This winter workout doesnt even require you to leave your couch

This winter workout doesnt even require you to leave your couchThis winter workout doesnt even require you to leave your couchThe colder and darker it becomes outside, the more difficult it feels to muster up the motivation to head to the gym. So why not take the path of least resistance? You can score a legit workout from the comfort of your own home - hell, even from the comfort of your own couch.Thats right - this eight-move circuit workout keeps you connected to your favorite piece of furniture at all times while strengthening your arms, chest, legs and core simultaneously. Move through the circuit two or three times to gain the biggest benefits, and then bask in the glory of being the fittest lazy person out there. Ready to sweat? Queue up your latest binge show on Netflix and get moving.Incline Mountain ClimbersStart in a high plank position with your hands on the edge of your couch and the balls of your feet balancing on the floor. With your core engaged and hips level, driv e your right knee up toward your chest. Quickly switch feet and drive your left knee up toward your chest as you bring your right foot back to the floor. Continue alternating these mountain climbers for 30 seconds.Decline PushupsStart in a high plank position with your hands on the floor and the balls of your feet balancing on the edge of your couch. Keep your hands shoulder-width apart, your core engaged and your hips level. Slowly bend your elbows and lower into a pushup position, keeping your elbows tucked in toward your torso rather than splaying out to the sides. Push back up to the starting position. Repeat 10-15 times.Scissor KicksSit at the edge of your couch cushion and lean back slightly without touching the back of the couch. Lift your legs straight in front of you by engaging your core. Slowly lift your right foot over and across your left foot, bring your right foot in line with your left foot again, lift your left foot over and cross your right foot, and bring your lef t foot in line with your right foot again. Continue alternating these slow and controlled scissor kicks for 30 seconds.Knee Raise CrunchesSit at the edge of your couch cushion and lean back slightly without touching the back of the couch. Lift your legs straight in front of you by engaging your core. As you exhale, bend your knees and bring them in as close to your torso as possible. As you inhale, extend your legs straight out in front of you again. Thats one rep. Complete 15 with control.Raised Triceps DipsStart in a seated position with your hands on the edge of your couch close to your torso, your legs extended out in front of you and the heels of your feet balancing on the floor. Lift your hips to bring your glutes a few inches out and away from the edge of the couch, balancing on your hands. Bend your elbows straight back behind you, using your triceps strength to slightly lower your hips toward the floor, and then push yourself back up. Complete 15 dips before returning to th e seated position.Decline Spiderman PlanksStart in a high plank position with your hands on the floor and the balls of your feet balancing on the edge of your couch. Keep your hands shoulder-width apart, your core engaged and your hips level. Bend your right leg and bring your right knee as close to your right elbow as possible, and then return your right foot to the couch. Bend your left leg and bring your left knee as close to your left elbow as possible, and then return your left foot to the couch. Keep alternating sides for 30 seconds.Flutter KicksSit at the edge of your couch cushion and lean back slightly without touching the back of the couch. Lift your legs straight in front of you by engaging your core. Slowly alternate lifting your left leg slightly higher than your right and then your right leg slightly higher than your left. Continue your flutter kicks for 30 seconds before returning to the starting position.Russian TwistsSit at the edge of your couch cushion and lean ba ck slightly without touching the back of the couch. Lift your legs straight in front of you by engaging your core and bend your knees so they tuck in slightly toward your torso, leaving you balancing on your glutes. Grab a nearby pillow and hold it in front of you. Maintaining your balance and using your oblique strength, rotate your arms and upper torso to the right. Then twist the pillow over to your left side. Repeat 15 times on each side before taking a break.Thispostwas originally published onSwirled.comin the Thrive section, which covers valuable career and personal finance content for Millennials.

