Rights for Domestic Workers

Untapped Potential 

More women in India are receiving an education than ever before and the country has recorded consistent economic growth. Despite this, India continues to have one of lowest rates of female workforce participation in the world.

Close to 54 percent of working age women between the ages of 15 to 59 are not available for work because of household responsibilities or domestic work. In addition, they undertake additional tasks such as fetching wood and water which goes towards the care and sustenance of their family.

Such work is called many things – unpaid care work, reproductive work, social care functions and so on. Statistics indicate however that close to one-third of women who are engaged in domestic work in their own households would like to engage in paid work. These statistics explain the increasing demand for work performed in or for a household(s), in an employment relationship.

Hired domestic workers ease the burden of individual households by undertaking household chores in return for remuneration. The tasks include the care of children and the elderly, cooking, driving, cleaning, grocery shopping, running errands and taking care of household pets, particularly in urban areas. However, despite the benefits this work brings to individual households, domestic workers are often not recognized as workers by society.

Tasks performed by them are not recognized as ‘work’. Domestic workers in India continue to struggle for visibility and recognition. While several legislations such as the Unorganized Social Security Act, 2008, Sexual Harassment against Women at Work Place (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and Minimum Wages Schedules notified in various states refer to domestic workers, there remains an absence of comprehensive, uniformly applicable, national legislation that guarantees fair terms of employment and decent working conditions. Domestic workers should however be guaranteed the same terms of employment has enjoyed by other workers.

Understanding domestic work

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Unlike other forms of labour market activity, domestic work takes place in an unconventional place of work, i.e. the household. Gaining public acceptance of a household as a place of work is a challenge. Implementation of labour laws such as minimum wages and regularized work hours, which are essential elements of any kind of work, also remains a challenge. Such regulation is complex because the nature of domestic work is unique compared to other forms of work. The sector lacks effective means to regulate working conditions, for example, through streamlined job descriptions which could be offered through standard contracts. Furthermore, unlike work in a formal setting, domestic work is not guided by clear and agreed production or output goals. Enforcing labour laws remains a significant bottleneck. This is because privacy norms do not bode well with the idea of labour inspectors entering private households and ensuring regulations. Domestic workers remain largely invisible and unrecognized.

Policymakers, legislative bodies and people need to recognize the existence of an employment relationship in domestic work. Such a view would see domestic workers as not just “helpers” who are “part of the family” but as employed workers entitled to the rights and dignity that employment brings with it.

Invisible and unrecognized but crucial for women’s livelihoods

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At present, domestic work stands as a readily-available livelihood option for millions of women. While a large number of women are engaged in this sector, it is important to look at the working conditions that exist in this sector. Fixing fair, minimum wages, providing weekly days off and paid annual leaves, protecting from physical and sexual abuse and ensuring social security, are key issues that need to be addressed by the government nationally, and across India’s states.

Law and order versus rights-based approaches

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Physical and sexual abuses against domestic workers are often reported in the media. Various studies and reports also reveal that domestic workers are subjected to discrimination on grounds of religion, caste and ethnicity. Often, these challenges are placed in a law and order framework instead of a labour rights framework. Regulating domestic work through legislation is the only way to address abuses against domestic workers.

States protection for domestic workers

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State governments of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu have taken several steps to improve the working conditions of domestic workers and to provide access to social security schemes. Seven states including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, and Rajasthan have introduced minimum wages for domestic workers. State governments of Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu have also constituted Welfare Boards for domestic workers who are able to avail of welfare benefits by registering with these Boards. However, despite these efforts, a large majority of domestic workers remain outside the purview of labour laws even today.  

Addressing gender inequality through equality of domestic work

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Domestic work has enabled many women to enter the labour market and benefit from economic autonomy. However, this has not translated into gender equality. Worldwide, household responsibilities and unpaid care work continue to pose significant barriers to women’s labour market participation. On many occasions, ILO has argued the need to change the idea that care-giving is a private domestic responsibility unique to women.

A greater sense of social co-responsibility must be developed- first towards a redistribution of responsibilities between households, the market and the state, that is a shift toward society as a whole assuming responsibility for the process of reproducing the labour force; and second, towards redistributing reproductive work/unpaid care work between men and women, in line with the change that has already taken place regarding productive (paid) work.

