It's census day!

Given how important the census is to our work, I thought I'd send out a friendly reminder that it is census day. Don't forget to fill out your questionnaire. It only takes a few minutes. You can find it here.

Springtime photos

Fun names

I know many of you keep track of interesting names that you find in the course of doing your work. Here is a list of fun names from Irene.

• Fairy Lane
• Minnie Monor
• Hope Noble
• Daily Brewer
• Virginia Pork
• Violet Dove
• Golden Day
• May Day
• Winter Day
• Daisy Gardener
• Nector White
• Warfman Fisher
• Waterman Fisher
• Short Beams
• Joseph Free Cheeseman
• Horse Paynter
• Prince Short
• Hazel Green
• Worth Laughlin
• Merry Christmas Galehouse

Article by a colleague

Here is a link to an article by one of our EI project colleagues at the University of Michigan. He's been doing research on COVID-19. We thought you might be interested in the article.

Arms Monday

On Mondays with use hands weights to do arm and upper body exercises. We do the exercises while standing up, but you could probably do most of them sitting in a chair. If you’re a beginner, you might consider doing the exercises a few times without using hand weights. If you are using weights, begin with lighter weights, and as the exercises get easier, increase the amount of weight you’re lifting. Always use a smooth and controlled motion to lift the weights.

Here are the exercises. We do anywhere from 10 to 16 repetitions of each exercise. We don’t necessarily do the exercises in the order they are listed here.

Overhead press

Holding a weight in each hand, the starting position is with your elbows bent so your hands are near your shoulders. The move is to straighten your arm and reach above your head. At the top of the move, your arms are fully extended toward the ceiling. Return your arms to the starting position. This is one repetition.

Chest press

Hold the weights in each hand at chest level. Your elbows should be bent at the sides of your torso. Extend your arms in front of you. Your arms should be fully extended and parallel to the floor. Return your arms to the starting position. This is one repetition.

Double-arm rows

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, one foot forward and one foot back. Bend at your hip flexors, pulling your belly button to your spine. Hold a weight in each hand with your arms extended straight toward the floor. Pull the weights up with both hands by bending your arms and shooting your elbows up behind your back. You should feel your shoulder blades come together. Your hands will be at chest level. Return to the starting position. This is one repetition. You should feel this exercise in your back muscles.

Bicep curls

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Hold one weight in each hand with your arms hanging at your sides and palms facing your legs. Press the sides of your arms from the elbow to your shoulder against your body. This is to anchor your arms so that only the lower half moves. Lift the weights by bending your arms at your elbows. While lifting your arms, twist them so your palms face your chest. Return to the starting position. This is one repetition. You can do this move with both arms at the same time or do each arm individually. We’ll often do several double-arm bicep curls then finish off the move with single-arm bicep curls.

Bicep curls with extension

I don’t actually know what the second half of this move is called. Sorry. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Hold one weight in each hand with your arms hanging at your sides and palms facing your legs. Press the sides of your arms from the elbow to your shoulder against your body. This is to anchor your arms so that only the lower half moves. Lift the weights by bending your arms at your elbows. While lifting your arms, twist them so your palms face your chest. At the top of the bicep curl, keeping your hands in the same position facing your chest, extend your arms straight to the ceiling. Return to the position at the top of the bicep curl. Return to the bicep curl starting position. This is one repetition.

Tricep kickbacks

Hold one weight in each hand. Extend your arms behind you with your elbows bent. Your hands are holding the weights at the level of your bottom, but behind it. Keep your arms stiff from the elbow to the shoulder. Extend your lower arms so that you straighten your arms behind you. Return your arms to the starting position by bending them at the elbows. This is one repetition. You can do this move with both arms at the same time or do each arm individually. We often combine this move with the bicep curl. One bicep curl and one tricep kickback being a single repetition.

Overhead French press

This is another exercise for your triceps. Hold a weight in each hand. Extend your arms above your head, holding the weights together. Bend your elbows so your lower arms are just over your head, parallel to the floor, and the weights are at the back of your head. This is your starting position. Straighten your arm, so they are extended toward the ceiling. Return to the starting position. This is one repetition.

