Strengthening your upper body can help you with daily activities and contribute to good posture. (Image: Shutterstock)
With her perfectly combed hair and jewelry in place, Teresa doesn’t let her age stop her from hitting the treadmill and enjoying using other fitness equipment at her local facility.
Camarillo resident Teresa Moore lets everyone know that age is just a number. The 103-year-old still goes to the gym three to four times a week.
Perhaps this is the secret of her long life. After all, it fits perfectly with her advice “to stay resilient and go through life without regrets”. If you find yourself relapsing on your resolution to get fitter this year, it’s another sign that it’s time to hit the gym. However, if all the intimidating machines freak you out, don’t worry. Here are 5 easy exercises to get you started. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or returning to a gym after a while.
bench press
Lie on your back on a bench. Grab the bar with a hand position slightly wider than the width of your shoulders. It should be so that your hands are directly above your elbows when you reach the lowest point of the exercise. Gradually lower the bar to your chest as you inhale. As you exhale, push the bar up while holding on tight and directing your gaze to a point on the ceiling rather than the bar to make sure it follows the same trajectory each time.
Benefits of this exercise include improved muscle mass and strength, as well as improved endurance for daily activities. You also get stronger bones. In addition, bench press is a demanding exercise that consumes calories.
Pull up
As you rise, exhale and lift yourself up until your chin is parallel to the bar. Take a short break at the top of the movement. Descend as you inhale as you lower yourself until your elbows are fully extended. Repeat the movement without making contact with the ground. Perform the prescribed number of repetitions in your exercise routine.
The primary muscle that the pull-up targets is the latissimus dorsi (lats), a large muscle located behind your arms in your back. However, this exercise also works most of your chest, upper back, and shoulder muscles, and your abs are involved in stabilizing your body. Strengthening your upper body can help you with daily activities and contribute to good posture.
Squat
Stand with feet slightly wider than the width of your hips and toes pointing forward. Start by pushing your hips back, bending your knees and ankles, and gently pushing your knees out. Descend into a squat position while maintaining contact between your heels and toes with the ground, keeping your chest erect and your shoulders tucked in. Aim to eventually reach a parallel position with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Push through your heels and straighten your legs to return to a standing position.
This exercise has several benefits for the body, including strengthening leg muscles such as the quadriceps, calves, and hamstrings, as well as the knee joint. It also helps burn fat and promote weight loss, strengthens the lower back and improves flexibility in the lower body.
Shelf
Lie face down with your forearms and toes touching the floor, with your elbows directly under your shoulders and forearms pointing forward. Draw your abs in toward your spine, keeping your torso straight and rigid and your body in a straight line from your ears to your toes. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed and not raised towards your ears. Your heels should be placed over the ball of your foot. Hold this position for 10 seconds before releasing to the floor. Gradually increase the duration of the hold to 30, 45, or 60 seconds with time.
The plank exercise is great for strengthening the core, essential for stabilizing, balancing and strengthening the body during other activities. It can help increase calorie expenditure by targeting different muscles.
Static dropout
To perform a static lunge, stand with one foot forward and the other back, making sure your hips are square and your stance is tall. Lower your body until your front leg is bent at a 90-degree angle while keeping your back knee 1-2 inches off the floor. Push off your front foot to return to an upright position, tightening your leg muscles throughout the movement.
Static lunges can help strengthen leg muscles, improve balance and coordination, and can be done anywhere without equipment.
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