In order to leave behind the assumption that women alone must balance productive work with family and care responsibilities, we must foster alternative models of maternity, paternity and masculinity. Hence, what is needed is a reconfiguration of the financing of ‘care’ from the current model that relies heavily on the households, the women and the domestic workers, to the state. This can be done through measures such as making available good quality full-day child care especially for the low income population and facilitating the development of effective policies to enable workers to meet demands of unpaid work (for example, leave policies and working time policies). Moreover, access to care infrastructure needs to be reflected in the design of the Social Protection Floors alongside other recognized elements such as health protection and income protection.

The large supply of domestic workers in India has meant a meant a shift of care responsibilities from women in the households to hired domestic workers who are a predominantly female and largely invisible. This, in itself, did not challenge broader structural gender inequality. Hence, ILO’s demands for decent work for domestic workers are two pronged- first and foremost, it calls for recognition of the rights of domestic workers for fair terms of employment that are no less favourable than those of other workers; secondly, it calls for the active participation of the state and the recognition of the existence of structural inequality that is perpetuated by not recognizing the sheer weight of ‘care work’.

Pakistani Stories of Motivation

Fighting Exploitation With Education – Pakistani Stories of Motivation

Empowerment and initiative are essential in order to impose domestic workers’ rights and to prevent unfair treatment in the workplace.  This empowerment and initiative can be achieved through educating people who are victims of of domestic labor abuse.  Education has the ability to create more stable families and communities; it prevents people from being taken advantage of in terms of human trafficking and domestic worker exploitation.

Exploitation of workers often occurs in impoverished communities that suffer from political and economic instability.  This instability leads to a lack of necessary education and, therefore, a lack of motivation for people to create progressive lives for themselves.  This lack of motivation keeps communities stagnant and allows them to become easy targets on which to capitalize and abuse.

Today, there are some organizations, such as the Aurat Foundation, that enter regions like the Shakriyal community of Rawalpindi, Pakistan, in order to provide an education, specifically for women.  In this community, “200 households were surveyed [...] to identify women wanting to pursue driving as a career.”  This foundation not only trains women, but connects them to the labor market.  This process reminds women of their capabilities and empowers them to make something of themselves for the sake of their family;  this empowerment helps them to break out of the domestic labor cycle of unfair treatment.  Women are empowered to support their families, which then sets a positive example for their children who look up to them. [1]

Education may be the most powerful weapon against domestic labor and human trafficking.  It gives people a voice and teaches them how to use it in a progressive and efficient way.  One woman who took part in this training with the Aurat Foundation, Aliya, has “found a new purpose in life” and says, “I have saved enough from my monthly stipend and travel allowance to send my children to school and afford pick and drop.  I can provide for my family.”  These women are now literate, aware of self-defense tactics, and can drive.  They have saved their own lives and the lives of their families.  This salvation may have never been achieved if these women were not inspired to believe in themselves as strong and capable individuals and encouraged to seek work on their own. [1]

For those who live in communities where an education seemingly comes free, it is so easy to depreciate the value of the academic institution, and it is so hard to imagine how life would differ if education was not part of our reality.  Without education, many of us might not understand what we are literally capable of accomplishing, in terms of reading, writing, comprehension, problem solving, speech, making sense, interacting, and being interesting.  There is so much doubt and self-consciousness that persists without an education.  Education is not just about understanding the world, in its infinite facets, but also about discovering oneself and creating something more.  When people are not made aware of these undeveloped skills, warding off exploitation, which is often times carried out by relentless and narrow-minded individuals, is nearly impossible.

