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At-home Gravity Workout: to build muscle and balance
Cold weather might make you feel like hibernating, but you don't have to give
up your exercise and fitness
goals. You can exercise indoors. Focus on how you'll benefit if you keep up
your exercise routine throughout the
cold-weather season.
Exercise can help
you shake those winter blues. Exercise improves your mood, increases your energy
level a nd helps you sleep better. And you'll be in better shape when the weather
warms up.
Listed below are several popular exercises you can do at home that utilize
gravity and body weight to tone muscles.
Squats: Squats
are one of the best lower body exercises you can do. They are multi-joint
exercises which target all the muscles of the
hips, glutes and
thighs. Fast paced
frequent repetitions will produce maximum results. For beginners to do the
exercise: Place a chair just behind you and stand in front of it with feet about
hip- or shoulder-width apart. Contract the abs and keep them tight as you bend
the knees and slowly squat towards the chair. Keep the knees behind the toes as
you sit down on the chair for a few seconds. Contract the glutes and hamstrings
to lift up out of the chair and begin extending the legs. Fully extend the legs
until you're back to standing position. Repeat this for 1-3 sets of 10-16
repetitions. To progress, squat down until you're just hovering over the chair,
but not sitting all the way down. Always keep the knees in line with the toes!
Push-ups: A basic push up does not require any equipment other than
your own body weight and your arms. It can be done anywhere there is a firm
surface. And it works the
chest, the
shoulders,
abs, and the
triceps.
 Modifications can be made for different fitness levels. If a traditional push-up
is too hard, try resting your knees on the ground while you push-up. To do
the exercise: Assume a prone position on the floor or other hard surface that's
able to support your body weight. Keep your feet together. Place your hands
under your shoulders with your palms on the ground. Curl your toes upward
(towards your head) so that the balls of your feet touch the ground. Raise
yourself using your arms. At this point, your weight should be supported by your
hands and the balls of your feet. This position is called "plank," which is used
for other various exercises. This is the beginning and the end position of a
single push-up. Lower your torso to the ground until your elbows form a 90
degree angle. Keep your head facing forward. Try to have the tip of your nose
pointed directly to the front as you're going down. Draw a breath as you lower
yourself. Raise yourself by attempting to push the ground away from you. Breathe
out as you push. The power for that push will inevitably come from your
shoulders and chest. The triceps are also contracted but the primary exercise
for the triceps isn't the push-up. Continue the push until your arms are just
about straight. Stretch the chest and shoulder muscles during your cool down
cycle.
 Pull-ups: Also known as chin-ups. Pull-ups are the ultimate test of
strength to weight ratio. Having a high strength to weight ratio means lots of
things like; being able to rock climb better, being able to sprint faster, being
able to run up hills faster, being able to pull water to make your kayak go
faster, etc. Secondly, no exercise will develop your
back like
pull-ups. And finally, your upper arms, shoulders, forearms, abs, and grip
strength will all be
attended to. You will need a bar to perform this move. To conduct the exercise:
Grab the pull-up bar with your hands placed about shoulder width apart and your
palms facing away from you. Pull yourself upward until your chin is over the bar
and complete the exercise by slowly moving to the hanging position
Sit-ups: Lifting your body from the
core will shape
mid-section muscles. There are many popular modifications to this exercise like
crunches and side sit-ups. To do a si t-up: Lie down on the floor. Have
your knees bent and the balls of your feet and heels placed flat on the ground.
Place your hands behind the lobes of your ears, or even hold your ears. Avoid
grabbing the back of your head or neck, as this may cause injury down the road
if you pull too hard or in the wrong direction. You can also cross your arms
across your chest and touch your shoulders. Tighten your abdominal muscles by
drawing in your belly button to your spine. Keeping your heels on the ground and
your toes flat to the ground, slowly lift your head first, followed by your
shoulder blades. Focus your eyes on your bent knees, all the while contracting
the abdominal muscles. Pull up from the floor about half way. Hold the position
for a second. Slowly bring the torso back to the floor but try to keep it
slightly elevated off the ground. This means not to place your back flat to the
ground but to keep a slight, yet relaxed, arch. Only do two to three sets
if you are a beginner and slowly build up the amount over time, as your strength
increases.
  Lunges: Lunges
are great for working all the major muscles of the hips, glutes and thighs. For
beginners, you can try this move while holding onto a chair or wall for balance.
Stand with right foot forward, left foot back about 3 feet apart. Hold weights
in each hand if desired and bend the knees to lower the body towards the floor.
Keep the front knee behind the toes and be sure to lower straight down rather
than forward. Keep the torso straight and abs in as you push through the front
heel and back to starting position. Don't lock the knees at the top of the
movement. Perform 1-3 sets of 8-16 reps according to your fitness level and
goals. Walking lunges are a great way to tone legs without using a machine.
Tuck-jump: Begin by rapidly dipping down to about the quarter-squat
level and immediately explode upward. Drive the knees high toward the chest and
attempt to touch them to the palms of the hands. Upon landing, repeat the
sequence, each time driving the knees upward and tucking the feet under the
body. Perform multiple responses at a rapid rate with minimal ground contact.
Muscle groups worked: abs. glutes, hamstrings, quads,
calves
You can either incorporate these moves into your existing workout or add one
or two days of power training to your weekly regimen.
Warm-up: 10 minutes of
skipping or light
jogging.
|
EXERCISE |
SETS |
REPS |
Squat
|
3
|
10-12
|
Push-up
|
3
|
10-12
|
Pull-up
|
3
|
8-10
|
Tuck Jump
|
3
|
15
|
Lunge
|
3
|
10
|
Sit-up
|
3
|
12-15
|
Related Links
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