25 Simple Ways to Get More Steps In Your Day

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So you’ve heard it a million times: Walk more! Aim for 10,000 steps a day! But taking the stairs instead of the elevator will only get you so far. Steal a few of these fresh tips to help you rack up your mileage.

1. Pace the room while waiting at the doctor’s office.

2. Grocery shopping? Make an extra tour around the perimeter aisles before checking out.

3. Use the restroom one floor down (or up) at work instead of heading for the one just down the hall.

4. Ditto with your coffee.

5. Hide the remote so you have to actually get up to change the channel. Better yet, turn off the TV.

6. Instead of fighting other drivers for that single open spot near the door, do your blood pressure a favor and park several rows away.

7. Walk around the block while your kid is taking dance class/playing soccer/whatever.

8. Get off the bus or subway one stop early.

9. March in place while brushing your teeth (go ahead and shut the door first if you’d like).

10. Going to the mailbox? Take a tour around the house first—then take the time to say hello to that chatty neighbor who flags you down.

11. Hoof it to the store when you’re only buying a few easy-to-carry items.

12. Walk over to your coworker’s desk instead of e-mailing her.

13. Make it a nightly habit to go for an after-dinner stroll with the family.

14. Early for an appointment? Walk around the block instead of adding to your interminable time in the waiting room.

15. Take a daily afternoon “brainstorming” walk.

16. Wander the room while chatting on the phone.

17. Walk your child to school instead of waiting in the endless carpool line.

18. Instead of cooping yourself and your coworkers up in a stuffy conference room, make your next meeting a walking one.

19. Headed to the mall? Stroll the length of it once before you start buying—and scout the sales while you’re at it.

20. Set the alarm on your computer to go off every hour or two, then take a quick tour around the floor (or even just a trip up and down the hall) when it does.

21. Next time you have to run a couple of errands, park midway between your destinations and walk to them both. In between, pause to leave the dry cleaning in the car before strolling over to pick up your best friend’s birthday gift.

22. Leave the stilettos in the closet and charm your hubby (or boyfriend) into taking a moonlit walk after dinner at your favorite restaurant.

23. Tell yourself that you’re allergic to escalators and act accordingly.

24. Instead of getting together with the girls for a stay-put meal, plan an evening of window-shopping or an afternoon of new-neighborhood scouting.

25. Whenever possible (and safe), take the scenic route!

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Flat Butt: Workout For A Rounder Butt

 

If you compare fitness to the fashion world, a shapely, lifted derriere would be the highlighted fashion trend of the season. From J-Lo and Iggy Azalea to Queen Bey herself, the booty does seem to be “rockin’ everywhere” at the moment. For those of us fitness enthusiasts (or simply anyone not walking a runway), tight backsides have always been in style.

But, for the sake of those lovely lady lumps, weâ€re willing to play along with the media hype. Here are 5 exercises to perk up your backside in no time flat!

 

 

Grasshopper with resistance band

Place a resistance band around your ankles and lie on your stomach, resting your head in your hands. Press the legs away from each other until you feel some tension on the band. Keep that tension on the band and lift your thighs up off the floor as high as you can (it may only be a few inches). From there, start to bend the knees, bringing your heels to your butt (think hamstring curl), and then extend the legs back out to straight. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
Tip: Squeeze your abs in tight the whole time to take pressure off your lower back.

RELATED: 18 Moves to Tone Your Butt, Thighs, and Legs

 

 

Kneeling side leg circles

Lateral glute work is the best way to round out your rump. When you move laterally, you work the gluteus medius, aka that little muscle at the top of your tush that helps lift everything up. Try kneeling on your right knee with your right hand on the floor, left hand on your hip and your left leg extended out to the side. Start to draw small circles with the left leg, being sure to keep the hips steady. Do 15 and then reverse the direction for another 15. Then repeat on the other leg. For eve more of a challenge, try adding ankle weights.

 

 

Pelvic lift with foam roller

Grab a foam roller and lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Then, take the foam roller and place it horizontally underneath the arches of your feet. Squeeze your glutes and slowly start to press your hips up to the ceiling into a hip bridge, then roll down one vertebra at a time. Do 10 reps; on the 10th one, hold the hips up as high as you can while slowly sending the roller out away from you a few inches and back in. Do 10 reps from the bridge position. Donâ€t just go through the motions; be sure to really squeeze your glutes at the top to feel that extra burn.