Many uneducated, suffering women want an education but do not have the financial or social means to obtain it;  some women, such as Pakistani pupil Malala Yousafzai, are advancing this fight.  In her town of Mingora, the Taliban had prohibited women from attending school.  This sense of corruption is a different kind of exploitation from that of the Skakriyal community; it is also an assertion of dominance over women but, in this case, an organization such as the Aurat Foundation would most likely not survive against the Taliban.  Yousafzai was shot by the Taliban, survived, and then still fought for her life as the Taliban intended to kill her and her father.  Throughout this mayhem, she continued her narrative and activist blog for BBC, and even spoke at the UN in 2013 to promote education and awareness.  Yousafzai even opened the Library of Birmingham last month, September 2013, which demonstrated the severity and gravity of this issue to the world.  She proved how some issues are worth fighting for.  Without this library and without fighting exploitation, women would continue to be abused in Mingora, simply because of their gender. [2]

The more organizations that follow in these faith-inducing footsteps, to educate and to motivate, the more likely fair domestic workers’ rights will be achieved and exploitation will cease; less young women will have to risk their lives, standing alone.

[1] http://tribune.com.pk/story/615333/car-van-leaders-from-domestic-workers-to-professional-drivers/2013/

[2] http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50157008n

PAKISTAN:domestic labour

1. THE PROBLEM

A weak economy, the deteriorating security situation and rule of law,⁵ and a growing population⁶ have all contributed to an increase in reports of modern slavery, particularly of children and bonded labourers in Pakistan.⁷ Poverty and illiteracy are severe,⁸ both of which make people, especially children, vulnerable to various forms of modern slavery. Modern slavery occurs in Pakistan in primary industries, manufacturing, commercial sexual exploitation, forced begging and domestic servitude.

THE BRICK MAKING INDUSTRY HAS A PARTICULARLY HIGH LEVEL OF BONDED LABOURERS, EXPLOITING NOT ONLY VULNERABLE CHILDREN, BUT ALSO TRADITIONAL ‘LOW-CASTE’ FAMILY LABOURERS

Bonded labour is the greatest problem in Pakistan. The Asian Development Bank estimates that 1.8 million people⁹ are bonded labourers, though many NGOs place the estimate much higher.¹⁰ Bonded labour affects men, women and children largely from rural areas who travel to cities to find work, and has been reported in many industries, primarily brick kilns,¹¹ but also in agriculture, fisheries and mining. Debt bondage is a significant problem, particularly in the Sindh and Punjab provinces. Particularly vulnerable to exploitation are the 1.6 million Afghan refugees who largely work in the informal economy.¹² The brick making industry has a particularly high level of bonded labourers, exploiting not only vulnerable children, but also traditional ‘low-caste’ family labourers. Unofficial sources claim that Punjab has as many as 5,000 kilns.¹³

Many adult Pakistani men and women migrate voluntarily to the Gulf states, Iran, Turkey, South Africa, Uganda, Maldives, Greece and other European countries for low skilled employment such as domestic work, driving or construction work.¹⁴ Many migrants fall victim to fraudulent recruiting practices by illegal labour agents: coercion, non-payment of wages, withholding of passports and physical abuse.

There are reports of children subjected to forced labour, begging¹⁵ and sexual exploitation in Pakistan, and forcible recruitment into extremist and non-state militant groups where they suffer physical, sexual and psychological abuse.¹⁶ There are reports of child sex trafficking between Iran and Pakistan. High levels of child labour exist in Pakistan.¹⁷ The Federal Bureau of Statistics estimates 3.8 million children between the ages of five and 14 are working in Pakistan.¹⁸

Organ trafficking is a problem: in mid 2011 there were reportedly a total of 42 illegal kidney transplant facilities in the country, 14 of which are in Punjab.¹⁹

NOTABLE ASPECTS OF THE PROBLEM

THERE ARE HIGH RATES OF FORCED MARRIAGE OF WOMEN AND GIRLS

Cultural practices play a significant role in modern slavery in Pakistan. Individuals belonging to lower kinship groups among Muslims and scheduled castes among Hindus are particularly vulnerable. Additionally, Vaani and Swara are still practiced.²⁰ These practices are methods of settling blood feuds between clans by forcing a young girl to marry a man from the enemy clan. Attributable to this, there are high rates of forced marriage of women and girls.

