Strength training without equipment
So how are those new years resolutions going about getting fit?
Here are some exercises you can do at home, no equipment required just consistency and determination!
Pushups are great for your chest muscles , and you can do them several ways. There is the military way, with your body straight and nothing touching the ground except your hands and feet, or you can rest on your knees. For variety, try inclined pushups. You can do them with your hands higher by resting on a couple of books or a box, or you can have your feet higher, the same way.
You can get a great abdominal workout with bent leg situps. Lie on your back, bend your knees enough that your feet stay comfortable flat on the floor, fold your arms across your chest, and raise your shoulders about a foot off the ground then lower slowly and repeat.
Work your upper back with scapular retractions. Sit upright and pull your shoulders back to squeeze your shoulder blades together, trying to make them touch in the middle of your back, hold a few seconds, then relax. Also for your upper back: lie on your front then roll your shoulders back and down and squeeze your shoulder blades together, with your arms beside you and palms up off the floor. Squeeze your glutes and activate your core and make sure your head is level by tucking your chin in. Hold for at least 10 seconds x 3 once a day and work up to 30 second holds.
For your lower back , try prone lumbar extensions; lying on your stomach with your arms and legs stretched straight out. Raise your arms and legs off the ground a few inches, hold a few seconds, and then lower them. As you repeat this move, try to get your arms and legs higher off the ground.
You can work out your biceps with biceps curls using either cans of food for dumbbells, or pushing with the other hand for resistance. Rest your upper arm down the front of your body and pull your lower arm up until the clenched palm is close to your shoulder. Dip exercises are good for the triceps at the back of your upper arm. Begin sitting on the ground in front of a chair, or stool. Reach your arms out behind you and grasp the edge of the chair, palms down. Raise your butt off the ground and straighten your body. Now lower and raise your body by bending your elbows. This is a kind of upside down pushup.
Now all we have left are your legs . For your quads you can use the step up and step down. You can also try wall squats. Stand with your back straight against a wall with your feet a thigh's width in front of your body. Slide your back down the wall until you are in a parallel squat position, thighs horizontal. Hold until your thigh muscles begin to burn, then push up to the starting position. Repeat a few times until your quads are tired.
Lunges are good for your legs and hip flexors , favoring the hamstrings and glute muscles. Stand upright and take a big stride forward. Your trunk should go down close to the floor, and your planted leg should trail straight and almost horizontal behind your body, raised on the toes. You can take several short steps to bring your front leg back to the starting position. Repeat for the other leg, a dozen times for each.
You can work on your calves with toe raises on a stair. Stand up, touching a rail for balance, on one leg with your weight on the ball of your foot at the edge of the stair. Put the other foot behind your heel so that it is out of the way. Lower your heel slowly until it is as far below the stair as you can manage. Now slowly raise your heel until it is as high above the stair as you can reach. Lower and raise your heel slowly through the full range of motion of your ankle. A dozen of these on each leg give your calves and Achilles tendons a good workout, and are good for your ankles, too.
So when your done you may be a little sore, so of course you already have your massage booked in to help your muscles recover and get you ready for your next work out!!
As Nike says “Just do it!”
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Footpath Improvements for Blake Street
The council will be digging up our footpaths this month, so be prepared for a bit of noise and disruption to access to our carpark.
We will inform you on the day of your massage if our carpark is out of action to allow you more time to find a park so as not to cut into your treatment time.
Thank you for understanding. |
