Improve Mobility
Before we start, especially if you have not been very active I recommend:
1.
Schedule a check up with your doctor to make
sure your physical condition will tolerate a moderate exercise routine and
won’t exacerbate existing problems.
2.
Start drinking plenty of water daily. I
recommend you do this whether or not you are beginning an exercise routine.
Your body needs water to function properly and rid itself of the toxins we
ingest and absorb every day. Remember if you are thirsty you are already in the
first stages of dehydration.
3.
Wear comfortable clothing that is loose and
allows you to move easily without restrictions.
4.
Warm up the muscles you will be training
during your routine. This can be accomplished by walking, moving your arms in a
circular motion, jumping jacks, sitting and standing repeatedly, or using a
jump rope. Blood flow to the muscles is important and movement increases blood
flow.
5.
Stretch your muscles without straining them.
Touching your toes, flexing your neck, reaching for the ceiling, bending at the
waist, holding one bent leg in your hand behind you and pushing your leg
against your hand, are all good ways to stretch your muscles without strain and
injury. If you feel pain rather than just discomfort stop.
Exercise
to Increase Balance
This is particularly important for older adults or folks
whose physical health has been compromised in some way due injury or illness.
As you begin to exercise and are doing weight training your balance will
increase because your muscles are becoming stronger and you are building muscle.
But it takes time to build muscle and can only be accomplished by consistently
challenging your body and mind. Making the effort to weight train and eat for
fuel rather than pleasure is the first step. In the meantime I believe it is
important for you to include movements that are intended to increase your
balance and strength. Up to now the majority of the routines have you sitting. So
now I am going to ask you to Get Up Get Moving because…
CHIT
CHAT WON’T BURN FAT
Gathering
Your Equipment
1.
You will need two equally weighted objects
such as small weights, water bottles, canned goods, bricks, or anything else
that you are able to hold in your hands comfortably.
2.
2 sturdy chairs that are able to support your
weight without moving or collapsing.
3.
One strong bath towel
4.
2 tennis balls
5.
One stretch band
6.
One exercise ball
7.
Pillow
*Note these items may be easily stored without changing the dynamics of the room by hogging up much space.
Stand
on One Foot
1.
Stand behind your chair and hold on with one
hand.
2.
Raise the opposite leg and hold the position
for 10 seconds.
3.
Repeat 12 – 15 x’s with each leg
4.
Do 3 – 5 sets
·
If
you do not have a chair that you trust a wall is a good substitute.
·
As you
become increasingly stable you may want to attempt this with the chair nearby
but without holding on.
Sobriety
Test
1.
Choose a spot ahead of you across the room
and focus on it.
2.
Raise your arms to your shoulders
3.
Walk forward to the spot placing one foot in
front of the other so that the heel of the front foot touches the toe of the
front foot.
4.
Walk approximately 20 – 25 steps and return
to the starting point.
5.
Repeat 5 - 10 x’s
Balance
Walk I
1.
Choose a spot ahead of you across the room
and focus on it.
2.
Raise your arms to your shoulders
3.
Slowly walk forward to the spot placing one
foot in front of the other and with each step stop and raise your back leg
behind you. Bring your heel up towards your back.
4.
Walk approximately 20 -25 steps and return to
the
5.
Repeat 5-10 x’s
Balance
Walk II
1. Choose
a spot ahead of you across the room and focus on it.
2. Raise
your arms to your shoulders.
3. Slowly
walk forward to the spot placing one foot in front of the other and with each
step stop and raise your back leg bring your knee up towards your chin.
4. Walk
approximately 20 – 25 steps and return to the starting point.
5. Repeat
5 – 10 x’s
I know this may seem simple but it is important to keep
at the forefront increasing your ability to function and perform as you desire.
Your ability to move is more important than you may realize as recent studies
show the mere act of sitting decreases your life span.
See below
“And the findings were sobering: Every single hour of television watched
after the age of 25 reduces the viewer’s life expectancy by 21.8 minutes. By
comparison, smoking a single cigarette reduces life expectancy by about 11
minutes, the authors said..Looking more broadly, they concluded that an adult
who spends an average of six hours a day watching TV over the course of a
lifetime can expect to live 4.8 years fewer than a person who does not watch
TV.”
-NY
Times-
Additional exercises to increase the strength in your legs
and ankle will assist in increasing your balance and ability to move and
perform better. As you get stronger and more mobile challenge yourself to
gradually decrease the use of the chair progressing from 2 hands, to one hand
to a finger eventually doing some of these activities without the chair. Be
careful and be smart do not get ahead of yourself and whenever possible workout
with a partner and always use caution.
Yet here I sit writing these blogs hour after hour not
for my own enjoyment but because I believe you need help as I travel around and
see the number of people who are compromising their own health. Some are
compromised because of lack of knowledge and some due to lack of motivation. Here
own this blog it is my responsibility to provide you with the information in it’s
a simplest form so it is easy to understand and implement. So I hope you find
the information beneficial and use it either for you or someone you care about.
So Get Up Get Moving and Grab a Partner cause…..
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