The Child Marriages Restraint Act 1929 states the legal marriageable age of females as 16, two years younger than the international minimum. Males cannot legally be married until 18, highlighting obvious gender discrimination. Shariah law however uses puberty as a criterion for marriage and does not specify any age. This conflicts with provisions of the Child Marriages Restraint Act making the law hard to implement and therefore being largely ineffective as prevalence of child marriage persists.²¹

2. WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT DOING ABOUT IT?

PAKISTAN	Ratified
Slavery Convention	Yes
Supplementary Slavery Convention	Yes
UN Trafficking Protocol	No
Forced Labour Convention	Yes
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention	Yes
CRC Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children	Yes
Domestic Work Convention	No

Government efforts to address modern slavery in Pakistan are poorly coordinated and executed. There are still large gaps in rules and regulations and no rehabilitation programmes for people affected by modern slavery seem to be in place.

Pakistan has ratified several key treaties on modern slavery but not the UN Trafficking Protocol or the Domestic Work Convention.

The budget allocated by the Government of Pakistan to respond to modern slavery is not known. The responsibility for labour inspections sits with provincial governments since devolution of central responsibility in 2010, and the mandate of labour inspectorates differs from province to province under local laws. There is a lack of clarity in available information about the status of this process, and how much responsibility provincial governments have taken for anti-slavery initiatives. Generally poor labour conditions, a lack of enforcement of labour laws and standards, and high levels of corruption persist. A lack of adequate labour inspection machinery was identified as a key reason by the ILO Committee of Experts in 2012 on its observations on Convention 29 as to why bonded labourers were not being identified and released.

Pakistan has a National Action Plan for Combating Human Trafficking, developed by the Ministry of Interior, to guide the country’s responses to modern slavery. The Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) hosts an anti-trafficking unit, although this unit’s budget, capacity and level of training are unclear. It also appears that the FIA is primarily concerned with transnational trafficking and does not focus on slavery of Pakistani nationals.

The criminalisation of modern slavery in Pakistan occurs through a complex framework of several legislative and regulatory mechanisms. It does not appear that there is an effective coordinating mechanism for the Government’s multiple responses to modern slavery. Slavery is prohibited in Pakistan’s Constitution. Some forms of modern slavery are criminalised in the Pakistan Penal code but significant gaps remain. Transnational trafficking, but not domestic trafficking, is criminalised under the Prevention and Control of Human Trafficking Ordinance 2002 (PACHTO). While prosecutions and convictions under this Ordinance have been reported by the Government, it is not clear if these convictions are for irregular migration (also cover by this Ordinance) or modern slavery situations.²²

PAKISTAN HAS YET TO SECURE A CONVICTION UNDER THE FORCED LABOUR LAWS, DESPITE THEIR HAVING BEEN IN PLACE FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS

The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) (BLSA) Act of 1992 and the corresponding BLSA Rules of 1995 prohibit and punish bonded labour and provide a mandate for some services to victims. Under the devolution process, federal laws apply to the provinces until provincial laws are enacted. However, it is reported that the Punjab is the only province to have enacted laws on bonded labour. It is also reported that Pakistan has yet to secure a conviction under the forced labour laws, despite them being in place for nearly 20 years.²³

The Government has started a social protection programme for the poorest segment of the population which is likely to affect modern slavery in the country. The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) was initiated by the Government of Pakistan in 2008 as an unconditional cash transfer targeted to women in poor households. BISP represents a major scaling up of social protection systems in Pakistan with a three-fold increase in budgetary outlay in this area in its first year. It currently claims to reach 5 million beneficiaries or up to a fifth of all households. Its use of the census method in beneficiary identification through a poverty scorecard survey ensures that the poorest are targeted. Due to the intersection between the poorest households and people vulnerable to debt bondage BISP is likely playing a part in the reduction of modern slavery in the country.

In response to reports of organ trafficking, the Government enacted the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissue Act 2010, which provides penalties of up to 10 years in jail. The Ministry of Health has been criticised for not implementing the law strongly enough, with a newspaper source stating that 450 cases of organ trade have occurred in Punjab villages since March 2010 when the law was enacted.²⁴

Adequate focus on victim identification and assistance is severely lacking in Pakistan and data about victims is scarce. While modern slavery is widespread, community knowledge of labour rights and the rights of victims of exploitative labour in Pakistan is low.

