| In performing daily life skills, your muscles | | | | * Back extensions: Lie on your front with |
| work against the resistance of your body | | | | your arms straight down at your sides. Gently |
| weight. It only makes sense to strength train | | | | lift your head and shoulders up to work your |
| using your body weight instead of those fancy | | | | lower back |
| weights and equipment in the gym: | | | | |
| | | | Note: Once you have mastered these exercises |
| 1) Strengthen Your Foundation. Train Your | | | | on a flat surface you may want to try an |
| Lower Body and Legs. | | | | unstable surface like a stability ball. |
| | | | |
| * Squats: With your feet shoulder-width | | | | 3)Strengthen Your Upper Body. |
| apart, lower your body as if you were sitting | | | | |
| back in a chair until your thighs are | | | | * Pushups:Lie face down on the ground. Place |
| parallel with the floor. Keep your back | | | | your hands a bit wider than shoulder width |
| straight and lean slighty forward at the | | | | apart. Keep your feet slightly apart or |
| waist. Keep your heels on the floor. Squats | | | | together and your back straight. Lower |
| work the large muscles of the front and back | | | | yourself until you are almost touching the |
| of the leg as well as the buttocks. | | | | ground then push back up. Do not lock your |
| | | | elbows. If you have trouble start on your |
| * Alternating Lunges: Stand straight with | | | | knees. Pushups are a super upper body |
| your hands on your hips and your feet | | | | exercise working your chest, shoulders, back |
| together. Take a long step forward with your | | | | of the arms and the upper, middle, and lower |
| right leg and bend your left knee down to the | | | | back. For variations change the hand |
| ground. Straighten up until your feet are | | | | placement from narrow to very wide. |
| together. Repeat leading with your left foot. | | | | |
| Lunges work the same front, back and rear leg | | | | *Dips. You can do these with one chair or |
| muscles as squats but they are a bit more | | | | table or two. For the easier version place |
| difficult. | | | | both hands on the chair with both legs |
| | | | straight out front, feet on the floor. Bend |
| * Squat Jumps: Start squat jumps after you've | | | | the elbows and push back up without locking |
| been doing regular squats for a couple of | | | | them out. For more resistance, place both |
| weeks. The mechanics are the same as for | | | | hands on one surface and both feet on the |
| regular squats. When you reach the lowered | | | | other surface. Again bend the elbows. Dips |
| position simply jump up and repeat. They are | | | | are another super arm exercise. They work the |
| more explosive and will give you more power | | | | back of the arms, shoulders and chest. |
| as well as work your calf muscles. | | | | |
| | | | * Isometric back squeezes. It's difficult to |
| 2)Strengthen Your Core: Exercise The Area | | | | work the back muscles without equipment. You |
| Between Your Shoulders and Your Groin. | | | | may wish to purchase a set of dumbells just |
| | | | to perform upright rows and reverse flys. |
| * Crunches. Lie on your back with knees bent, | | | | Isometric back squeezes will work the lower, |
| back pressed to the floor. Place you | | | | middle and upper back. Stand shoulder width |
| fingertips behind your head for gentle | | | | apart. Raise hands above head. Pull down very |
| support (do not pull). Slowly lift your head | | | | slowly squeezing as hard as you can. When you |
| and shoulders with your head in a neutral | | | | reach the bottom hold for ten seconds and |
| position. This exercise works your upper abs. | | | | repeat several times. |
| | | | |
| * Oblique crunches. Lie on your back, knees | | | | You can combine all these calisthenics in |
| bent, hands gently supporting your head. | | | | many ways. You may simply want to do three |
| Place one foot on one knee. Gently twist the | | | | sets of ten for each exercise three times a |
| opposite side toward the knee with the foot | | | | week every other day. This is a strong |
| on it. Be sure to do both sides. The oblique | | | | stimulus load yet allows for enough recovery |
| muscles are your side ab muscles. | | | | time. The above exercises are special because |
| | | | they mimic movements in everyday living. |
| * Reverse crunches. Lie on your back and | | | | Further, they strengthen the body the way |
| raise your legs straight up with a slight | | | | nature intended- with it's own body weight. |
| knee bend. Leave your upper body on the | | | | Finally, with the few exceptions noted, the |
| floor. The motion is very small. Raise your | | | | only equipment required is your own body and |
| rear about an inch up off the ground. Reverse | | | | you don't need to go to a fancy gym to |
| crunches work your lower abs. | | | | perform these calisthenics. |
| | | | |