Here are some tips on having strong virtual presence as a leader

Here are some tips on having strong virtual presence as a leaderHere are some tips on having strong virtual presence as a leaderBeing perceived as a leader is the essence of leadership presence. While most of my coaching focuses on helping leaders enhance their presence in face-to-face encounters, I also realize that a different set of skills is required for projecting leadership presence when communicating virtually.Communication mediums run a spectrum from lean to rich. A lean medium transmits less information than a rich medium. If you are schmelzglasing, texting or typing in a chat window (lean mediums), there is nothing that gives added clues to the meaning of what you write. A communication channel becomes richer as you add human elements.Telephone calls and teleconferences give listeners access to vocal clues. Videoconferencing allows participants to view facial expressions and hand gestures. Whether in an email, over the telephone, or on a video conference, you can project le adership presence.EmailA recent report estimated that the average business person gets over 100 emails a day. Here are five ways to break through the clutter1. Start with a specific subject lineUsing a generic subject line like What do you think? or Checking in has much less impact than a specific Need suggestions for the meeting agenda by end of the day.2. Make your message clear and conciseBrevity makes a positive impact. People are mora likely to read short, concise emails than long, rambling ones, so make sure that your emails are as short as possible and try adding details in bullet points.3. Proofread your messageBefore you hit send, take a moment to review your email for spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. Your email messages are as much a part of your professional image as your body language. Dont diminish your leadership presence by sending out a message that contains typos.4. Wait 24 hours when youre upsetIts never a good idea to send an email when youre angry or in the throes of any strong negative emotion although weve all done this. If you compose an email in anger (or frustration or disappointment), wait a day before sending it. Then read it over and see if its reflective of how you want to be perceived. (Does it enhance or deplete your leadership presence?) In almost all cases, youll either re-write or delete the original.5. Dont wait to say thank youAnother distribution policy where timing matters is whenever you send a thank you email. But in this case, the sooner, the better. Dont wait days or weeks to express your appreciation. Do it right after the meeting - and youll greatly increase the impact of your positive comment.Telephone callsOn a telephone call its all in your voice. The words you choose, your speaking pace, volume, tone, inflection, pauses all communicate their own messages. When you want to sound like a leader . . . here are my top four tips1. Lower your vocal pitchThe quality of your voice can be a deciding factor i n how you are perceived. Speakers with higher-pitched voices are judged to be less empathic, less powerful and more nervous than speakers with lower-pitched voices.One easy technique to use before joining the conference call involves putting your lips together while saying Um hum, um hum, um hum. Doing so relaxes your voice into its optimal lower pitch.2. Stay focusedYou may think you are fooling people when you check your messages or file your fingernails during a teleconference, but you are not. People can hear the disconnect in your voice and it reduces your leadership presence.3. Sit up and smileSitting up, squaring your shoulders, and keeping your head straight gives you vocal energy and smiling puts warmth in your voice.4. Build virtual trustUse inclusive language we, us, together as much as possible.Take a few minutes for small talk at the beginning of the call. The more you and your caller get to know one another on a personal level, the more likely you are to trust each other.Instead of just reacting to what someone says, acknowledge her first by saying Thats an interesting point you just made , or What you said reminds me of or Building on your idea about Video conferencesIn video meetings, you add richer communication cues by offering a partial view (usually from your chest to the top of your head). And what people see is often more impactful than anything you say. Here are for things to remember when on camera1. Look like a leaderIt takes less than seven seconds for people to make judgments about your confidence, competence, professional status, and warmth. While a face-to-face meeting gives you added opportunities to create a positive impression (the way you enter the meeting room, shake hands, and so on), on the screen, its all about your visual presence. So be sure your grooming and wardrobe send the right message.2. Start off with the right attitudeRegardless of how tiring or frustrating your day may have been, before you go on camera pull your shoulders back, hold your head high, take a deep breath, and smile. Think about showing up as your best self exuding ease, confidence and warmth.3, Make eye contactEye contact is hugely important in nonverbal communication. If a speaker actively seeks out eye contact, she is judged to be more believable, confident and competent. In person this involves looking directly in someones eyes. In a video meeting, you have to maintain eye contact by looking into the camera when you talk and at the screen when others are speaking. Its a good idea to lower the monitor camera a little so that you dont have to tilt your head back to gaze up at it. (And if you use notes, attach them at camera-eye level.)4. Watch your gesturesIf you use open gestures, youll be perceived more positively. But be aware that too much hand movement can look jerky on screen so slow your gestures down for the best effect. Gestures that are so large that your hands go out of view are useless, so keep your hands i n the frame.Remember, too, that regardless of how comfortable you may be crossing your arms, this gesture is almost always perceived as a sign of resistance. And, since the human brain pays more attention to negative messages than it does to positive ones, people are unconsciously on the alert for signs that something is wrong.One final thought As important and pervasive as virtual communication is, when it comes to projecting leadership presence, nothing beats the impact you can make in person. Massari is a Vice President at Ceasars Entertainment. His advice If its not that important, send an email. If its important but not mission critical, pick up the phone. If its critically important to the success of your organization, go see someone.Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D. is an international keynote speaker and leadership presence coach.

December 2018 Jobs Report

December 2018 Jobs ReportDecember 2018 Jobs ReportDecember capped a year of strong job growth as employers added 312,000 positions, beating expectations for year-end hiring by a wide margin. In total, more than 2.6 million new jobs were created in 2018, compared to about 2.2 million the year before.According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the following sectors created the most jobs last monthEducation and health services 82,000 jobs addedLeisure and hospitality 55,000 jobs addedProfessional and business services 43,000 jobs addedConstruction 38,000 jobs addedManufacturing 32,000 jobs addedUnemployment edges up to 3.9 percentThe national unemployment rate ticked up to 3.9 percent in December, from 3.7 percent the previous month.The unemployment rate for college-degreed workers who are 25 or older decreased slightly to 2.1 percent. In November, the unemployment rate for these highly sought-after workers was 2.2 percent.What employers need to knowHeres an important question to consi der now that the new year has arrived How able is your company to compete for top talent in 2019? Yes, competition has been fierce for skilled talent - and it remains so. But there may be other factors affecting your firms hiring efforts.Common challenges includeFailing to offer a compensation package that is competitive enoughOverlooking the importance of talking up the unique aspects of your organizational culture, which can often be a make-or-break factor in hiringA hiring process that is too long and complicatedJob postings that are bland and boring - or overly specific (thus potentially deterring candidates who meet the core requirements from applying)Many in-demand professionals are beginning to look for new jobs right now - energized by the start of a new year. Dont miss this opportunity to show them why your company could be exactly what theyre searching for. You also may want to consider tapping a reputable staffing firm whose recruiting specialists can help you titel mo re ground and move fast to engage top candidates.START HIRINGWhat job seekers need to knowThe start of a new year is a time filled with promise. So, its not surprising that many professionals see January as an ideal month for launching a new job search. This can be a good time to enter the market, as many employers have fresh hiring budgets and new initiatives waiting to be staffed.However, despite the competition for skilled candidates, most businesses are still very selective when hiring. Ensuring that your job application materials clearly spell out the value you can bring to a potential employer can help you catch the attention of hiring managers.First, your resume must be up to date. It should reflect your most recent achievements and highlight your current skills and experience. And when applying for a position, take care to adjust the wording of your resume for that specific opening. Pull relevant phrases and keywords from the job posting so hiring managers can easily see you have the right qualifications.Take the same thoughtful approach with your cover letter, when you have the option to provide one. Many executives consider cover letters a valuable tool when evaluating job candidates. In short, a standout cover letter could be what prompts your target employer to look more closely at that resume you worked so hard to refine. Together, your cover letter and resume can do the hard work of earning you an interview - and an opportunity to win that new job youre aiming for in 2019.