No protections for the privacy and security of victim-witnesses exist in Pakistani law. The PACHTO makes provision for safe repatriation assistance and confers some temporary immigration rights on victims whose repatriation is not immediately possible, however it is unclear how these rights are applied in practice. The 2013 US TIP Report cited comments of local NGOs to the effect that trafficking victims were sometimes criminalised for offences related to their trafficking, and victims of debt bondage who sought the help of police were sometimes returned to their places of work as “runaways.”²⁵

There is neither a mechanism to coordinate action among provinces nor a national referral mechanism. There is no effective coordination between government actors and NGOs. Some coordination has been achieved though ILO efforts to engage NGOs on the issue of bonded labour. There is no institutional mechanism for data collection and research. The national Government sporadically publishes information on bonded labour and human trafficking. Little information about state budgetary allocations is available, and it is impossible on available information to get an idea of the size of the resources allocated to the issue country-wide.

NOTABLE ASPECTS OF THE RESPONSE

Notwithstanding these challenges, some positive developments have taken place in recent years. Training of judges and labour inspectors on bonded labour and internal trafficking has been conducted in the last year by the ILO. Initiatives run jointly by the Government and the ILO in the brick kiln sector have resulted in the Elimination of Bonded Labour in Brick Kilns programme. Such initiatives have been directed at outreach to communities in which brick kiln labour is common, and have focused on education, microcredit schemes, and registration of sector workers with government.

Community welfare attachés have been established in major destination countries for Pakistani migrant workers including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Libya and the UK. Various NGOs work to assist Pakistanis overseas. In addition, a February 2013 draft of the National Policy for Overseas Pakistanis calls for embassies to take a greater role in protecting Pakistani workers abroad. The Foreign Service Agreement (FSA) procedure provides some checks and balances on overseas recruitment, but is not used by the majority of emigrants.

Women in Pakistan face significant discrimination and high levels of violence (with proportions as high as four in five women having faced some sort of domestic abuse). The Prevention of Anti-Women Practices Bill, that prohibits forced marriages, was passed in 2011, however no information is available in relation to the law’s enforcement, and there is still much work to do in this regard.

3. WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN?

Pakistan should:

• Ratify and implement the UN Trafficking Protocol.
• Ensure that national laws clearly criminalise all forms of modern slavery, and treat this issue separately to irregular migration and people smuggling.
• Publish an annual report on implementation and progress under the National Action Plan for Combating Human Trafficking, including clear data on budget expenditure, and criminal justice statistics on transnational trafficking but also other prevalent forms of modern slavery, such as debt bondage and forced marriage offences.
• Undertake national prevalence estimates on modern slavery, with a specific focus not only on transnational cases but also debt bondage and forced marriage situations.
• Provide budgets to provincial governments to develop and execute action plans, and require reporting on progress.
• Establish a mechanism for coordination across all forms of modern slavery, between government and civil society working on these issues.
• Strengthen efforts to identify and punish those who facilitate and profit from modern slavery, whether this is owners of brick kilns, organisers of physical markets in which victims are sold, or brokers of forced marriages.
• Increase measures to prevent modern slavery, including conducting national community awareness and mobilisation campaigns in local languages, with a particular focus on debt bondage and forced marriage.
• Increase efforts to actively identify and assist victims, strengthen protections for victims of modern slavery and ensure that they are not criminalised, or detained in “women’s shelters.”²⁶
• Continue efforts to raise the status of women and girls. In particular, it should consider measures to reduce the incidence of forced and child marriage.
• Find ways to allow the public to more rapidly and publicly report corruption and complicity of government officials in modern slavery.
• Continue efforts directed at addressing the underlying causes of modern slavery – such as poverty, illiteracy, underemployment, violence against women, discrimination and social exclusion.
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coconut hair oil treatment

You know how much we love coconut oil around here (if you don’t, see this post). We found a brilliant new way to use it. The best part, we have also found a coupon to make it dirt cheap {yes that is a $10 off coupon we just found for it. You are welcome ;)}. Or you can find it there for a great price.

