DAY 2 Strength exercises
Medium
PILLOW SQUAT
Tones inner thighs and glutes
1 Stand with your feet hip or shoulder-width apart. Place a pillow between your legs just above your knees.
2 Keeping the pillow in place, extend your arms straight in front of you and simultaneously lower your bottom as if to sit in a chair. Your legs should be bent at about 45 degrees. Pause, then return to start.
LAWNMOWER PULL Tones glutes and thighs
1 Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a light dumbbell in your right hand. Squat slightly until your legs are bent at about 45 degrees and place your left hand on your left thigh for support. Reach across your body with your right arm, placing the hand with the dumbell directly in front of your left knee.
2 In one smooth motion, pull your right arm back across your body (as though pulling a lawnmower cord) and stand up slightly, though not fully. Complete a full set on one side before switching to the other.
Bridge Tones hips and glutes
1 Lie on your back with your legs bent and your feet flat on the floor. Rest your arms at your sides, palms facing down.
2 Contract your buttocks and raise your hips towards the ceiling until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders with your knees aligned with your hips. Pause, then return to start.
CHAIR TAP
Tones thighs, hips and glues
1 Stand tall facing a chair a with your feet about hip-width apart and your hands on your hips. (You can also place one hand on a wall for balance if you need to.)
2 Keeping your abdominal muscles tensed for back support, raise your left root and tap the seat of the chair with your toes. Return to start. Complete a full set with one leg before switching to the other.
Don't step fully onto the chair during this exercise.
routine 2 Antidote to ageing
DAY 2 Strethches
Medium
STANDING CALF STRETCH
Stretches calves
Stand at arm's length from a wall and place your palms flat against the wall. Extend your left leg 60-90 cm (2-3ft) behind you and press your left heel to the floor. Make sure your back stays straight. (your right knee will bend naturally as you extend your left leg.) Keeping both heels flat on the
floor, press against the wall until you feel a nice stretch in your calf. Hold, then repeat with the other leg.
CROSS AND PULL Stretches glutes and lower back
Lie on your back and cross your right leg over the left. Lightly grasp your knee with your left hand and your left knee with your right hand. Gently pull your knee towards your chest as far as is comfortably possible. Hold, then release and repeat on the opposite side.
FLAMINGO Stretches quadriceps and thighs
Stand (with your right hand resting on a wall for support, if needed) and bend your left leg behind you. Grasp the top of your left foot with your left hand, keeping your back straight. Slowly pull your heel towards your bottom, stopping when you feel tension in your quads (the front of your thigh). Keep your hips and knees in alignment and tilt your pelvis slightly forward to deepen the stretch. Hold, then switch sides.
DOWNWARD DOG
Stretches hamstrings, glutes and calves
Kneel on all fours with your feet flexed. Press your hands and feet into the floor, raising your hips towards the ceiling (your body should look like an upside-down V). Keep lifting your tailbone towards the ceiling as you lower your heels to the floor as far as is comfortably possible.
routine 2 Antidote to ageing
DAY 3 Strength exercises
Medium
BIRD DOG
1 Kneel on all fours with your hands directly below your shoulders and your knees directly below your hips. Keep your head in line with your back (don't tilt it up or down).
2 Slowly extend your right arm and left leg so they're in line with or slightly above your back, pointing the toes of your left foot. (Don't arch your back while doing this exercerise.) Pause, then return to start. Repeat on the opposite side.
HOVER
Lie face down on the floor with your upper body propped on your forearms and your elbows directly beneath your shoulders. Lift your torso off the floor so your body is in a straight line, supported by your forearms and toes. Your back and pelvis should not arch or droop. Hold relax, then repeat three times.
MODIFIED 100
1 Lie on your back with your knees bent at a 90 degrees angle and your calves parallel to the floor. Keep your arms straight at your sides.
2 Contract your stomach muscles, pulling your navel towards your spine, and press your lower back into the floor. Roll your head and shoulder blades off the floor, sliding your fingertips forward along the floor as you do so. Hold for five breaths, inhaling and exhaling forcefully, then roll back down to the floor.
TOWEL CRISS-CROSS
1 Lie on the floor with your knees bent and aligned over your hips, then raise your calves so they're parallel to the floor. Hold a small towel outstretched in both hand with yoru arms extended so the towel is by your knees.
2 Roll your head and shoulder blades off the floor. Extend your left leg and simultaneously move the outstretched towel to the outside of your right knee. Next, extend your right leg and bend your left knee, keeping your shoulders off the shoulder. Your neck should stay in a neutral position. Alternate ten times for one set.
