
  • SPORTS
  • Travel and Tourism
No Result
View All Result
TodayHeadline
No Result
View All Result

I use Alexa to time my wall sits at home, and now I hate the sound of her voice

June 22, 2022
in Entertainment
0
0
SHARES
3
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


One of the best exercises you can do for your legs and core is absolutely free, requires no equipment, and can be done while watching TV at home. What’s more, there’s no movement, additional load, or impact on your joints, making it perfect for beginner exercisers, seniors, and those with joint problems preventing them from doing other forms of exercise.

The wall sit is a fantastic calisthenic exercise, and very underrated in my book. I made great use of it during COVID, when all the gyms were closed and I was getting bored repping out bodyweight squats. It’s an isometric exercise, which means it relies on holding a static position to induce tension in the muscles, in the same way you might hold a plank position to train your core. 

In one study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine (opens in new tab), isometric exercises like this were found to be beneficial in improving muscle strength in people with limited mobility, perhaps even more so than traditional “dynamic” strength training. 

Because it doesn’t involve your knees and hips moving at all, has no need to add extra weight onto your back, and doesn’t involve your feet impacting the floor in the way running or jumping exercises might, it’s incredibly forgiving. However, it’s still a tough workout, and although you might not be racking up any steps on your best fitness tracker, you’ll probably still be able to see your heart rate spike after a few sets. 

To get started, simply lean your back against a wall and slide down. Your feet should be out in front of you, shoulder-width apart, and your thighs should be parallel to the floor. Keep your shoulders touching the wall, and look straight ahead. The TV makes an excellent focal point, and a welcome distraction. 

Woman in workout gear performing a wall sit exercise outdoors with arms stretched out in front of her.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Now, here’s the tricky bit: you have to hold the position for a specific amount of time. If you’ve never tried this before, or are very new to strength training, 15-30 seconds might be an achievable goal for you. Once you get into this position, it’s quite fiddly to play with your phone and get the timer set up, so I just used the Amazon Echo Dot in my living room to ask Alexa to set a one-minute timer. Then you just hold the position for the required amount of time.

Easier said than done. Very quickly, your quads, glutes, and hamstrings are going to light up. For an added benefit, make sure you’re looking straight ahead, put your hands behind your head or extend them out in front of you, suck in your stomach slightly and tense your abdominal muscles. 

I’m not going to lie to you, it sucks. Every time I hear Alexa’s dulcet tones say “okay, one minute, starting now,” I find myself gritting my teeth in anticipation of the tough time ahead of me. The soft alarm sound at the end of that minute was a lifeline, but it felt like it took forever to get there. It had gotten to the point where I began to dislike Alexa’s voice, because I associated it with those gritty wall sits. 

However, it’s still far more effective than setting a timer yourself, and if you can use a voice assistant with your phone and the best workout headphones outdoors, it’s more effective to set timers that way to keep your focus on form. It’s worth keeping an eye on the Amazon Prime Day sales if you’re keen to control your isometric workouts with ease. 

Man in smart casual attire performing a wall sit exercise in an office

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Once I was back in the gym, I found I hadn’t lost much strength in my legs and butt even after my long absence from the squat rack. All those wall sits actually augmented my running: research published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise suggests stronger glutes and quads are a factor in top running speed. 

Whether it was a coincidence or not, I hit a personal half-marathon best after training with this unconventional, underrated method at home. 

If you’re ever thinking you should really be doing some exercise while watching Netflix at home, try three sets of 30-second wall sits to get you started. Just don’t blame me if you begin to resent your best smart speaker afterwards. 

Previous Post

Ardeer Thistle appeal for more coaches to join development side

Next Post

Slim.AI introduces beta software supply chain container security as a service

Related Posts

Khloe Kardashian Celebrates 38th Birthday With Daughter True: Photos – Hollywood Life
Entertainment

Khloe Kardashian Celebrates 38th Birthday With Daughter True: Photos – Hollywood Life

View gallery Image Credit: Frank...

Read more
Ricky Martin says domestic abuse allegations ‘fabricated’
Entertainment

Ricky Martin says domestic abuse allegations ‘fabricated’

A judge in Puerto Rico...

Read more
Tobii Officially Named As Eye-Tracking Tech Provider For PSVR 2
Entertainment

Tobii Officially Named As Eye-Tracking Tech Provider For PSVR 2

Sony Interactive Entertainment has officially...

Read more
Piece Hall gigs: Photos of Paloma Faith wowing at a sell-out show in Halifax last night
Entertainment

Piece Hall gigs: Photos of Paloma Faith wowing at a sell-out show in Halifax last night

The award-winning singer-songwriter brought style,...

Read more
Wordle 379 July 3 daily HINTS: Can’t solve today’s Wordle? Three clues to help with answer | Gaming | Entertainment
Entertainment

Wordle 379 July 3 daily HINTS: Can’t solve today’s Wordle? Three clues to help with answer | Gaming | Entertainment

Sunday may be the day...

Read more
Load More
Next Post

Slim.AI introduces beta software supply chain container security as a service

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

Ardeer Thistle: Hugh Clarke of Clarke ePOS UK to take over

Classic Macaroni Salad (quick and creamy)

Classic Macaroni Salad (quick and creamy)

Dog Waited Seven Days At Side Of Road Because His Owner Said ‘Stay’

Dog Waited Seven Days At Side Of Road Because His Owner Said ‘Stay’

Porn star faces ‘mortality’ after suffering from stroke in near-death experience

Porn star faces ‘mortality’ after suffering from stroke in near-death experience

Khloe Kardashian Celebrates 38th Birthday With Daughter True: Photos – Hollywood Life

Khloe Kardashian Celebrates 38th Birthday With Daughter True: Photos – Hollywood Life

Found water seepage in basement at (almost) final walkthrough : RealEstate

Found water seepage in basement at (almost) final walkthrough : RealEstate

15 Classroom Decor Resources and Bulletin Board Ideas

15 Classroom Decor Resources and Bulletin Board Ideas

How to Repair • Science of Parenting • Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

Establishing the Environment • Science of Parenting • Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

About Us

Todayheadline the independent news and topics discovery
A home-grown and independent news and topic aggregation . displays breaking news linking to news websites all around the world.

Follow Us

Latest News

Khloe Kardashian Celebrates 38th Birthday With Daughter True: Photos – Hollywood Life

Khloe Kardashian Celebrates 38th Birthday With Daughter True: Photos – Hollywood Life

Found water seepage in basement at (almost) final walkthrough : RealEstate

Found water seepage in basement at (almost) final walkthrough : RealEstate

Khloe Kardashian Celebrates 38th Birthday With Daughter True: Photos – Hollywood Life

Khloe Kardashian Celebrates 38th Birthday With Daughter True: Photos – Hollywood Life

Found water seepage in basement at (almost) final walkthrough : RealEstate

Found water seepage in basement at (almost) final walkthrough : RealEstate

15 Classroom Decor Resources and Bulletin Board Ideas

15 Classroom Decor Resources and Bulletin Board Ideas

  • Real Estate
  • Education
  • Parenting
  • Cooking
  • NFL Games On TV Today
  • Travel and Tourism
  • Home & Garden
  • Pets
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
  • About

© 2021 All rights are reserved Todayheadline

No Result
View All Result
  • Real Estate
  • Education
  • Parenting
  • Cooking
  • NFL Games On TV Today
  • Travel and Tourism
  • Home & Garden
  • Pets
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
  • About

© 2021 All rights are reserved Todayheadline

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Posting....