We are all dying to have beautiful, healthy hair right? Hair can feel brittle with the dry winter air. Plus, looking our best for the holiday parties can do some serious heat damage to our lovely locks!

I have a cure; a secret that I stumbled on this year!

I have been using coconut oil in my personal skin care since I was 16. I use it on my kids as a replacement for lotion!  I knew it was good for cooking and skin, but I had no idea how GREAT it was for my hair as well!

In a desperate search to find a cure for my brittle hair, I came across a few articles recommending coconut oil as a moisture treatment. As I dug deeper I found that coconut oil is the oil our hair can absorb better than any other.  If you would like to read some great articles on the benefits of using coconut oil here are some of my favorites: essentious.com miracle-of-coconut-oil.com coconutoilhair.org Coconut oil is meant to be used as a “Pre-Washing” Moisture Treatment. I will walk you through the simple steps for giving your hair that pure moisture it is thirsting for! All you need is: Organic Virgin Coconut Oil (don’t forget you can score this forfree over on Vitacost) A Clip or Elastic A Shower Cap Hair Dryer (optional)

Scoop out a handful of organic virgin coconut oil. My hair is very thick and long so my scoop has to be extra big. The oil will begin to melt at the touch of your skin, there is no need to heat the oil before application. It will melt as you massage it into your hair.

Flip your head upside down and slowly spread the oil through your hair. Saturate your hair completely, focusing on areas that are dry.

Once your hair is soaked with oil, twist your hair into a bun or ponytail. You can clip it in place by grabbing some hair from your scalp and part of the bun, or use a hair tie to keep it in place.

Cover your hair with a shower cap. You can choose to apply heat or not. Applying heat will open the cuticle of each strand so the coconut oil can penetrate the core faster. Leave the coconut oil on your hair for at least 30 minutes without heat, or 15 minutes with heat. You can use a hair dryer to apply heat over the shower cap. I like to rig a little system so I can sit on the floor and read or play with my kids! If I am busy and need to do other things I will leave the oil on my hair without heat.

 Once your time is up wash and condition your hair as you normally would. You may need to wash your hair twice to rinse away all of the oil. I really focus on my roots and try to shampoo my ends as little as needed. Style your hair and be amazed at your soft, smooth hair!

This treatment can be done as often or little as you feel you need. When I started this moisture treatment I applied it every time before I washed my hair. Now that my hair is in much better shape I apply it once a week. It has made a HUGE difference in the health of my hair. I have been able to grow it longer and stronger, which is the goal! For more on coconut oil, where to purchase it from and it’s many uses; read Missy’s Favorite Secret Ingredient! A few other tips I have discovered in caring for my hair: -Use a t-shirt when drying your hair. They are soft and much less abrasive than a towel. Stick your head in hole of a Tee and twist the body and arms around your hair to make a turban. It will give you frizz free silky hair! -If you want your hair to grow faster stimulate your scalp! Massage your  scalp for 5 minutes every day. It will increase the blood flow and help your hair grow faster! -Use shampoos and conditioners that DO NOT contain harmful ingredients! Become familiar with the bad ingredients and make sure to check the labels before you make a purchase! Here is a great link for Hair Care Product Ingredients. The two ingredients that are most confusing: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laurth Sulfate. They are both really common in hair products. Soduim LAURYL sulfate is bad, bad bad! It strips your hair and damages the cuticle, it is a very strong detergent that should not be used for hair! The sad thing is, It is in a lot of shampoos. Sodium LAURTH sulfate is ok, it is very common in shampoos (even expensive brands), it is also a detergent, but much more mild. It is much safer on hair and is nothing harmful compared to it’s cousin Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. Happy Hair!  

The 7-Minute Total Workout, No Equipment Required!

#1 Is It True?

The May-June issue of the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal published an article about the new and wonderful 7-minute workout. The best bit? It requires no gym equipment whatsoever! All you need is a chair, a wall, and your own body weight; do each exercise for 30 seconds with a 10 second rest in between.