Lateral raises

Hold one weight in each hand. Bend your elbows 90 degrees so that you are holding the weights in front of you just below your chest. Keeping your arms bent, raise them out, so the elbows are in line with your shoulders. Your elbows and shoulders should form a line that is parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position. This is one repetition.

Shoulder raises

We usually do shoulder raises one arm at a time. This allows us to focus more on form in a move most of us find somewhat difficult. In the starting position, your arm is hanging by your side. Lift your arm so it is extended straight out to your side at about chest height and parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position. Lift your arm so that it is extended straight in front of your at about chest height and parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position. This is one repetition. Complete all repetitions on one side before switching to the other side. These are difficult and we usually only do about six repetitions.

Fly

This is similar to the chest press, but your arms are in a slightly different position, so you’ll work slightly different muscles in your chest. Hold a weight in each hand. The weights are held in front of your, but instead of your arms being straight, they are curved like you’re hugging a tree or a telephone pole. Leading with your bent elbows, open your arms. Keeping your elbows bent, close your arms again like you’re hugging the tree. This is one repetition.

Reverse fly

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, one foot forward and one foot back. Bend at your hip flexors, pulling your belly button to your spine. Hold a weight in each hand with your arms extended toward the floor, but instead of your arms being straight, they are curved like you’re hugging a tree or a telephone pole. Leading with your bent elbows, open your arms. You will feel your shoulder blades come together. Keeping your elbows bent, close your arms again like you’re hugging the tree. This is one repetition.

Dead lift to upright row

You’ll remember that we did this exercise on leg day. I thought we could repeat it here because it involves both legs and arms. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Tuck your belly button to your spine to protect your back. Bend at your hip flexors (not at your belly button) with your arms hanging in front of you. Keep your back straight. In the down position, your arms (with or without weights) are dangling toward the floor. Do not bend your knees. As you return to the standing position, pull up your arms so that they are bent at the elbow and your hands are in line with the top of your chest. It’s like your using both hands to pick up something from the floor. This is one repetition. If you’re doing this correctly, you’ll feel a stretch in the back of your legs.

We end this workout with a plank. See last Wednesday’s post for instructions on how to do a plank.

AnnaLisa's morning walk

Thanks to AnnaLisa for sharing pictures from her morning walk yesterday. I have to agree with her that the light was beautiful. Enjoy!

Bands Friday

On Fridays we exercise with resistance bands. These are long, thin pieces of plastic that you can stretch in all directions and easily vary the resistance. To vary the resistance on the band, change where you are holding it. That is, to make it easier with less resistance, hold the band nearer to the ends. To make it more difficult with more resistance, hold the band closer to the center. What I really like about using resistance bands is that for many of the moves, you use your body to anchor the band. This helps to work your core even while you’re doing other exercises.

Here are some band exercises. We do anywhere from 10 to 16 repetitions of each exercise.

Overhead stretch

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the band with both hands spaced a comfortable distance apart. Extend your hands above your head, so the band is parallel to the floor. Stretch the band by lowering your arms to your side. At the bottom of the move, your arms should be sticking out to your sides, parallel to the floor. Return your hands to the starting position. This is one repetition. If the move is too easy or too difficult, adjust the position of your hands on the band.

Chest-level stretch

The next move is similar, and we usually move directly into it from the first stretch. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the band with both hands spaced a comfortable distance apart. Extend your arms so they are straight, and your hands are in front of you. Hold the band so it’s parallel with the floor.  Open your arms so that they are sticking out to your sides, parallel to the floor. Return your hands to the starting position. You’re opening and closing your arms. This is one repetition. If the move is too easy or too difficult, adjust the position of your hands on the band.

The next two moves I like to combine with a mini-squat. This is just a partial squat in which you bend your knees then come right back up to a standing position.