 

 

 

 

Fire hydrant with weight

Get on all fours, making sure your knees are directly beneath the hips and the wrists underneath the shoulders. Place a 4- to 6-pound ankle weight on your left leg. Send the knee out laterally to a 90-degree angle, hold for a second and then slowly bring it back in. On the 15th rep try holding it up for 10 seconds. Switch legs. If youâ€re a beginner, try it without the weight first and then add it in when you feel ready.
Tip: Make sure the elbows stay locked in place and pull your navel in towards the spine to keep the back from arching.

 

 

Carriage kicks with towel

Place your right foot on a towel or paper plate and send your right leg back into a lunge. Slowly start to draw your right knee in and out, being sure to keep your left leg bent in the lunge. After 15 reps, bring the right leg in halfway and then dip both hips down as low as you can, squeezing your butt to stand. Do 10 of those and then repeat on the other side.
Tip: Keep the back heel lifted and put most of your body weight in the front heel.

For more ways to stay ‘in the know†this season, check out 7 Ways to Keep Your Summer Body in the Fall.

Jennifer Cohen is a leading fitness authority, TV personality, entrepreneur and best-selling author of the new book, Strong is the New Skinny. With her signature, straight-talking approach to wellness, Jennifer was the featured trainer on The CWâ€s Shedding for the Wedding, mentoring the contestants†to lose hundreds of pounds before their big day, and she appears regularly on NBCâ€s Today Show, Extra, The Doctors and Good Morning America. Connect with Jennifer on Facebook, Twitter, G+ and on Pinterest.

 

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Special-Needs Trust: How to Ensure the Care of Your Disabled Child

A special-needs trust can take some worry out of raising your disabled child, as it helps ensure that he or she will continue to qualify for government assistance programs.(ISTOCKPHOTO/HEALTH)

Caring for special-needs children can be very expensive. Some parents are prepared to spend a small fortune to provide food, shelter, and medical care for their special-needs kids. But what if the care becomes unaffordable? And who will take over when the parents are no longer around?

“People with disabilities are now living long lives,” says Chris Cooper, a certified financial planner in Toledo. “They’re living into old age and getting old-age problems like Alzheimers and arthritis, so they’re dependent much longer.” In conjunction with government assistance, a special-needs trust can ensure that your child is set for life.

What is a special-needs trust?
A special-needs trust, also known as a supplemental trust, is a safe place to park assets for your disabled child. First of all, the trust is protected; if you are sued, go through a divorce, or have your will contested, the funds cannot be touched and there will never be an interruption in available money for your child. Second, by giving money to the trust rather than directly to your child, he or she will continue to qualify for government assistance programs. “You can give money in such a way that the state doesn’t view it as an asset or a resource,” Cooper says.

How does a special-needs trust interact with government programs?
Many children with special needs—a category that comprises a wide array of medical, behavioral, developmental, learning, and mental-health conditions—qualify for government assistance programs such as Medicaid, which covers most medical services and housing, and Supplemental Security Income, which provides a monthly stipend for basic living needs. These programs are administered on the state level; though eligibility requirements vary, in most states your child cannot have more than $2,000 in assets. If you or a relative bequeaths more than that to your child, it should be placed in a special-needs trust; otherwise he or she can be disqualified from government programs.

How do I set up a special-needs trust?
Initiate the trust as soon as you determine that your child may not be capable of supporting himself. If your child’s development improves and he is able to earn a living, great—the trust can always be dissolved and the funds returned to you or given to the child. Special-needs trusts are complicated animals, however, and rules vary from state to state. You should find a financial planner who deals specifically in this area of the law.

How do I fund the trust?
Although you can fund the trust with your estate or the proceeds of a life insurance policy, Ron Pearson, a certified financial planner in Virginia Beach, Va., who specializes in families with special-needs children, recommends that you do it throughout your lifetime. Should you die unexpectedly, the trust will already be operational and able to provide your child with money. You should also inform your extended family about the trust so that relatives don’t inadvertently disqualify your child. Aunt Edna’s thoughtful $10,000 inheritance should be left to the trust, not the individual.

How will my child use the trust?
The money is doled out by a trustee, either yourself or someone you designate. The funds can be used anytime, not just after your death. For instance, you might make use of government programs to provide basic expenses like medical care and housing, while using a special-needs trust for “enhanced care that improves the quality of life,” says Pearson. Pearson, the father of two developmentally disabled sons who live in a group home, says he gives his sons money from their trusts that they mostly spend on country music CDs. You could also use the money for medical equipment or care that Medicaid doesnt cover.

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