Scientists have discovered that the best kind of workout is one that concentrates on the following 12 exercises. Even only a few minutes of high intensity exercise creates molecular changes in your muscles that are similar to those created after running or riding a bicycle for hours! The following 12 exercises that make up the miraculous seven-minute workout do require brief intervals of rest in between each however, in order for the workout to be effective. Ten seconds of rest between each high-intensity exercise is the optimal length of time.

#2 Jumping Jacks

Jumping jacks can also be called star jumps or side-straddle hops. To perform a jumping jack, the first step is to stand up straight with your feet together and your arms at your side. Next, bend your knees slightly and follow this with a jump.

While mid-jump, bring your legs out to the side about shoulder width or slightly wider. As you are moving your legs outward, you should raise your arms up over your head. Remember, your arms don’t have to be completely straight, and a small curve is fine. Your feet must land either shoulder-width, or wider, apart and your arms will remain suspended in the air over your head. The final step is to then jump again, this time placing your feet back together and your arms back down by your side. Repeat this as many times as necessary in order to get your heart rate up.

#3 Wall Sit

The wall sit is a fairly simple exercise that requires you to stand approximately 2 feet in front of a wall with your back facing it. Lean against the wall slowly and begin to slide down the wall until your knees are bent at 90 degree angles, as though you are sitting in a chair. Keep this position for a minimum of 20 seconds or a maximum of 60 seconds depending on your strength.

It is important to keep your abdominal muscles contracted whilst holding this position. You can then come back to your starting position, rest for ten seconds, and then repeat the wall sit. Simple yet effective!

#4 Push-Up

You’re all familiar with push-ups, and this exercise is great for targeting your pectoral muscles, triceps, and anterior deltoids. Push-ups also benefit your midsection and core as a whole. Push-ups are performed by pushing your body up and down using your upper body and arm strength.

To do a correct push-up, you must first get on the floor and position your hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Next, raise your body up onto your toes so you are balanced on your hands and toes. It is important to keep your body in a straight line from head to toe without sagging your torso or arching your back. Don’t forget to keep your abdominal muscles contracted throughout the exercise! To safely resume back to your starting position, slowly bend your elbows and lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle.

#5 Some Notes on Push-Ups

Push-ups are one of the best calisthenics you can do, but most people do them wrong. Make sure your form is perfect on these! Many people do them too fast, robbing themselves of the workout. A good push-up takes about 3 seconds to complete.

Also make sure your body is as flat as a plank and your elbows are at a 45-degree angle from your body. You can change the muscles being worked by adjusting your hand positions as well. Try widening your hands or putting them very close together (aka 'diamond pushups' making a diamond shape with your fingers) for a new challenge.

#6 Abdominal Crunch

You might be familiar with sit-ups, but did you know that when it comes to strengthening your core and flattening your stomach, abdominal crunches are more effective? To begin this exercise, simply lay on the floor, facing up and with your knees bent. Next, curl your shoulders towards your pelvis. You can either place your hands beside your neck, resting gently behind your neck, or placed across your chest.

It is important not to press heavily against your neck or chest though, as this can cause injury. To perform a proper crunch, your lower back must remain resting against the floor. This allows your hip flexors to rest so all of the attention can be focused on your abdominal muscles.

#7 Step-Up Onto Chair

This exercise sounds pretty straight forward, and the truth is, it is! Although a simple exercise, the step-up onto chair routine is super effective for your body. Not only does it work on your abdominal muscles, but it also builds lean muscle mass, boosts your metabolism and aids in weight control – Bonus!

Regular exercises such as the step-up onto chair is also great for your overall wellbeing, boosting your mood and energy levels. To perform the step-up onto chair exercise, position a sturdy chair in front of you. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and your arms at your sides. Next, step up onto the seat with one foot and press down while bringing your other foot up next to it. Step back with the leading foot and bring the trailing foot down beside it to finish one complete step-up. Easy, right? All you have to do is repeat this movement for at least 20 repetitions.

#8 Squat

The squat is well known for toning the muscles in your buttocks, but this simple exercise also does so much more! Squats train the muscles in the thighs, hips, buttocks, quads and hamstrings. Squats also benefit the bones, ligaments and insertion of the tendons throughout your lower body.