Medium
PILLOW SQUAT
Tones inner thighs and glutes
1 Stand with your feet hip or shoulder-width apart. Place a pillow between your legs just above your knees.
2 Keeping the pillow in place, extend your arms straight in front of you and simultaneously lower your bottom as if to sit in a chair. Your legs should be bent at about 45 degrees. Pause, then return to start.
LAWNMOWER PULL Tones glutes and thighs
1 Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a light dumbbell in your right hand. Squat slightly until your legs are bent at about 45 degrees and place your left hand on your left thigh for support. Reach across your body with your right arm, placing the hand with the dumbell directly in front of your left knee.
2 In one smooth motion, pull your right arm back across your body (as though pulling a lawnmower cord) and stand up slightly, though not fully. Complete a full set on one side before switching to the other.
Bridge Tones hips and glutes
1 Lie on your back with your legs bent and your feet flat on the floor. Rest your arms at your sides, palms facing down.
2 Contract your buttocks and raise your hips towards the ceiling until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders with your knees aligned with your hips. Pause, then return to start.
CHAIR TAP
Tones thighs, hips and glues
1 Stand tall facing a chair a with your feet about hip-width apart and your hands on your hips. (You can also place one hand on a wall for balance if you need to.)
2 Keeping your abdominal muscles tensed for back support, raise your left root and tap the seat of the chair with your toes. Return to start. Complete a full set with one leg before switching to the other.
Don't step fully onto the chair during this exercise.
routine 2 Antidote to ageing
DAY 2 Strethches
Medium
STANDING CALF STRETCH
Stretches calves
Stand at arm's length from a wall and place your palms flat against the wall. Extend your left leg 60-90 cm (2-3ft) behind you and press your left heel to the floor. Make sure your back stays straight. (your right knee will bend naturally as you extend your left leg.) Keeping both heels flat on the
floor, press against the wall until you feel a nice stretch in your calf. Hold, then repeat with the other leg.
CROSS AND PULL Stretches glutes and lower back
Lie on your back and cross your right leg over the left. Lightly grasp your knee with your left hand and your left knee with your right hand. Gently pull your knee towards your chest as far as is comfortably possible. Hold, then release and repeat on the opposite side.
FLAMINGO Stretches quadriceps and thighs
Stand (with your right hand resting on a wall for support, if needed) and bend your left leg behind you. Grasp the top of your left foot with your left hand, keeping your back straight. Slowly pull your heel towards your bottom, stopping when you feel tension in your quads (the front of your thigh). Keep your hips and knees in alignment and tilt your pelvis slightly forward to deepen the stretch. Hold, then switch sides.
DOWNWARD DOG
Stretches hamstrings, glutes and calves
Kneel on all fours with your feet flexed. Press your hands and feet into the floor, raising your hips towards the ceiling (your body should look like an upside-down V). Keep lifting your tailbone towards the ceiling as you lower your heels to the floor as far as is comfortably possible.
routine 2 Antidote to ageing
DAY 3 Strength exercises
Medium
BIRD DOG
1 Kneel on all fours with your hands directly below your shoulders and your knees directly below your hips. Keep your head in line with your back (don't tilt it up or down).
2 Slowly extend your right arm and left leg so they're in line with or slightly above your back, pointing the toes of your left foot. (Don't arch your back while doing this exercerise.) Pause, then return to start. Repeat on the opposite side.
HOVER
Lie face down on the floor with your upper body propped on your forearms and your elbows directly beneath your shoulders. Lift your torso off the floor so your body is in a straight line, supported by your forearms and toes. Your back and pelvis should not arch or droop. Hold relax, then repeat three times.
MODIFIED 100
1 Lie on your back with your knees bent at a 90 degrees angle and your calves parallel to the floor. Keep your arms straight at your sides.
2 Contract your stomach muscles, pulling your navel towards your spine, and press your lower back into the floor. Roll your head and shoulder blades off the floor, sliding your fingertips forward along the floor as you do so. Hold for five breaths, inhaling and exhaling forcefully, then roll back down to the floor.
TOWEL CRISS-CROSS
1 Lie on the floor with your knees bent and aligned over your hips, then raise your calves so they're parallel to the floor. Hold a small towel outstretched in both hand with yoru arms extended so the towel is by your knees.
2 Roll your head and shoulder blades off the floor. Extend your left leg and simultaneously move the outstretched towel to the outside of your right knee. Next, extend your right leg and bend your left knee, keeping your shoulders off the shoulder. Your neck should stay in a neutral position. Alternate ten times for one set.
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