Overhead, single-arm stretch

Place the band behind your back and hold it at chest level. While holding the band, and using your back as an anchor, extend one arm to the ceiling. Return it to the starting position. Extend the opposite arm to the ceiling. Return to the starting position. This is one repetition.

Across the chest, single-arm stretch

Place the band behind your back and hold it at chest level. While holding the band, and using your back as an anchor, extend one arm to stretch the band across your chest. Return it to the starting position. Extend the opposite arm across your chest. Return to the starting position. This is one repetition.

Lat pulls

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the band in both hands. To anchor the move, extend one arm straight out, so your hand is somewhere between eye-level and just above your head. Keep this arm still. Your hands should be comfortably spaced on the band and at the same level at the beginning of the exercise. Use the non-anchor hand to pull the band down and back. This is single motion, not a two-step process. You hand will end up at the level of your hip and slightly behind it. Return to the starting position. You should feel this exercise in your back muscles. Complete all repetitions on one side before switching arms.

Chest press

Band around your back at chest level. Holding the band in both hands, elbows bent so your hands are at chest level. Extend both arms straight in front of you, so they are parallel with the floor. Return to the starting position. This is one repetition. You are pushing the band in front of you. If you want to make this move a little more difficult, don’t release all the tension in the band when you return to the starting position.

Double-arm rows

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, one foot forward and one foot back. Use your front foot to stand in the center of the band. Bend at your hip flexors, pulling your belly button to your spine. Hold one side of the band in each hand with your arms extended straight toward the floor. Pull the band up with both hands by bending your arms and shooting your elbows up into the air. Your hands will be at chest level. Return to the starting position. This is one repetition. You should feel this exercise in your back muscles. Complete all repetitions one side before switching to the other side.

Bicep curls

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, one foot forward and one foot back. Use your front foot to stand in the center of the band. Hold one side of the band in each hand. Press the sides of your arms from the elbow to your shoulder against your body. This is to anchor your arms so that only the lower half moves. Pull up the band by bending your arms at your elbows. Return to the starting position. This is one repetition. You can do this move with both arms at the same time or do each arm individually. We’ll often do several double-arm bicep curls then finish off the move with single-arm bicep curls.

Tricep kickbacks

Anchor the band around your waist. Hold one side of the band in each hand. Your arms should be bent with your hands holding the band near your bottom. Keep your arms stiff from the elbow to the shoulder. Extend your lower arms so that you straighten your arms behind you. Return your arms to the starting position by bending them at the elbows. This is one repetition. You can do this move with both arms at the same time or do each arm individually.

Tricep extensions

Hold the band in both hands. Your arms should be bent so your hands are at about chest height. One arm is the anchor and will not move. Keep your arm you will move stiff from the elbow to the shoulder. Straighten that arm by extending it to your side away from your body. The arm you extend with be a little lower than the other arm. Return your arm to the starting position. This is one repetition. Complete all repetitions one side before switching to the other side.

Shoulder raises

Stand with a foot on one end of the band. Hold the other end in your hand on the same side of your body. In the starting position, your arm is hanging by your side. Lift your arm so it is extended straight out to your side at about chest height. Return to the starting position. Lift your arm so that it is extended straight in front of your at about chest height. Return to the starting position. This is one repetition. Complete all repetitions on one side before switching to the other side. These are difficult and we usually only do about six repetitions.

Side bend with a twist

Stand with a foot on one end of the band. Hold the other end in your hand on the same side of your body. This move will be similar to the side bend we did in yoga. Extend your arm and the band over your head. Tip to one side until you feel the stretch. Hold for a couple of counts. Return to the starting position. This is one repetition. Do four or five of these before moving on to the twist.

For the twist, instead of extending your arm, stand with your elbow bent and your hand at about shoulder level next to your body. You want to feel some resistance on the band. With your hips remaining forward, twist your torso away from the band. Return to the starting position. This is one repetition. Do four or five of these. Switch sides and do both exercises.

We end this workout with a plank. No need to use the band for this. See Wednesday’s post for instructions on how to do a plank. Come back Monday for arm day!