Squats are a vital exercise for your body, and they increase the strength of your legs and buttocks, as well as develop optimal core strength. To perform a proper squat, your feet should be flat on the ground, about shoulder-width apart. Point your feet slightly facing outward, rather than straight ahead. Never let your knees extend beyond your toes, as this will increase the likelihood of damage to your knees.

Keep your back straight and bend at your knees as if you were going to sit back in a chair. Don’t forget to keep your heels on the ground. Thrust your hips forward and pull in your abs whilst keeping your back only slightly arched. Slowly lower your body so that your legs are almost parallel to the floor.

#9 An Extra Note on Squats

Squats can be dangerous if done incorrectly, so make sure your form is perfect on these. Keep your back straight and bend at your knees as if you were going to sit back in a chair. Don’t forget to keep your heels on the ground.

Thrust your hips forward and pull in your abs whilst keeping your back only slightly arched. Slowly lower your body so that your legs are almost parallel to the floor. Make sure your eyes are looking straight ahead; looking down will mess with your spinal alignment and could lead to injury.

#10 Triceps Dip On Chair

To begin this exercise, sit on the chair with the palms of your hands on the edge. Slowly slide your buttocks off the seat whilst supporting your weight with your hands. First, straighten your right leg and keep your left leg bent at a 90-degree angle. Keeping your elbows bent, slowly lower your buttocks towards the floor. Push back up until your arms are straight, remembering to keep your elbows tucked in.

It is essential to do one set of 8 to 15 repetitions before alternating to your left leg extended and your right leg bent at a 9-degree angle. Feeling that burn yet?

#12 Plank

The plank exercise has a number of different names, including the front hold, hover, and abdominal bridge. This exercise is vital for building up your core strength and arm strength. The plank involves lying face down on the floor with your elbows resting on the floor and your arms in a 90-degree position. You then push down on the toes of your feet to extend your feet and push your body so it is off the ground and resting on your elbows and toes.

This position is then held for an extended period of time, and the longer you can hold it, the more effective it is. The plank is great for strengthening the abdominals, back, and shoulders.

#14 High Knees Running In Place

The title of this exercise sounds pretty straight-forward – it simply involves you performing a typical running motion while lifting your knees high into the air. You don’t have to go to a running track to perform this exercise though, as it can also effectively be done whilst running in place.

This exercise is great for the muscles in your legs and hips, and can even improve your lower body flexibility. When performing this exercise, you must ensure that your legs are at 90-degree angles when being lifted high into the air. Point your toes forward in order to maintain the correct form and to really benefit from this simple exercise. Also, make sure you do not land on the heels of your feet. Instead, remain on the balls of your feet in order to avoid injury.

#18 Not Feeling Challenged?

For some people this workout will be hard to get through at first. You should be sweaty and fatigued by the time it is through. However if you don't feel challenged enough, try doing it twice, back-to-back, with a one-minute rest in between.

Think that's easy? We bet you won't make it through a third time. Repeating the workout twice makes this quick workout into an intense full-body workout that still only takes about 21 minutes to complete.

#19 Post-Workout Tips

After your workout, you will find that you may feel quite dehydrated if you haven’t successfully been keeping your fluids up throughout the exercises. It is vital that you drink 2-3 cups within two hours after your workout has completed. Then, it is important to drink water regularly after this. Although you may not feel thirsty anymore, you still need to replenish yourself to avoid further dehydration.

Stretching is also an important part of your post-workout ritual, and this is because after a workout, your muscles naturally contract. Stretching will prevent your muscles from shrinking, and it will also allow your muscles to relax. Stretching is also beneficial for boosting circulation to your joints and tissues, reducing stiffness of the muscles and allowing you to get the full benefits from your super workout!

#20 What to Eat After the Workout

After a workout, you'll want to eat carbs and protein to give your muscles the chance to repair and replenish themselves. Dried fruits and nuts will do the trick, so will a tasty meal like chicken stir-fry or grilled Salmon and potatoes.

Don't buy into the no-carb hype; if you want to get in shape your body will need some carbohydrates to promote insulin release, which will in turn get amino acids shuttled to your muscles. The best time to eat is within one hour of working out.